Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-27) is asking the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to allow for reasonable accommodations for Chautauqua County residents who volunteer to drive local veterans to VA health care facilities. 

“Sometimes agencies get so caught up in policy that they defy common sense,” said Congressman Higgins.  “Forcing someone, who is kind enough to volunteer their time to take veterans to critical appointments, to drive a good distance out of their way when perfectly acceptable accommodations are available at a government facility around the corner is unnecessary bureaucracy.  I hope the VA sees fit to make reasonable adjustments in this situation.” 

A new VA policy requires government vehicles used for patient transportation be stored at a federal facility, such as a Post Office.  The Brocton Post Office doesn’t have the space to provide for vehicle storage however Brocton Village officials offered to allow for the vehicle to park at Village Hall.  The VA has rejected this accommodation. 

Below is Congressman Higgins’ letter requesting a review of this policy:

March 22, 2011

Michael E. Moreland, FACHE
Network Director
VA Healthcare-VISN 4
323 North Shore Drive, Suite 400
Pittsburgh, PA 15212

Re: The storage of vehicles for use by volunteers in Chautauqua County, NY

Dear Mr. Moreland:

My office was contacted on Friday, March 18th by a volunteer driver for VA patients from the village of Brocton, in Chautauqua County, NY.  The volunteer conveyed the following information:

• The VA has adopted a new policy regarding the storage of government vehicles used for patient transportation.  The thrust of this policy is that vehicles cannot be stored at the volunteers’ homes, but they must be stored at a federal facility, where post office buildings qualify as federal facilities.
• The Brocton, NY Post Office has indicated that it does not have the room to accommodate the vehicle used by this volunteer.
• The Westfield, NY Post Office has indicated that it can accommodate the vehicle.
• Officials from the Village of Brocton have indicated a willingness to allow the vehicle to be stored at the village hall, but the VA insists that the vehicle must be stored at a federal facility.

There is a very well established precedent for the use of village halls and similar municipal facilities for the administration of federal functions.  Village and other municipal clerks often serve as acceptance agencies for the passports for the Department of State, villages and other municipalities administer a host of federal programs through FHWA, USDA, HUD and other agencies, and this particular site has been used by my office for “Congress on Your Corner” outreach. 

In light of this, please provide my office with a copy of whatever document, directive or instructions necessitated this change in policy.  It seems that storing the vehicle at the Brocton Village Hall, while still an increased inconvenience to volunteers, is more reasonable than storing the vehicle at a post office some nine miles away.  If this policy is a matter of agency discretion, I request that you review this policy toward the goal of achieving a reasonable accommodation.

Thank you very much.

Sincerely,

Brian Higgins
Member of Congress