Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Scott Peters (52nd District of California)
Washington, D.C. – Today, Representatives Scott Peters (D-CA), John Rutherford (R-FL), and Morgan McGarvey (D-KY), and U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND), introduced the Ensuring Benefits for Disabled Veterans Act, legislation to address an unfair rule in federal law that can create unnecessary delays when veterans with service-connected disabilities attempt to access earned education and employment benefits.
The Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) administers the Veteran Readiness and Employment program (VR&E), which helps qualifying veterans with service-connected disabilities with job training, starting their own businesses, independent living services, education, employment accommodations, and resume development. The type of service offered are unique to fit the goals and needs of each veteran.
Under current law, veterans who use GI Bill education benefits before accessing the VR&E program can be prevented from accessing their VR&E benefits for years due to VA rules. Veterans who use VR&E first are not subject to the same penalty, creating an unfair disparity that disproportionately affects veterans with disabilities.
The Ensuring Benefits for Disabled Veterans Act ensures that veterans who would like to access the VR&E program are not penalized based on the order in which they use their earned education benefits.
“San Diego is not only home to a vast military community, but to more than 240,000 veterans who proudly served our country—and it’s crucial they have the resources they need to thrive after their service ends,” said Rep. Peters. “No one, especially disabled veterans, should lose access to education and job-training benefits because of a technicality in the law. Our bipartisan, bicameral bill fixes this unfair disparity and ensures veterans can fully access their hard-earned benefits after serving our nation.”
“Our servicemembers sacrifice so much to keep the air we breathe free,” said Rep. Rutherford. “That’s why I am proud to join Rep. Peters in introducing the Veterans’ Access to Resources Act to get rid of unnecessary roadblocks preventing veterans from receiving the benefits they earned.”
“Veterans shouldn’t have to navigate a maze of red tape just to get the benefits they’ve already earned,” said Rep. McGarvey. “The Ensuring Benefits for Disabled Veterans Act helps streamline that process, so our nation’s heroes can spend less time on paperwork and more time focusing on their future. I’m grateful to Rep. Peters for tackling this problem with a commonsense solution that will make the system work better for the veterans it’s meant to serve.”
“Our veterans served this country with grit and class, and now it is our turn to return the favor and provide commonsense access to the benefits they have rightly earned and deserve,” said Senator King, a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee. “The Ensuring Benefits for Disabled Veterans Act will help veterans access their benefits more efficiently – ensuring all veterans with disabilities can pursue their education without becoming tangled in red tape. This simple fix will make it easier for veterans to access benefits they have earned, making sure they can learn the skills they need to transition to the next phase in their life, beyond the military.”
“AMVETS strongly supports the Ensuring Benefits for Disabled Veterans Act, which repeals an outdated limitation that prevents veterans from accessing both the VA’s Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) program and educational assistance benefits. Disabled veterans should never be forced to choose between rehabilitation and education when both are critical to achieving meaningful, long-term employment,” said American Veterans (AMVETS) National Executive Director Joe Chenelly.
“Veterans’ paths to meaningful employment are not one-size-fits-all. By removing unnecessary barriers between VA education benefits and the Veteran Readiness and Employment program, this legislation would modernize VA policy and put veterans’ long-term success first. The VFW applauds Rep. Peters for advancing a commonsense fix that better reflects today’s transition realities,” said VFW National Legislative Service Associate Director Joe Grassi.
“The Ensuring Benefits for Disabled Veterans Act is a meaningful fix that puts veterans first. For too long, the outdated 48-month rule has penalized disabled veterans who rely on both the GI Bill and the Veteran Readiness and Employment program to pursue education and employment related training or rehabilitation. Repealing this rule ensures fairness, reduces unnecessary red tape, and empowers veterans to get the resources they need to succeed. IAVA is proud to stand with our partners in support of this legislation, and we urge Congress to move quickly to pass it,” said Dr. Kyleanne Hunter, CEO, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA).
Full bill text can be found here.
Background
The VR&E program provides education, training, and rehabilitation services to veterans with service-connected disabilities to help them prepare for employment or independent living. While VR&E already has its own statutory limits and safeguards, outdated rules governing multiple education programs have created unnecessary barriers for veterans who need these services most.
The Ensuring Benefits for Disabled Veterans Act amends Title 38 of the U.S. Code to remove VR&E from the combined benefit limitation, while preserving VR&E’s existing 48-month cap and the VA’s authority to grant extensions when medically or vocationally necessary.
Since coming to Congress, Rep. Peters has worked across the aisle to achieve the best possible outcomes for veterans and their families in San Diego – a city with one of the largest populations of veterans in the nation. He’s led several bills which have become law, including the Veteran HOUSE Act, the Veteran PEER Act, and the Sergeant Daniel Somers Veterans Network of Support Act, to ensure veterans have the housing, mental health care, and community support they need long after their service ends.
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