Weekly newsletter of the Fleet Reserve Association

May 11, 2018
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In this issue:
Bill Expands Agent Orange Reform
House Approves FY2019 NDAA
MISSION Act Expands Caregiver Program 
President Honors Military Spouses and Mothers
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Bill approved by HVAC Expands Agent Orange Reform
Lawmakers on the House Veterans Affairs Committee (HVAC) approved the "Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act" (H.R.299), sponsored by Rep. David Valadao (Calif.). This bill would clarify that service members serving off the coast of the Republic of Vietnam during the Vietnam conflict, have a presumption for filing disability claims with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for ailments associated with exposure to the Agent Orange herbicide. The bill was amended to further provide presumption to certain veterans that served in Korea near the demilitarized zone and in Thailand. FRA believes Congress should recognize these veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange and authorize presumptive status for VA disability claims.

"Today is a great day for Blue Water Navy veterans," HVAC Chairman Rep. Phil Roe, M.D. (Tenn.) said after the bill was approved by the committee. "We owe it to the brave veterans who served in the Vietnam War to provide benefits for conditions they may have developed because of exposure to Agent Orange. I'm also proud of our work today to send the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act to the full House, and I'm grateful for Rep. Valadao's continued leadership on this important legislation." The bill now goes to the full House for consideration. Members are strongly urged to go online and use the FRA Action Centerto ask their Representative to support this important legislation.
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House Committee Approves FY2019 NDAA

The House Armed Services Committee (HASC) marked up and approved the House version of the FY2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA-H.R.5515). The Military Personnel Subcommittee provisions where approved and then passed onto the House floor for consideration. The markup provides: 

• No TRICARE fee increase or pharmacy co-pay increase;
• Mandates Defense to make a report to the HASC on the TRICARE structural changes impacting beneficiary access to health care services no later than March 29, 2019;
• The full by-law 2.6 percent pay raise for the troops (the largest in 9 years);
• Repeal of a scheduled 1 percent cut in Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH);
• A 15,600 increase in active duty end strength (Navy increased 7,500);
• For the Secretary of the Army to take steps to extend the life of Arlington National Cemetery; 
• That DoD review mental health and wounded warrior programs for effectiveness; and 
• Reform of the Transition Assistance Program (TAP).

The bill now goes to the House floor for further consideration. Unfortunately, it does not provide any improvements for concurrent receipt; however, FRA is working on a House floor amendment to do so. The Senate Armed Services Committee will start its markup process soon. Once both chambers of Congress approve their legislation, a conference committee will be appointed to resolve the differences between the two bills. The final version will then be voted on by both chambers of Congress and if approved will be sent to the President to be signed into law or vetoed.

Members are urged to use the online FRA Action Center to ask their legislators to support concurrent receipt reform.  

VA MISSION Act Approved by Committee Expands Caregiver Program

The House Veterans Affairs Committee (HVAC) passed the "Department of Veterans Affairs Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks Act" (H.R.5674) also known as the VA MISSION Act. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Phil Roe, M.D. (Tenn.) HVAC Chairman, includes three pieces of legislation that have been considered by either the House or Senate Veterans' Affairs Committees. The bill would expand the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) Post-9/11 Caregiver Program to cover ALL badly disabled veterans, streamline VA's duplicative community care programs into one cohesive program and create a non-partisan process for reviewing VA's assets to ensure veterans can access the care they have earned.
The bill also includes funding for the VA Choice Program that is expected to last until the new program, authorized under the VA MISSION Act, is implemented. In April, Acting VA Secretary Robert Wilkie informed Congress that the current account would run out of funds in early to mid-June, ending the Choice Program and potentially creating another crisis for veterans trying to access care.

First Lady Melania Trump praised military mothers, and President Trump praised military spouses during a White House event this week. The President stated, "While our men and women in uniform serve our country on base or abroad, their spouses face many challenges to build families at home."At the event, President Trump issued an executive order "Enhancing Noncompetitive Civil Service Appointments of Military Spouses" to improve opportunities for military spouses looking for employment in the Federal Government. The order includes:

• Requiring Federal agencies to promote the use of noncompetitive hiring authority, which currently exists for military spouses, to the greatest extent possible;
• Directing the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to educate agencies regarding the use of the noncompetitive hiring authority and to increase awareness of the opportunities it creates among military spouses;
• All agencies to report annually on their progress in advertising positions to, obtaining applications from, and hiring military spouses; and
• Requesting federal agencies to recommend new ways to improve license portability. 

The President noted a higher unemployment rate persists notwithstanding that the military spouse population has a higher level of education than the population at large. In 2016, only 57 percent of military spouses participated in the labor force, compared to 76 percent of the population at large. The President added that only five percent of military spouses consider themselves financially well off. He would like to provide significantly greater opportunities for military spouses to be considered for Federal employment.