DAV’s Legislative Priorities
To help educate legislators, candidates and agencies, we have outlined below a range of issues facing veterans that need to be addressed.
If you have any questions for DAV’s legislative team, please contact us at (202) 554-3501 or LegislativePublic@davmail.org.
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Blue Water Navy
Congress should pass H.R. 203 and H.R. 299, the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019.
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Burn Pit Exposure
Currently, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) does not provide presumption of service connection for diseases related to burn pit exposure, but continuing research may soon establish such links.
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Comprehensive Caregiver Support
In recognition of the significant role that family caregivers play in providing personal care services and other supports to veterans severely injured in the line of duty on or after September 11, 2001.
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Expand and Strengthen Service Member Transition, Employment and Economic Opportunities for Veterans
Roughly 250,000 service members per year leave military service and need transition assistance, along with employment and education opportunities.
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Improve Survivor Benefits
Currently, the rate for DIC is significantly lower than an equivalent benefit provided to survivors of federal civilian employees who are killed while performing their duties.
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Individual Unemployability
Over 4 million veterans are currently receiving VA compensation benefits.
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Licensure and Certification of Active Duty Military Personnel
DOD currently operates a program to enable members of the armed forces to obtain, while serving in the armed forces, professional credentials that translate into civilian occupations.
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Rebalancing Long-Term Supports and Services
VA long-term supports and services (LTSS) encompass a broad range of assistance to veterans, regardless of age, who have lost the ability to function independently due to injury or illness thus preventing them from being active participants in their community.
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VA Health Information Technology
Four decades ago, VA clinicians developed and deployed the first modules of what is now known as Veterans Health Information System and Technology Architecture (VistA).
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Women Veterans
Today, women are serving in greater numbers in the U.S. military and make up 20 percent of new recruits, 15.9 percent of the 1.3 million personnel serving on active duty, and 19.3 percent of the National Guard and reserve forces.
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Strengthening Veterans Health Care
The VA MISSION Act (Public Law 115-182) was designed to expand veterans access to health care through a new integrated community care program and make major investments to increase VA’s internal capacity to provide care to nearly 8 million enrolled veterans.
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Eliminate Veteran and Survivor Offsets
Service members who retire from the military after 20 or more years of service are able to receive full VA compensation for their service-related disabilities rated 50 percent or more disabling without any offset to their military longevity retirement pay.
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VA Mental Health Care
VA is responsible for treating a large population of veterans diagnosed with mental health conditions.