Legislation introduced in the Senate would require VA to provide indebted veterans a clear explanation of why the debt was created.

S. 2884, the Veterans Fair Debt Notice Act of 2018, calls for the VA to create a debt notice letter, with the assistance of veterans service organizations, written in plain language to include a clear explanation of all options available to the veteran. The VA would also be required to develop a method that allows veterans to receive the debt notice via email as well as by standard mail.

“Currently, VA debt letters are not written in easy to understand language and often lack an explanation of why the debt was created,” said DAV National Service Director Jim Marszalek. “Many veterans do not understand the reason for the debt, their options after notification, and in many instances, do not receive the notice in a timely manner. Enactment of S. 2884 would provide veterans with a clear explanation about the debt and allow them to receive a more expedient notice via email.”

DAV applauds the efforts to simplify the debt notice process and supports this legislation in concurrence with DAV Resolution Number 171, implemented at the most recent DAV and Auxiliary National Convention in Reno, Nev.—which calls for an improved debt notification process.

Find out more about this and other pertinent veterans legislation by joining DAV’s Commanders Action Network at davcan.org.