Rep. Kind’s Legislation to Fix Problems at the Tomah VA Headed to House & Senate for Final Vote

La Crosse, WI – The House and Senate Conference Committee on the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act released their final bill late last night. The bill includes Rep. Kind’s legislation, the Jason Simcakoski PROMISE Act, and will now go on to the House and Senate for a final vote.

“My primary concern following the failures at the Tomah VA has been making sure that we fix the problems and provide our veterans the care they have earned and deserve. Today, we have made a significant step forward in giving veterans and their families the accountability they deserve and putting an end to the over prescription and reliance on highly addictive pain medication,” said Rep. Kind.

"Much of the credit for this victory lies with the Simcakoski family, who have worked tirelessly with our office and others to make sure no other family has to go through what they have and create a legacy Jason would be proud of.”

Rep. Kind has been a strong advocate for making sure the problems at the Tomah VA never happen again. In May, the House passed his legislation, the Jason Simcakoski PROMISE Act, which would address over prescription of pain medicine in the VA and help families have a voice in the care their loved ones are receiving. Additionally, provisions of his Inspectors General Transparency Act of 2015 have passed into law.