From: Mitchell, Amy [Amy.Mitchell@mail.house.gov]
Sent:   Friday, June 29, 2012 4:34 PM

Subj   Subcommittees Report Legislation to Full Committee

IMMEDIATELEASE: June 29, 2012                           CONTACT: Amy Mitchell (202) 225-3527

Subcommittees Report Legislation to Full Committee

WASHINGTON, D.C.undefinedThis week, the four Subcommittees of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs held markups on pending legislation. In total, 13 bills were favorably forwarded to the Full Committee.

The Improving Transparency of Education Opportunities for Veterans Act of 2012 (H.R. 4057), introduced by Committee Vice-Chair Rep. Gus Bilirakis and a member of the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, would create a centralized complaint process to track student issues concerning the GI Bill, as well as require VA to better inform veteran students about education counseling and provide expanded data points for students to help make informed choices about their education.

The Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations moved forward with three bills, including the Veterans Fiduciary Reform Act of 2012 (H.R. 5948). The bill was introduced by Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Bill Johnson, and would fix what has been recently revealed as a flawed VA Fiduciary Program. “There’s no question that our current fiduciary program put a lot of veterans at financial risk. This legislation is an important step toward fixing a broken system and protecting America’s veterans who have so bravely served us,” said Johnson.

The Subcommittee on Health marked up two pieces of legislation, including the Open Burn Pit Registry Act of 2011 (H.R. 3337), introduced by Rep. Todd Akin. The Open Burn Pit Registry would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to establish a registry of members of the military who were exposed to toxic chemicals and fumes caused by open burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“We owe many things to the men and women who fought so valiantly in service to our country, not the least of which is to take a serious and proactive approach to the issues they experience when they return home. Establishing an open burn pit registry will provide us with an effective way to document and monitor the health status of servicemembers from their time of deployment, gather and track data on any adverse health effects among those exposed to burn pits during service, and better inform future studies regarding the long-term health effects of burn pit exposure,” stated Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle, Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Health.

The Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs marked up three bills introduced by Chairman Jon Runyan. The Veterans Disability Examination Access Improvement Act (H.R. 5880), takes aim at speeding up the disability claims process by extending VA’s authority to enter into contracts with private physicians to conduct medical disability examinations.

The Full Committee is expected to consider the legislation on July 11, 2012.

List of Bills

H.R. 3337, as amended: The Open Burn Pit Registry Act, introduced by Rep. Todd Akin of Missouri.

H.R. 3524, as amended: “Disabled Veterans Employment Protection Act,” introduced by Rep. Bruce Braley of Iowa.

H.R. 3730, as amended: The Veterans Data Breach Timely Notification Act–To amend Title 38, United States Code, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide notice to individuals whose sensitive personal information is involved in a data breach, and for other purposes, introduced Rep. Joe Donnelly of Indiana.

H.R. 4057, as amended: Improving Transparency of Education Opportunities for Veterans Act of 2012, introduced by Rep. Gus Bilirakis of Florida.

H.R. 4079, as amended: The Safe Housing for Homeless Veterans Act,” introduced by Rep. David McKinley of West Virginia.

H.R. 4115: HIRE at Home Act, introduced by Rep. Steve Stivers of Ohio.

H.R. 4481, as amended: Veterans Affairs Employee Accountability Act–To amend Title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to ensure that Department of Veterans Affairs employees who violate certain civil laws do not receive bonuses, introduced by Rep. Phil Roe of Tennessee.

H.R. 4740, as amended: Fairness for Military Homeowners Act of 2012, introduced by Rep. Duncan Hunter of California.

H.R. 5735, as amended: To provide for the establishment of a Place of Remembrance at Arlington National Cemetery for interment of cremated fragments of the remains of members of the Armed Forces killed in Afghanistan, Iraq, or a subsequent conflict when the fragments are unidentifiable by use of DNA testing or other means because of the condition of the fragments, are unclaimed, or are identified and authorized by the person designated to direct disposition of the remains for interment in such memorial, introduced by Rep. Steve Stivers of Ohio.

H.R. 5747, as amended: Military Homes Protection Act, introduced by Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland.

H.R. 5880: Veterans Disability Examination Access Improvement Act, introduced by Rep. Jon Runyan of New Jersey.

H.R. 5881, as amended: Access to Veterans Benefits Improvement Act, introduced by Rep. Jon Runyan of New Jersey.

H.R. 5948, as amended: Veterans Fiduciary Reform Act of 2012–To amend Title 38, United States Code, to improve the supervision of fiduciaries of veterans under the laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes, introduced by Rep. Bill Johnson of Ohio.

For more news from the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, please visit:

Veterans.House.Gov 

Find us on Facebook at: Facebook.com/HouseVetsAffairs or follow us on Twitter at:

@HouseVetAffairs

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From:  VA Public Affairs

Sent:    Thursday, June 28, 2012 6:07 PM

Joint VA/DOL Veterans Retraining Assistance Program Reaches Important Milestone - Over 25,000 Unemployed Veterans Have Applied

Online Site Opened May 15 for Veterans to Apply for Education Benefits

WASHINGTON – More than 25,000 unemployed Veterans between the ages of 35 and 60 have already applied for new benefits to cover education costs for up to one year through a joint Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Labor (DOL) program that focuses on retraining up to 99,000 Veterans for high-demand jobs.

“This important milestone demonstrates how meaningful this tool will be to help our Nation’s unemployed Veterans receive the education and training they need to find rewarding employment in a high-demand career field,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “Veterans realize this is a great opportunity to hone the skills they need to be competitive in the job market, and this program contributes directly to enhancing the strength of our Nation’s economy.”

Forty-five thousand Veterans can start receiving benefits during the current fiscal year.  VA began accepting applications on May 15.  A maximum of 54,000 billets will be available for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, 2012.

“No veteran should have to fight for a job at home after fighting to protect our nation," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. “This training program focused on high-demand jobs will help unemployed Veterans expand their skills and compete for good jobs that need them," she added.

As part of a provision of the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) to Hire Heroes Act of 2011, the Veteran Retraining Assistance Program (VRAP) allows qualifying Veterans to receive up to 12 months of assistance equal to the full-time Montgomery GI Bill – Active Duty rate, currently $1,473 per month. 

Veterans can apply now on a first-come, first-serve basis for VRAP.  Unemployed Veterans should act quickly and apply online to avoid missing out on this great opportunity.  Assistance under this benefit program will end on March 31, 2014. 

To complete the application, Veterans must know their direct deposit information (bank routing number and account number), the name and location of the school they will attend, the program they wish to pursue, and the high-demand occupation they are working toward

To qualify Veterans must:

·         Be 35-60 years old, unemployed on the day of application, and not dishonorably discharged;

·         Start education or training after July 1, 2012, in a VA-approved program of education offered by a community college or technical school leading to an associate degree, non-college degree or a certificate for a high-demand occupation as defined by DOL;

·         Not be eligible for any other VA education benefit program, such as Post-9/11 GI Bill, Montgomery GI Bill, or Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment;

·         Not be enrolled in a federal or state job-training program within the last 180 days;

·         Not receive VA compensation at the 100 percent rate due to individual unemployability.

Upon completion, DOL will contact participants within 30 days after their training to help them find good jobs that use their newly learned skills.

“VA has many partners around the country who are helping us to spread the good news about this unique benefit, which provides our unemployed Veterans with the opportunity to obtain the skills they need to be competitive in the high-demand job market,” added Under Secretary for Benefits Allison A. Hickey.

“It is encouraging that we have reached this milestone; however, there are still nearly 20,000 slots to fill by September 30,” said Ismael “Junior” Ortiz, DOL’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Veterans Employment and Training Service.  “It is critical to continue to spread the word about this program to unemployed Veterans or those who may know an unemployed Veteran,” Ortiz adds.

For more information on VOW, VRAP, the definition of “high-demand occupations,” and how to apply, Veterans may go to the website at www.benefits.va.gov/VOW, or call VA’s Call Centers toll free at 1-800-827-1000. Veterans may also access the VRAP application online at https://www.ebenefits.va.gov through eBenefits, a joint project of the Department of Defense and VA.

Veterans are also encouraged to visit the nearly 3,000 One-Stop Career Centers across the nation for assistance. To find the center near you visit www.servicelocator.org. For more information about DOL’s Veterans programs, go to http://www.dol.gov/vets/. 

From: MOPH Public Relations [publicrelations@purpleheart.org]
Sent:   Thursday, June 28, 2012 5:24 PM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Washington, DC, June 28, 2012

Military Order of the Purple Heart Disappointed in Supreme Court Decision to Overturn the Stolen Valor Act

Today, in a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court of the United States voted to overturn the Stolen Valor Act by upholding the decision of the 9^th Circuit Court, in the case of the United States vs. Alvarez.  Originally tried in a California court, Mr. Alvarez was convicted for claiming to be a retired Marine with 25 years of military service and a recipient of both the Medal of Honor and the Purple Heart Medal.  Alvarez, who never actually served in the military, later appealed the decision and won in the 9^th Circuit Court on the basis that the 2005 Stolen Valor Act infringes upon speech protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.   

In defending the law, the Obama administration had argued that “military awards serve as public symbols of honor and prestige, conveying the nation’s gratitude for acts of valor and sacrifice; and they foster morale… and esprit de corps within the military. False claims to have received military awards undermine the system’s ability to fulfill these purposes,” and “make the public skeptical of all claims to have received awards….”  By its decision, the Supreme Court has made clear that, while "contemptible" and worthy of outrage and ridicule, the right to lie about valor, heroism, and the receipt of military decorations is protected by the 1st Amendment

Reacting to the news, MOPH National Commander Bill Hutton said, “While disappointed in this decision, The Military Order of the Purple Heart has always been and remains a staunch supporter of the U.S. Constitution and the individual citizen’s right to freedom of speech.  All of our members, who proudly wear the Purple Heart Medal, regard the award as a testament of their willingness to sacrifice their lives in the defense of the freedoms that all Americans enjoy.”  According to Hutton, “as the Congress originally considered the Stolen Valor Act, the MOPH was one of only two Veteran Service Organizations invited to join in a press conference to announce the legislation and wholeheartedly supported its passage.”  He noted, “In their dissension with the Court’s decision, Justices Alioto, Scalia and Thomas said, “The Stolen Valor Act follows a long tradition of efforts to protect our country’s system of military honors. When George Washington, as the commander of the Continental Army, created the very first ‘honorary badges of distinc­tion’ for service in our country’s military, he established a rigorous system to ensure that these awards would be received and worn by only the truly deserving. (See Gen­eral Orders of George Washington Issued at Newburgh on the Hudson, 1782–1783, p. 35 & 36)  Washington warned that anyone with the ‘insolence to assume’ a badge that had not actually been earned would be ‘severely punished’.”

In keeping with George Washington’s admonition, The MOPH recommends that the Congress not consider this a closed case.  Even in its decision to overturn the Stolen Valor Act, the High Court said “I believe the statute nonetheless has substantial justification. It seeks to protect the interests of those who have sacrificed their health and life for their country. The statute serves this interest by seeking to preserve intact the country’s recog­nition of that sacrifice in the form of military honors. To permit those who have not earned those honors to claim otherwise dilutes the value of the awards. Indeed, the Nation cannot fully honor those who have sacrificed so much for their country’s honor unless those who claim to have received its military awards tell the truth.”  The MOPH joins the Court in urging the Congress to draft a more restrictive bill that still preserves the intent of the Stolen Valor Act while not infringing on the individual’s right to freedom of speech.