(The Center Square) – Honoring the service of veterans and ensuring support for their families is tied to two proposals clearing a congressional committee and to a North Carolina congressman’s efforts.
Modernizing All Veterans and Survivors Claims Act, known also as House Resolution 3854 and authored by Rep. David Valadao, R-Calif., includes the Justice for America’s Veterans and Survivors Act authored by Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-N.C. Edwards’ cosponsored an Illinois’ Democrat’s VA Mental Health Outreach and Engagement Act, another bill that passed from the Committee on Veterans Affairs in the House of Representatives.
“Our veterans deserve a VA that equips them with the tools they need to thrive after they retire from service,” Edwards said. “The VA Mental Health Outreach and Engagement Act tasks the VA with reaching out to veterans with mental health-related, service-connected disabilities annually to ensure they know how to access mental health care. This outreach ensures veterans receive personalized consultations and up-to-date information on available resources.”
The modernization bill is “a comprehensive package of VA reform legislation,” Edwards said through a release. The goal is to improve the Department of Veterans Affairs collection and reporting of data on the causes of death among veterans, with particular emphasis on suicide as a primary or contributing factor.
Edwards said there are gaps and underreporting leading to misclassification. This impacts recognition and survivor benefits.
The VA’s 2024 National Veteran Suicide Prevention report had most recent numbers for 2022, naming suicide the second-leading cause of death for vets under the age of 45. The 6,407 in the calendar year equates to 17.5 per day.
The VA Mental Health Outreach and Engagement Act, known also as House Resolution 3863, is authored by Rep. Nikki Budzinski, D-Ill.
