Noteboom The Law Firm

Six Bills Pass To Help Veterans

September 21, 2010 - The House Veterans' Affairs Committee was busy last week. On Wednesday they passed 6 bills focused on veterans' benefits. The bills vary widely in their scope and effect, but all will affect veterans in some capacity.  

One of the larger bills passed was an omnibus bill. This particular piece of legislation provides for the creation of a new job training program for veterans. It will also let veterans prevent certain payments, such as from insurance companies and courts, from being considered income. Being considered income means veterans could lose some or all of their pensions. The bill also raised the monthly pensions for living Medal of Honor winners to $4,000.

In an unnumbered draft attached to the omnibus bill, the committee passed a provision affecting veterans' gun rights. If it becomes law, veterans suffering from service-related mental disorders would not have their names placed in the FBI's database used to screen gun buyers until that veteran is given a judicial review.

The Committee also passed HR 5593, which is reactionary to the Prudential Financial problems recently in the news. If passed, this bill will make financial counseling available to any beneficiaries of Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance.

HR 3685 will affect the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). This bill mandates the VA significantly exhibit jobs links for veterans on their home page as well as ensuring specific private-sector jobs are incorporated into those links.

HR 5630 focuses on employment. Specific outlines of the requirements for veterans' employment coordinators and vocational rehabilitation counselors are established. This bill also creates a $500 monthly income payable to any veteran who becomes a school teacher in a rural area. Finally, the bill provides for 2,000 new internships inside the Veterans Benefits Administration.

HR 3787 affects National Guardsmen and Reservists. Those National Guard and reservists who have retired and are not receiving retirement pay will be considered veterans. Unfortunately being considered veterans confers no new benefits.

Lawmakers only have 4 weeks left before they break for pre-elections. These couple of weeks are most likely not enough time to pass any of these bills into law. This means the votes for these bills will happen with a post-election legislature.