Newsbytes March 13, 2026

In this issue:
Legal Guardians for Vulnerable Veterans 
Sen. Mullin Tapped to Lead DHS
TBI Care Gaps and "Beacon Act" 
Draft and Recruitment
Implementation of the Dole Veterans Act

Legal Guardians for Vulnerable Veterans 
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) signed a significant Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) designed to improve care for the nation’s most vulnerable veterans. This new partnership specifically targets veterans who are unable to make their own healthcare decisions and lack family or legal representation. Under the agreement, the DOJ will grant VA attorneys the legal authority to serve as Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys, allowing them to initiate guardianship or conservatorship proceedings in state courts. 

VA Secretary Doug Collins stated that the initiative is a "lifeline" for veterans currently stuck in hospital settings due to a lack of a legal decision-maker. By appointing guardians, the VA aims to facilitate smoother transitions from acute hospitalization to more appropriate care settings, such as community-based housing. However, the initiative has met with immediate scrutiny from civil rights advocacy groups who express concerns that the program could be used to strip veterans of their autonomy without providing the community-based mental health services they prefer. 

FRA is monitoring this rollout closely to ensure that the rights of our Shipmates are protected. While we support efforts to ensure no veteran "languishes" in a hospital due to bureaucratic red tape, the Association believes that any expansion of legal authority over a veteran’s decision-making must include robust due process protections. FRA will work with both departments to ensure that "guardianship" does not become a tool for administrative convenience.  

Sen. Mullin Tapped to Lead DHS
President Donald Trump announced the departure of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem following a year of friction over agency spending and management priorities. Noem is expected to transition to a new role as Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas effective March 31. The President has nominated Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, to serve as her successor. His confirmation hearing is tentatively scheduled for March 18 before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. 

For the Coast Guard, the leadership transition comes at a particularly difficult moment. Because the service operates under the Department of Homeland Security rather than the Department of Defense, Coast Guard personnel are directly affected when funding lapses disrupt DHS operations. Hundreds of Coast Guardsmen currently deployed to the Middle East in support of U.S. maritime security missions continue to serve in hazardous operational environments even as many members of the service face the prospect of missed paychecks during the ongoing funding disruption. 

The Fleet Reserve Association has emphasized that no service member should ever be required to serve without pay. FRA has joined other military and veterans organizations in urging Congress to immediately pass the Pay Our Troops Act to guarantee uninterrupted compensation for uniformed personnel during government shutdowns. While similar measures have been enacted in past funding crises, they often come only after uncertainty and financial strain have already affected military families. 

For FRA’s Coast Guard constituency, Senator Mullin’s nomination represents an opportunity for a reset in leadership and policy focus. Mullin’s service on the Senate Appropriations Committee has given him detailed familiarity with the Coast Guard’s roughly $12 billion annual budget, and he has previously supported legislation designed to protect military pay during funding lapses. FRA legislative staff are preparing a Statement for the Record for the confirmation hearing that will call on the nominee to make a clear commitment that Coast Guard personnel will never again be placed in the position of performing operational missions without receiving the pay they have earned. 

TBI Care Gaps and "Beacon Act" 
Congress recently reviewed the VA’s nationwide Polytrauma System of Care, which has screened 1.8 million veterans and treated 160,000 in fiscal year 2025 alone. While the network’s specialized centers and 110 care teams represent a comprehensive TBI infrastructure, lawmakers and the VA Inspector General raised alarms regarding uneven implementation. Reports cited missed follow-up consultations and inconsistent training that have led to tragic outcomes for veterans suffering from chronic pain and mental health decline. 

Medical intelligence points out that TBI is a chronic condition, particularly for service members exposed to repeated low-level blast pressure from artillery and breaching charges. Because symptoms often overlap with PTSD and sleep disorders and may not manifest for years, sustained monitoring is critical. Researchers highlighted that these repeated concussions significantly increase long-term risks for dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and suicide. This reinforces the need for a longitudinal approach to brain health. 

The committee also debated the proposed Beacon Act, which would authorize $60 million for research partnerships with outside academic and private institutions. Supporters argue this is necessary to scale intensive neuro-rehabilitation models like Operation Mend, which currently reach only a fraction of those in need. Critics expressed concern that the measure might divert essential funding away from existing internal VA programs and complicate resource allocation. 

Ultimately, the testimony from veterans emphasized that intensive, family-involved rehabilitation is the gold standard for restoring cognitive function and independence. FRA remains committed to advocating for the Beacon Act to bridge the capacity gap between the VA’s current model and the high-intensity care required for our most severely injured Shipmates. Ensuring timely and comprehensive care for the "hidden wounds" of war remains a top legislative priority for the association. 

Recruitment and the Draft
As the Navy and Marine Corps navigate a highly competitive recruiting environment in 2026, the Fleet Reserve Association is elevating recruitment and retention as a key legislative priority. While the sea services have reported a solid start to the fiscal year, sustaining an all volunteer force will require continued engagement with the communities that produce the next generation of Sailors, Marines and Coasties. FRA believes its nationwide network of branches and members can play a meaningful role in helping bridge the gap between military service and the American public while reinforcing the high standards required for today’s increasingly technical force. 

As part of this effort, FRA legislative staff recently met with active duty Navy and Marine Corps recruiters to gain firsthand insight into current challenges on the recruiting front lines. Recruiters highlighted several issues that can slow the accession pipeline, including school access for outreach efforts and administrative delays associated with the medical waiver process. FRA is working to schedule a follow up meeting with senior recruiting leadership to identify specific ways the Association can assist, including supporting local outreach efforts and highlighting the benefits and opportunities that make service in the sea services a premier career path. 

At the same time, broader public discussion has resurfaced about the role of the Selective Service System as global security challenges evolve in early 2026. Although there is currently no active draft, the system remains in a state of readiness and would only be activated if the President and Congress determined a national emergency required a rapid expansion of the Armed Forces. Under the current structure, if a draft were reinstated, the first individuals called would be men in the year they turn 20, followed by those ages 21 through 25, then 19 and 18. 

FRA continues to emphasize that a strong volunteer force remains the most effective foundation for military readiness. Competitive pay, benefits, and improved quality of life are the most powerful tools for sustaining the sea services’ end strength and attracting highly capable recruits. At the same time, the Association recognizes the Selective Service System as a national contingency mechanism should the nation ever require rapid mobilization. 

Implementation of the Dole Veterans Act
The House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations conducted a high-stakes review of the "Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act." Passed in January 2025, this sweeping reform package was a major legislative victory for the FRA, which was pivotal in securing the bipartisan support necessary for its enactment. The law includes 72 sections aimed at modernizing VA health care, strengthening caregiver support, and expanding long term care options to allow more veterans to remain in their homes.

VA officials reported that while 25 sections are fully implemented, significant work remains for the remaining provisions. Early successes include streamlined access to community care and increased per diem support for organizations assisting homeless veterans. However, lawmakers expressed frustration with delays in several areas that directly affect vulnerable veterans, including pilot programs for expanded dental care, emergency ambulance cost relief for rural veterans, and mental health grants for caregivers. VA leadership cited funding challenges and workforce shortages as the primary obstacles to a faster rollout.

FRA remains committed to holding the VA accountable for these delays. The ultimate success of the Dole Act will be measured by how effectively these provisions translate into real improvements in the daily lives of our Shipmates. Continued oversight is essential to ensure that the promises made in 2025 are not lost to bureaucratic reorganization or leadership transitions. The FRA will continue to work closely with the Committee to ensure that every provision of this landmark legislation is fully funded and operational.

In light of his exceptional work on these reforms, the FRA is proud to announce that it will be presenting the 2025 Pinnacle Award to Representative Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06). The ceremony will take place this April in Washington, D.C. Congressman Ciscomani has been a tireless advocate for the sea service community, and his leadership was instrumental in the passage of the Dole Act. His dedication to modernizing veteran benefits and improving quality of life for those who serve represents the very best of the legislative spirit FRA champions.