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Senate passes bundle of veterans benefits

After months of delay, the Senate passed an omnibus veterans’ benefits bill Tuesday night that includes bigger benefits for veterans and their families, expanded home loans and a variety of other programs.

The bill, S 3023, had passed the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee in June but lingered in limbo because of disputes over dozens of details. With congressional leaders aiming to end this legislative session of Congress as early as next week, passage of the Senate bill was essential for any hope of passing a compromise bill in conjunction with the House this year.

The Senate passed the bill by voice vote and with no debate.

Sens. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, chairman of the veterans’ committee, and Richard Burr of North Carolina, the committee’s ranking Republican, said the bill passed by the Senate includes a host of compromises.

Akaka said one key provision would order VA to simplify what it tells veterans when it denies benefits claims or asks for more information.

“Notification letters to veterans about the status of their claims have become increasingly long, complex and difficult to understand,” Akaka said. “These notification letters must be simplified. They should use plain and ordinary language rather than bureaucratic jargon. Veterans should not be subjected to confusing information as they seek benefits.”

The bill also would temporarily extend an increase in veterans’ home loans through the end of 2011. The temporary measure allows loans of up to $730,000, but it is due to expire at the end of 2008.

Akaka said extending the loan limits for several more years “would enable more veterans to utilize their VA benefit to purchase more costly homes.”

The bill also applies the maximum loan limit to home refinancing, and lets homeowners refinance with a veterans’ loan if they have 5 percent equity in their homes instead of the current 10 percent requirement.

Another key provision of the bill would require more federal help for service members who have problems with employment and re-employment rights. Under the bill, the Labor Department would investigate more complaints and federal agencies would provide more assistance. The bill calls for mandatory training for federal human resources workers in the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act.

Burr said every employer should obey the law, but the federal government has a particular responsibility to be a “model employer.”

“The federal government should make sure that not a single returning service member is denied proper reinstatement to a federal job,” Burr said. “Unfortunately, this is not happening yet.”

Burr highlighted one provision of the bill that is especially important to the families of severely injured service members: Granting spouses of disabled veterans up to 20 years after the veterans are discharged to use education benefits, twice the time currently allowed.

The bill also includes a provision that would prevent the Department of Veterans Affairs from making changes in its disability rating schedule without first notifying Congress.

Burr said the current ratings system is “riddled with outdated criteria that do not track with modern medicine,” especially in the areas of combat stress and traumatic brain injuries.

VA has been working on several studies that could lead to an overhaul, but many veterans and lawmakers remain concerned that a change could result in lower benefits. Burr said the bill would “make sure these studies do not get put on a shelf to collect dust” by requiring a report to Congress on the findings and what action is planned by VA.