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House Passed Bills Would Improve Veterans Benefits and Quality of Life |
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July 31, 2007
WASHINGTON --
U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.), member of the House Committee on Veterans'
Affairs and chairman of the GOP Policy Committee's Veterans' Affairs Task
Force, supported three important veterans-related pieces of legislation
approved by the House of Representatives on Monday.
These bills would enhance veterans' health care and benefits through a wide
array of initiatives, improve the affordability of hospice care for veterans,
augment housing benefits to severely wounded servicemebers transitioning to
civilian life, and expand services and assistance for homeless and low-income
veterans.
"As a member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, it is my top priority to pass
legislation that provides the best benefits and services for our service men
and women transitioning into civilian life," said Bilirakis. "These bills were
passed in a bipartisan manner by the House, and, if enacted, would greatly
improve the life of our nation's veterans and their families."
Summary
of the bills are as follows:
H.R. 2623 would prohibit the collection of co-payments for all hospice
care furnished by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
H.R. 2874 would enhance the delivery of veterans' health care through a
broad array of initiatives including counseling and mental health services for
servicemembers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, expanding services and
assistance for homeless and very low-income veterans, requiring VA domiciliary
programs meet the needs of women veterans, and makes permanent a program to
treat participants in Defense Department chemical and biological testing.
H.R. 1315 would authorize VA to provide specially adapted housing
benefits to severely wounded servicemembers convalescing as they await
discharge from the service. It would also authorize scholarships for
students studying blind rehabilitation in exchange for a period of obligated
service at VA in that specialty.
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