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Weekly newsletter of the Fleet Reserve Association
July 13 2018
In this issue:
NDAA Conference Committee Meeting
SVAC Schedules Hearing on Agent Orange
SVAC Approves VA Secretary Nominee
Some Disabled Veterans are Owed IRS Refund
Legislative Update: NDAA
Conference Committee Meeting
The Conferees for the FY2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA-H.R.5515)
recently had their first meeting to resolve differences between the House and
Senate passed versions of the bill. FRA has submitted a letter to key members
of the conference committee expressing opposition to TRICARE fee increase in
the Senate bill and several other provisions impacting FRA members. A copy of
the letter is available on the FRA
website. Senator John McCain (Ariz.), Chairman Senate Armed Services
Committee is not participating in conference committee deliberations due to his
battle with brain cancer. Once there is an agreement on the final version
it is voted on in the House and Senate. If approved, it will be sent to the
President to be vetoed or signed into law.
Members are strongly urged to use
the FRA
Action Center to oppose TRICARE fee increase in Senate bill and to
support Armed Forces Retirement Home (AFRH) cap on rent increases in Senate
bill.
SVAC Schedules Hearing on
Agent Orange Reform Bill
The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee has scheduled a hearing on the House
version of the "Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act" (H.R.299). The
Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act would extend the presumption of exposure
to Agent Orange to veterans who served of the coast of the Republic of Vietnam
(Blue Water Navy veterans).
During the committee markup in
the House, the legislation was amended to extend the presumption of herbicide
exposure for veterans who served on or near the Korean DMZ between September 1,
1967 and August 31, 1971. As amended, the legislation will now also extend
health care, vocational training & rehabilitation and monetary allowance to
a child who was born with spina bifida if at least one of the child's parents
served in Thailand between January 9, 1962 and May 7, 1975 and the VA
determines that at least one of the parents had been exposed to a herbicide
agent during that period. The bill also now includes improvements to the VA's
home loan program.
Members are strongly urged to the
FRA
Action Center to urge their Senators to support this
legislation.
SVAC Approves VA
Secretary Nominee
Robert Wilkie, President Trump's nominee to serve as Secretary of the
Department of Veterans Affairs, was recently approved by the Senate Veterans'
Affairs Committee. His nomination passed SVAC with only one "No" vote
(Senator Bernie Sanders-Vt.). The nomination now goes to the Senate floor to be
considered by the full Senate. As Newsbytes goes to press no specific date has
been set for the Senate to vote to confirm the nominee. In March 2018, Trump
announced Robert Wilkie would serve as the acting secretary, before nominating
him to serve as VA Secretary. Previously Wilkie served at the Department of
Defense as Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness.
Some Disabled Veterans are Owed IRS Refund
As a result of the enactment of FRA-supported legislation (Combat-Injured
Veterans Tax Fairness Act passed in 2016-H.R.5015; P.L. 14-292) the
Internal Revenue Service recently issued notice (IR-2018-148) advising certain
veterans who receive disability payments from the Department of Veterans
Affairs after January 17, 1991 and reported the payment as income should file
an Amended U.S. Individual Income tax Return (Form 1040X) to claim a credit or
refund of overpayment of taxes due to VA disability payments. IRS asks beneficiaries
submitting Form 1040X to write "Veteran Disability Severance" on the
top of the front page of the form. Forms must be submitted by regular mail with
a copy of DoD letter informing beneficiary of eligibility of refund to:
Internal Revenue
Service
333 W. Perishing Street, Stop 6503, P5
Kansas City, Mo. 64108
This issue was reported in Jan.
24, 2017 Newsbytes and is estimated to impact more than 14,000
veterans.
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