(The Center Square) – Four pieces of legislation aimed at supporting veterans while increasing transparency and accountability in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs have been reintroduced in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Virginia Rep. Rob Wittman hopes the legislation will streamline VA services and provide them with targeted care, including medical care and legal assistance.
“These bills make it easier for veterans to access services within the VA, improve the care they receive once they enter the VA system, and help connect veterans with mental health and counseling resources during times of crisis,” said the Republican congressman.
The Be Ready to Assist Veterans in Extremis, or BRAVE Act, would create a notification system that would alert veterans of counseling and mental health options “in response to crises and prioritizes privacy concerns” impacting veterans. It would target veterans who have experienced a “traumatic or highly stressful event” by giving them the option to receive those notifications.
The Veterans Choice Accountability Act would expand veteran access to non-VA medical care. In addition, it would establish “a review of the VA’s implementation of the Veterans Choice Program.” It would direct the secretary of the VA to evaluate all programs that provide hospital care, medical services and nursing care “to determine the most intensively used specialized care programs” within the department.
The Veterans Collaboration Act would establish a VA two-year pilot program “to foster collaboration between qualified” non-profit veteran service organizations and educational institutions, specifically law schools, to assist veterans. The program is aimed at utilizing a relationship with law schools to help veterans file claims and appeals with the department for disability compensation and address additional legal needs while providing pro bono legal assistance.
The Veterans Affairs Transfer of Information and Sharing of Disability Examination Procedures with DoD Doctors Act would expedite medical care access while “not subjecting” veterans to additional medical screenings prior to issuing VA disability ratings. It would also require the VA and Department of Defense to share service and medical records electronically.
Wittman hopes the legislation will remove administrative roadblocks to VA services and ultimately improve the department’s “customer experience.”