May 2001 Newsletter, Disabled American Veterans, Department of New York

Disabled American Veterans Department of New York, 200 Atlantic Avenue, Lynbrook, New York 11563

NEWSLETTER
A PUBLICATION FOR MEMBERS OF THE DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS DEPARTMENT OF NEW YORK
Volume 10, Number 5, May, 2001, PAGE 2 of 4

RUNDOWN VAMCS TO GET A FIX!
Edward G. Galian, Adjutant

Chris Smith, Chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, has agreed that the VA's apparent "de facto moratorium" on major VA hospital repairs has created a backlog of construction projects that will require hundreds of millions of dollars to complete.

"I believe that veterans need these overdue improvements now," Chris Smith (R-NJ) told Dr. Thomas Garthwaite, VA's Under Secretary for Health at the 3/13/01 hearing on H.R. 811, the Veterans' Hospitals Emergency Repair Act.

Well, somebody must have been listening because on March 27th, the House of Representatives, unanimously passed two bills, one to repair Hospitals and one to enhance aid to veterans.

Check these out!

Aging, at-risk VA hospitals will get more than a half billion dollars of emergency repairs under legislation written by Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-4), Chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, and approved by a vote of 417 to 0 last night in the House of Representatives.

The Smith legislation, H.R. 811, the Veterans Hospital Emergency Repair Act, and a second Smith bill to help disabled veterans, widows of veterans and soon-to-be separated veterans (H.R.801, the Veterans Opportunities Act), now move to the Senate for their approval.

"Too many of our nation's VA health care centers are at-risk; some, like the American Lake facility in Tacoma, from seismic damage, others, like the Lyons facility in New Jersey, simply from age and physical deterioration. Last night's action is the first major step by the 107th Congress to ensure that we continue to provide world-class health care for veterans in the next century," said Smith.

"We cannot afford to wait once again for new studies, commissions or reports; the time for action is now and I am gratified to see that my colleagues in the House have unanimously supported my legislation to address this urgent problem," said Smith.

"H.R. 811, the Veterans' Hospitals Emergency Repair Act, provides immediate funding to address some of the VA's most pressing needs by providing $550 million over two years for construction projects to repair, rebuild or upgrade dilapidated medical facilities ," he said. "Medical facilities, including East Orange and Lyons could receive funding, up to $30 million each, based upon very specific criteria we have laid out in my legislation, including mitigating physical safety hazards, modernizing facilities to accommodate the disabled and women privacy needs, and upgrading specialized treatment units, such as geriatrics," he said.

Smith said that his second bill approved last night, H.R. 801, the Veterans' Opportunities Act, which also passed unanimously (417 to 0), "targets additional funding and assistance to veterans' and their survivors most in need, such as disabled veterans who require specially adaptive housing or automobiles."

"One of my priorities as Chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee is to insure that current and future benefits actually match the level of need in the 21st century," said Smith. "With approval of my legislation, H.R. 801, we provide much-needed assistance to disabled veterans, surviving spouses as well as servicemembers preparing to leave the military for a civilian life," he said.

As passed by the House, Smith's Veterans Opportunities Act would:

MEMORIAL AFFAIRS, INSURANCE, AND OTHER PROVISION

Increase the automobile and adaptive equipment grant for severely disabled veterans from $8,000 to $9.000.

Increase the grant for specially adapted housing for severely disabled veterans from $43,000 to $48,000, and increase the amount for less severely disabled veterans from $8,250 to $9,250.

Increase the burial and funeral allowance made to the family of veterans who die from service-connected causes from $1,500 to $2,000, increase the burial and funeral allowances for nonservice-connected veterans from $300 to $500, and increase the burial plot allowances from $150 to $300.

Expand the Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (SGLI) program to include spouses and children. Spousal coverage will not exceed $100,000; child coverage would be $10,000. Upon termination of SGLI, the spouse's policy could be converted to a private life insurance policy.

Make the effective date of an increase from $200,000 to $250,000 in the maximum SGLI benefit provided for in Public Law 106-419 retroactive to October 1,. 2000, for a servicemember who died in the performance of duty and had the maximum amount of insurance in force.

EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE

Increase from $2,000 to $3,400 the maximum allowable annual SROTC award for benefits under the Montgomery GI Bill.
Expand VA's work-study program for veterans to include working in their major academic discipline, working in state veterans homes, and helping State Approving Agencies with outreach efforts.
Provide for inclusion of certain private technology entities in the definition of education institution.
Allow the disabled spouse or surviving spouse of a severely disabled service connected veteran to receive special restorative training.
Permit veterans to use VA education assistance benefits for a certificate program offered by an accredited institution of higher learning by way of independent study.

TRANSITION AND OUTREACH PROVISIONS

Provide VA the authority to maintain transition assistance offices overseas.
Extend the time that pre-separation counseling is available to servicemembers leaving the service to as early as 12 months before discharge, and 24 months prior to discharge for military retirees.
Improve education and training outreach services by requiring each State Approving Agency to conduct outreach programs and provide services to eligible veterans and dependents about state and federal education and training benefits.
For purposes of VA's outreach programs, defines an eligible dependent as the spouse surviving spouse, child or dependent parent of a servicemember or veteran. Require VA to ensure that eligible dependents are made aware of VA's services through media and veterans publications.
Require VA to provide to the veteran or eligible dependent information concerning VA benefits and services whenever that person first applies of any benefit.

Now, let's see the Senate do it, too.

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