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Washington, D.C. — This week the House passed H.R. 6342, the Veterans Programs Extension Act of 2006. Once signed into law, this bill will extend several existing Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits provisions.

“Together, we have forged a bipartisan path for veterans’ legislation and funding to provide our nation’s heroes with much needed health care and benefits,” said Subcommittee on Health Chairman Henry Brown (R-S.C.), speaking of the negotiations between House and Senate Committee members.

The legislation contains provisions to authorize VA to provide education benefits under chapter 35 to spouses and dependent children of severely injured servicemembers prior to the member’s discharge. Given the long convalescence many of our severely injured servicemembers experience while being retained on active duty, it makes no sense to delay a spouse’s ability to get the education and training that may be needed to help support the family. These are servicemembers who will most likely be discharged with permanent and total service-connected disabilities.

“These spouses are just as heroic as the wounded warriors they support,” said Brown.

Current law requires the severely injured servicemember to already be discharged for a condition qualifying for the chapter 35 benefit, but this legislation would authorize VA to pay benefits sooner to those who would qualify following discharge.

H.R. 6342, the Veterans Programs Extension Act of 2006, once signed into law, would also:

• Reauthorize health care services for veterans exposed to chemical and biological testing under Projects 112 and SHAD, and it extends treatment and rehabilitation programs for seriously mentally ill and homeless veterans until December 31, 2007.
• Extend VA’s grant and per diem program for homeless veterans until September 30, 2007. Further, it would extend VA’s Advisory Committee on Homeless Veterans, and the program to provide government markers for veterans interred in private cemeteries, until December 31, 2007.
• Extend until June 30, 2007 the VA’s work study program where in veterans assist VA and other government agencies. The work study program is an increasingly popular benefit that provides veterans with an alternative use of their GI Bill if they choose not to go to college.
• Reauthorize the requirement for the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to each submit a report to Congress on use of educational assistance programs by veterans and servicemembers. It would also reauthorize the biennial report on women veterans.
• Permanently authorize six Parkinson’s Disease Research, Education, and Clinical Centers. Parkinson’s disease affects as many as 1.5 million Americans. While treatment exists, we are still searching for a cure. In addition, the bill also codifies two existing multiple sclerosis centers.
• Authorize major medical facility leases, similar to H.R. 5815, which passed the House on September 13, 2006.
• Makes technical and clerical amendments to title 38, and codifies the payment amounts of the already enacted veterans’ disability compensation COLA.