NewsBytes June 12, 2020
In this issue:
SASC Approves FY2021 NDAA
Veterans Economic Recovery Act Introduced
National VA Cemeteries Re-Open
Disability Backlog Increases with Pandemic
SASC Approves FY 2021 NDAA
The Senate Armed Services Committee marked up and approved the FY2021 National Defense Authorization Act behind closed doors and sent it to the Senate for consideration. The text of the bill was not available at press time. After speaking with staff, we have determined that the bill includes the following provisions important to FRA members:
● Waives co-payments for prescriptions filled by mail order during the pandemic, eliminating the need to visit pharmacies;
● Provides for an annual active duty pay increase of three percent to keep pace with civilian pay increases;
● Makes it easier for military spouse to transfer professional licenses as they move with their service member across state lines;
● Requires post-deployment health assessment to include questions about burn pit exposures;
● Mandates retirement benefits for Reserve Component members deployed for COVID-19 missions;
● Authorizes the Inspector General to audit medical conditions of military families living in on-base housing; and
● Requires the Department of Defense to provide active duty women with body armor created for the female body.
Unfortunately, the bill does NOT include any concurrent receipt reform, delaying scheduled cuts to military medical staff during the pandemic, or a study of possible Agent Orange exposure of service members on Guam. The FRA will be working to file floor amendments for these and other issues of importance to FRA members.
The House is expected to start the markup process on its version of the NDAA soon. After both chambers pass their version of the NDAA, a conference committee will be appointed to resolve the differences between the two bills. Once that occurs, both chambers will vote on the final bill, and if approved by both chambers the bill will go to the president to be signed into law or be vetoed.
Congressional Leaders Introduce Veterans Economic Recovery Act
Rep. Phil Roe, M.D. (Tenn.), the Ranking Member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, and Rep. Mike Levin (Calif.), the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, along with Sen. Jerry Moran (Kans.), the Chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, (SASC) and Senator Jon Tester (Mont.), the Ranking Member of SASC, introduced the Veterans Economic Recovery Act (H.R.7111/S.3899) that directs to Department of Veterans Affairs to provide a retraining assistance program for unemployed veterans.
In 2019, the veteran unemployment rate was 3.1 percent, the lowest in 19 years. However, following the COVID-19 pandemic, veteran unemployment rose to 11 percent in April 2020.
The unemployment rate for Post-9/11 veteran women reached 20 percent in April 2020, compared to 15.5% for non-veteran women. The program will rapidly retrain unemployed veterans so that they have the knowledge and skillset they need to quickly reenter the workforce and thrive in the post-pandemic economy. The centerpiece of this legislation would be the creation of a rapid retraining program to provide unemployed veterans and reservists with 12 months of educational benefits, to pursue training in high-demand occupations. The education benefits available under the rapid retraining program would be equivalent to the benefits provided under the Post-9/11 GI Bill. To be eligible to participate in the rapid retraining program, veterans must:
● Be between the ages of 25-60;
● Be unemployed on the day of application;
● Have an honorable or other than dishonorable discharge;
● Not be eligible for any other VA education benefit;
● Not be enrolled in another Federal of State job training program;
● Not be receiving disability compensation for reasons that have led to un-employability; and
● Not be in receipt of any unemployment benefit when they begin training under this program.
Members of the National Guard or Reserve who were called up on Federal orders to assist states with the COVID-19 response would also be eligible for the rapid retraining program as long as they meet other age, unemployment, discharge requirements. FRA members are urged to use the FRA Action Center to ask their legislators to support this important legislation.
VA National Cemeteries Re-Open
FRA Assistant Director, Legislative Programs, Theo Lawson participated in a conference call with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemeteries Administration regarding the resumption of committal services on June 9th, 2020, in all but two VA national cemeteries. The cemeteries had been closed since March 23, 2020. The VA is following the White House Opening America Again guidelines as well as state and local guidelines. Some of the heavily hit areas such as Long Island and Calverton National Cemetery will be opening much later. The number of attendees allowed will vary based on the local guidelines.
The VA is seeking to enforce strict safety guidelines to avoid the spread of COVID-19. All funeral honors attendees including VA employees will be required to wear masks, the VA will provide disposable masks on premises.
There will be a shortage of funeral honors details from Guard and reserve component due to mobilization. The VA NCA is reaching out to VSOs to assist on completely voluntary basis. All VSO funeral honors providers will be required to certify their honors details as well training from the VA. The certification will be maintained at the local cemetery, so the VA hopes a local representative of the VSO is the one receiving the certification.
The VA made commitment to offer memorial services to those who had direct interment from March 23rd to June 8th. Starting July 20th, the VA NCA will provide memorial services for the families who could not get honors for their deceased. The VA will also be communicating with the families that have yet to reschedule memorial services. There is no time limit for the families to request memorial services.
VA Disability Claims Backlog Increases with Pandemic
The backlog of Department of Veterans Affairs disability claims increased by 64,000 since November 2019. The backlog has recently reached 119,000. The VA classifies a backlog claim as any disability claim to be those that take longer than 125 days to approve or deny. The VA stopped performing in-person compensation and pension exams April 2, 2020 to encourage veterans to stay home to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Compensation and pension exams are appointments with doctors, during which disabilities are evaluated. The results of the exams help the VA rate veterans’ disabilities, which determines the compensation they receive each month, as well as their eligibility for VA programs.
Without the exams, the claims backlog has grown, and thousands of veterans are waiting for decisions. The coronavirus pandemic coincided with the start of the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act, which prompted a surge of new claims by thousands of Vietnam War veterans newly eligible for VA benefits beginning in January. To help handle the months-long delay, the VA has asked Congress to approve legislation, not yet introduced, that would allow non-physicians, such as nurse practitioners, to conduct the exams.
The FRA views this growing backlog of disability claims as a threat to the Nation’s solemn commitment to properly care for disabled veterans. The cost of defending the Nation should include timely and adequate treatment of our wounded warriors.
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