WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Representative Gary Peters (MI-14) introduced four bills aiding veterans on a range of issues from improving health care and suicide prevention to protecting veterans from fraud and promoting entrepreneurship as they transition into civilian life.

“Our veterans served our country with distinguished honor and a selfless commitment to protecting our nation, and it is imperative that we keep our promises to them," said. Rep. Peters. "These common-sense policies will improve the level of support veterans are receiving in their transition so they can be leaders in civilian life just as they were in uniform."

The son of a World War II veteran, Peters served in the U.S. Navy Reserve for more than a decade, becoming a Seabee combat warfare specialist and rising to the rank of Lieutenant Commander. After 9/11, Peters volunteered to serve again.

The legislation introduced by Peters today includes the Continuing Care for Veterans Act, Suicide Prevention for America’s Veterans Act, Veterans Care Financial Protection Act and the Veterans Small Business Support Act, which support veterans by protecting access to health care, improving accountability of suicide prevention programs, cracking down on scam artists who steal from veterans and helping veterans and reservists operate their own businesses after their service.

A summary of each bill is below:

Continuing Care for Veterans Act

·         Ensures that the Veterans Administration cannot alter the availability or wait times for a veteran’s hospital care based solely on the length of time since the veteran’s last visit to a VA facility.

Suicide Prevention for America’s Veterans Act

• Extends Special Combat Eligibility for health care from 5 to 15 years after separating from the military.
• Establishes a review process for potential wrongful discharges that may be related to mental health issues.
• Increases professional staff in the VA by creating a three year pilot program to repay medical school loans for doctors and psychiatrists that join the VA.
• Increases accountability of suicide prevention programs by requiring an annual review of VA and DOD mental health care and suicide prevention programs to ensure resources are effectively combating the problem.

Veterans Care Financial Protection Act

• Protects veterans receiving pension funds to cover assisted living or in home person care from scam artists who defraud veterans through dishonest, predatory, and unlawful practices.

Veterans Small Business Support Act

• Makes permanent the Small Business Administration’s Express Loan Guarantee Fee Waiver for Veterans.
• Requires a report on the feasibility of providing financial planning and counseling to owners of small businesses concerns who are members of a reserve component prior to deployment.
• Requires a report assessing the level of outreach to and consultation with female veterans by women’s business centers and Veterans Business Outreach Centers.
• Requires a report on the Military Reservists Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program at SBA, which provides a loan up to $2 million for a small business that could not meet its ordinary operating expenses because an essential employee was called up to active duty in his or her role as a reservist.

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