Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act of 2007

Mr. Speaker, this gives me an opportunity for the first time to rise and thank Chairman Filner for the enthusiastic and passionate and newfound leadership that he has given to the Veterans' Affairs Committee. We thank him for being a beloved member of the veterans community. All over the Nation veterans are celebrating his chairmanship, and I thank him very much for his leadership, his bipartisan leadership with the ranking member of this committee.

And let me thank Chairwoman Herseth Sandlin for her leadership; and Mr. Boozman, thank you. This whole committee draws the affection of Members from both sides of the aisle, and both of you exhibit the kind of leadership that we and the veterans can be proud of.

I rise to support H.R. 1315 and acknowledge the many sections of the bill, which includes section 2, where the bill adopts Ms. Herseth Sandlin's legislation dealing with housing; and section 3, where Mr. Wynn of Maryland's legislation is adopted dealing with mortgage foreclosure; and section 5, which addresses the legislation of Mr. Reichert, which is so very important about employing our veterans.

I am proud that the basis for the new program dealing with the blind is based upon my bill, Visual Impairment Specialist Training Act. This VISTA act responds to the increasing numbers of veterans and soldiers who are now returning from the battlefield with vision injuries. I am proud that my legislation was strongly supported by Chairman Filner; Mr. Michaud, chairman of the Subcommittee on Health; and the co-chairs, as I have mentioned, of the Congressional Vision Caucus, Mr. Gene Green of Texas and Ms. Ros-Lehtinen of Florida.

This legislation is also supported by the Blind Veterans of America, an organization chartered by Congress in 1958, which has been for nearly 50 years the only veterans service organization exclusively dedicated to serving America's blind and visually impaired veterans.

Let me explain what this legislation does. We establish here and now an educational assistance program for persons pursuing training in blind rehabilitation. I thank the chairman for citing this legislation as a possible model for nurses and psychologists that may be needed as we move in the future.

There are approximately 160,000 legally blind veterans in the United States, but only 35,000 are currently enrolled in the Veterans Health Administration's services. It is estimated that there are over 1 million low-vision veterans in the United States, and incidence of blindness among the total veteran population of 26 million are expected to increase by about 40 percent in the next 4 years. This is because the most prevalent causes of legal blindness and low vision are age- related, and the average age of the veteran population is increasing. The current age is about 80 years old.

In addition, we know that there will be veterans coming home, because of the IED injuries in Iraq and Afghanistan, with injuries impacting their vision.

Let me also acknowledge the specifics of this legislation. It mandates that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall provide financial assistance to students enrolled in a program of study leading to a degree or certificate in visual impairment and/or orientation and mobility at an accredited educational institution in the U.S., provided they agree with the applicable requirements. As I said, the purpose of this scholarship program is to increase the supply of qualified blind rehabilitation specialists for the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Nation. It requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to widely publicize this scholarship program to colleges and universities across the Nation, especially institutions with large numbers of Hispanic students and HBCUs, Historically Black Colleges. This is particularly helpful to the minority population who are interested in the field of vision rehabilitation.

To apply and participate in this scholarship program, an applicant shall submit to the Secretary, or his designee, an application and agree to serve a 3-year period of obligated service in the Department of Veterans Affairs. This is the crux of the legislation, so that we have a mandatory pool of those individuals helping the veterans as they move forward.

The maximum award for any full-time student per academic year may not exceed $15,000. The maximum award for any part-time student shall be determined in proportion to the amount that would be the case if the student were full time. For any student, however, the total amount of assistance may not exceed $45,000.

This is good news. It trains individuals, gives them a scholarship, and it doesn't burden the Federal Government. Why, because the debt is owed to

the United States Government and therefore it cannot be discharged because of bankruptcy.

To conclude my remarks, I ask that my colleagues look carefully at this hopefully innovative approach to helping our veterans and our returning soldiers who will be in great need from the injuries they have experienced. I thank the bipartisan leadership of this committee and ask my colleagues to support the bill

Mr. Speaker, I proudly rise to strongly support H.R. 1315, the ``Veterans' Benefit Improvement Act of 2007.'' I enthusiastically support this legislation because it keeps faith with the men and women who have worn the uniform in service to our country. Let me express my appreciation to Mr. Filner and Ms. Herseth Sandlin, the Chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee and the Chairwoman of the Economic Opportunity Subcommittee, and to their respective ranking members, Mr. Buyer and Mr. Boozman, for their perseverance in shepherding this legislation to the House floor.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1315 consists of five main sections. Section 2 of the bill adopts Ms. Herseth Sandlin's legislation providing for specially adaptive housing (SAH) assistance to disabled servicemembers residing temporarily in housing owned by a family member. Under current law, a temporary grant may be available to veterans who are or will be temporarily residing in a home owned by a family member. This assistance, allowable up to $14,000, may be used to adapt the family member's home to meet the veteran's special needs at that time.

Section 5 of the bill, which is based on a proposal by Mr. Reichert of Washington, requires the Secretary of Labor to provide Congress an annual report on veterans' reemployment rights. Section 6 adds an additional representative from the National Governor's Association to the existing 15 member Advisory Committee on Veterans Employment, Training and Employer Outreach withIn the U.S. Department of Labor.

Each of these provisions is a useful, constructive, and welcome legislative initiative. Any of one of them would warrant an overwhelming vote in favor of the bill. But Mr. Speaker, what makes this legislation truly extraordinary is the inclusion of Section 4, which establishes a ``Visual Impairment and Orientation and Mobility Professionals Education Assistance Program.'' This legislation will close a large gap in the Nation's commitment to blind and low-vision veterans by establishing a scholarship program for students seeking training in blind rehabilitation.

I am proud and honored, Mr. Speaker, that the basis for this new program for our blind and low-vision veterans is the legislation I introduced earlier this Congress, H.R. 1240, the ``Vision Impairment Specialist Training Act,'' or VISTA Act of 2007. I am proud that my legislation was strongly supported by the chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee, Mr. Filner; Mr. Michaud, the chair of this Committee's Subcommittee on Health; the co-chairs of the Congressional Vision Caucus, my colleague Mr. Gene Green of Texas and Ms. Ros- Lehtinen of Florida. This legislation is also strongly supported by the Blind Veterans of America, an organization chartered by Congress in 1958, which has been for nearly 50 years the only veterans service organization exclusively dedicated to serving America's blind and visually impaired veterans. Companion legislation, S.1672, ``The VA Vision Scholars Act of 2007,'' has already been introduced in the other body by Senators Hagel, Obama, and Brown.

Mr. Speaker, let me explain briefly why it is so important that we establish here and now an educational assistance program for persons pursuing training in blind rehabilitation.

There are approximately 160,000 legally blind veterans in the United States, but only 35,000 are currently enrolled in Veterans Health Administration services.

In addition, it is estimated that there are over 1 million low-vision veterans in the United States, and incidences of blindness among the total veteran population of 26 million are expected to increase by about 40 percent over the next few years. This is because the most prevalent causes of legal blindness and low vision are age-related, and the average age of the veteran population is increasing; the current average age is about 80 years old.

Members of the armed forces are important to our Nation and we show them our appreciation by taking care of them even after they have completed their service. But the fact is that there are not enough blind rehabilitation specialists to serve all legally blind and low- vision veterans in the United States.

Blind rehabilitation training helps give these veterans awareness of and functioning in their surroundings and enables them to retain their independence and dignity. Veterans without these services may find it difficult to be self-sufficient, relying on others to perform certain skills or even simple tasks on their behalf.

Mr. Speaker, Public Law 104-262, the Eligibility Reform Act 1996, requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to maintain its capacity to provide specialized rehabilitative services to disabled veterans, but it cannot do so when there are not enough specialists to address these needs.

Last December, the Veterans Programs Extension Act was passed, which included a provision by Congressman Michael Michaud to increase the number of Blind Rehabilitation Outpatient Specialists serving our Nation's veterans. However, there are currently not enough counselors certified in blind rehabilitation to provide for the growing number of blind or low-vision veterans, let alone the rest of our Nation's elderly population.

Section 4 of the legislation before us helps to remedy this situation by directing the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a scholarship program for students seeking a degree or certificate in blind rehabilitation (Vision Impairment and/or Orientation and Mobility). The availability of these scholarship opportunities will provide an incentive to students considering entry into the field.

Additionally, in exchange for the scholarship award, students are required to work for 3 years in a healthcare facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs, to ensure that our veterans are well cared for.

If I might, let me discuss this vital legislation in more detail. The legislation mandates that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall provide financial assistance to students enrolled in a program of study leading to a degree or certificate in Visual Impairment and/or Orientation and Mobility at an accredited educational institution in a U.S. state or territory, provided that they agree with applicable requirements.

As I stated earlier, the purpose of the scholarship program is to increase the supply of qualified blind rehabilitation specialists for the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Nation.

The legislation requires that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall widely publicize this scholarship program to colleges and universities across the Nation, especially institutions with large numbers of Hispanic students and HBCUs. This is a particularly salutary provision because African Americans, Hispanics, and other minorities are underrepresented in the field of vision rehabilitation.

To apply and participate in the scholarship program, an applicant shall submit to the Secretary, or his designee, an application and agree to serve a 3-year period of obligated service in the Department of Veterans Affairs. The legislation requires that the Secretary shall include among the application and agreement materials a fair summary of the rights and liabilities of the applicant if accepted into the program.

When the Secretary approves of the applicant's acceptance, the applicant shall be promptly notified and accepted into the program.

The amount of financial assistance provided for an applicant shall be the amount determined by the Secretary as being necessary to pay the tuition and fees of the applicant. If the applicant is enrolled in a dual degree or certification program, the amount awarded shall not exceed the amounts necessary for the minimum number of credit hours to achieve such dual certification or degree.

Financial assistance provided to an applicant by this scholarship program may supplement other educational assistance, as long as the total award does not exceed the tuition and fees required for an academic year.

The maximum award for any full-time student per academic year may not exceed $15,000. The maximum award for any part-time student should be determined in proportion to the amount that would be the case if the student were full-time. For any student, the total amount of assistance may not exceed $45,000.

The maximum duration for financial assistance under this program is 6 years.

The agreement for participation in this scholarship program shall be signed by both the Secretary and the participant. The Secretary shall agree to provide the participant with the authorized financial assistance and the participant shall agree to: accept the assistance; maintain enrollment and attendance in the appropriate program of study; maintain an acceptable level of academic standing; serve as a full-time employee in the Department of Veterans Affairs for 3 years within the first 6 years after completing the program and receiving the degree or certificate specified.

If the applicant fails to satisfy the requirements of the agreement, the applicant must repay the amount equal to the unearned portion of assistance, except in circumstances authorized by the Secretary. The Secretary shall establish procedures for determining the amount of the repayment required, as well as the circumstances under which an exception to the required repayment may be granted.

The Secretary shall prescribe regulations for the waiver or suspension of an applicant's obligation for service or payment whenever the

applicant's noncompliance is due to circumstances beyond his or her control or it is in the best interest of the United States.

Mr. Speaker, I should point out that an obligation to repay the Secretary under this section is a debt owed the United States. Thus, a discharge in bankruptcy does not discharge a person from a debt under this legislation if the discharge order is entered less than 5 years after the date of the termination of the agreement or contract.

Mr. Speaker, every morning when I arrive at my office, I am reminded of how fortunate I am to live in a Nation as great as the United States. Outside of my office there is a poster-board with the names and faces of those heroes from Houston, Texas, who have lost their lives wearing the uniform of our country. We live in a Nation where so many brave young men and women volunteer to the ultimate sacrifice so that their countrymen can enjoy the blessings of liberty. Now is the time to let our heroes know they have not been, and will never be, forgotten. They deserve honor, they deserve dignity, and they deserve the best care. After all, this is the least we can do for those who have done so much for all of us.

In closing, Mr. Speaker, let me also thank the Staff of the Veterans Affairs Committee and the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity for their hard work. I also wish to pay special tribute to several members of my staff without whose valuable contributions this significant legislative achievement would not have been possible: Maggie Mitchell, Shelle Gordon, Mona Floyd, Yohannes Tsehai, and Gregory Berry.

Mr. Speaker, nothing brings greater honor to this body and the persons we are proud to represent than keeping faith with the men and women who have worn the uniform in service to our country. H.R. 1315 keeps and extends our commitment to those who have risked their lives to defend our country. I urge all members to support this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I want to add the staff director of the full committee to the list of appreciation I would like to offer, along with Maggie Mitchell, Shelle Gordon, Mona Floyd, Yohannes Tsehai, Greg Berry, and all of the Veterans' Affairs Committee.

Also, let me acknowledge, I think there was a deletion of section 5, and I want to correct that for the record

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1315) to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide specially adaptive housing assistance to certain disabled members of the Armed Forces residing temporarily in housing owned by a family member, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, on this bill, H.R. 1315, and the previous bill, H.R. 23, I would ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I am glad that my colleagues on the committee were able to work together to craft this important piece of legislation. The Chair of our Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, Ms. Herseth Sandlin, and her ranking member, Mr. Boozman, provided really strong bipartisan leadership that was important in this bill. As I said when starting this package of bills, we must never forget the great debt we owe to all of them. We have to remember the courage and sacrifice demonstrated daily by those who serve our Nation.

Mr. Speaker, when our servicemembers return home, it is our solemn obligation to protect and serve them with the same commitment and dedication which they protected and served us. H.R. 1315, as amended, would contribute to just that level of commitment.

Under current law, transitioning disabled servicemembers who are temporarily living in housing owned by a family member are barred from receiving financial assistance to make necessary adaptations to their housing. This bill before us clarifies this point of law and ensures those veterans have the resources necessary to enjoy a comfortable and independent lifestyle.

This legislation creates a scholarship for students interested in earning a degree or certification in blind rehabilitation. In return for these scholarships, these students would provide 3 years of service to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The effect of this program will be a needed staff increase to meet the growing needs of our vision-impaired and blind veterans.

I must say, Ms. Herseth Sandlin, we ought to look at this for some other needs of the VA, whether it is nursing or psychiatry or whatever. This way of encouraging and incentivizing those who could serve our veterans is a really fine approach.

The bill will, furthermore, bring more efficiency and accountability to the veteran employment process by facilitating greater coordination among the U.S. Departments of Veterans Affairs, Defense, and Labor. It allows for a more transparent view of data concerning complaints submitted by the National Guard and Reservists regarding difficulty obtaining employment.

Ensuring that our servicemembers are afforded a seamless transition from active duty to civilian life is an issue that we in the committee are keenly aware of, and I am glad to see needed language in this bill.

Finally, this bill corrects a technical error in current law to increase the U.S. Department of Labor's Advisory Committee on Veterans Employment Training and Employer Outreach by one representative from the existing 15.

We all stand united here in this House in caring for our veterans, and I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1315, as amended

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from South Dakota (Ms. Herseth Sandlin), our Chair of the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, who is the energetic, articulate, aggressive and fine spokesman for veterans.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to another great and energetic advocate for veterans, the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee)

Mr. Speaker, I need to yield 1 further minute to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) for some thank-you words.

Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to conclude by referring to the section that the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) referred to.

Unfortunately, because of scoring rules, we had to remove at the last minute a section that would have given protection from foreclosure, extend the protection from foreclosure on homes from 3 months to 6 months for those who are fighting abroad, whether in the active duty or in the Guard and Reserve units.

It's a very important section, very important protection I think that we have to extend to our men and women in active duty. We will take that up at a later time and try to make sure that that protection is granted

Mr. Speaker, I urge support of H.R. 1315, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank our distinguished chairman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1315, the Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act of 2007. As the sponsor of H.R. 1315, I want to thank Chairman Filner and Ranking Member Buyer, as well as my good friend subcommittee Ranking Member Boozman, for their strong leadership and unwavering dedication to our veterans and for working hard to craft this bipartisan bill.

I would also like to thank Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee of Texas and Congressman Dave Reichert of Washington and Congressman Tim Walz of Minnesota who have contributed substantially to this important legislation.

As more and more of our troops are deployed in missions around the globe, additional steps must be taken to promote and protect the health and welfare of our veterans. Their honorable, courageous and patriotic service demands no less. In light of increasing numbers of disabled veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, the already urgent demand to pass legislation to meet the needs of these new veterans is rising.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation would provide specially adaptive housing assistance to disabled servicemembers who have not yet been discharged from active duty and therefore have not reached veteran status. Under current law, a temporary grant is available to disabled veterans who are or will be temporarily residing in a home owned by a family member. Our original intent in the last Congress was to allow servicemembers in transition prior to discharge to also use this benefit. However, the law, as currently written, does not qualify transitioning servicemembers for these housing grants. This legislation seeks to clarify congressional intent and provide assistance up to $14,000 to adapt the family member's home to meet the transitioning servicemember's special needs.

In addition, this legislation would direct the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs to establish a scholarship program for students seeking a degree or certificate in blind rehabilitation under the Health Professional Education Assistance program. In exchange for the scholarship award, students will be required to work for 3 years in a health care facility within the Department of Veterans Affairs.

This bill would also require the Secretary of the Department of Labor and the Secretary of the Department of Defense to coordinate their sharing of and reporting on the complaint data filed by National Guard and Reservists facing difficulty in obtaining employment. It would require the use of uniform categories in tracking and reporting the data, including the difficulty of obtaining employment experienced by veterans with service-connected disabilities. These provisions will enable Congress to better identify trends in the reemployment challenges faced by our returning Guard and Reserve forces, and the corrective actions needed to ease their transition back into the civilian workforce.

Finally, H.R. 1315 would add a representative from the National Governors Association to the existing 15-member Advisory Committee on Veterans Employment, Training and Employer Outreach located under the auspices of the Department of Labor. This has been a priority for both the chairman and the ranking member of the full committee.

During the last Congress, we passed legislation which became Public Law 109-46 that was intended to add the National Governors Association representative to the Advisory Committee

on Veterans Employment, Training and Employer Outreach. However, a technical error did not increase the total authorized membership to 16, preventing the National Governors Association from being added to the Advisory Committee on Veterans Employment, Training and Employer Outreach.

In summary, this bill will provide our injured servicemembers the resources needed to live with the comfort and independence they deserve, expand education programs to more effectively address the rehabilitative needs of our veterans, bolster reemployment aid for returning veterans, and strengthen the advisory committee membership within the Department of Labor.

I commend the leadership of Chairman Filner and certainly the great bipartisan working relationship that Mr. Boozman and I have enjoyed over the last two Congresses. I urge my colleagues to vote favorably on the final passage of H.R. 1315.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and thank both sides of the aisle on this great piece of legislation. It truly is an honor to be here this afternoon to speak on it on behalf of our veterans across the world.

I am very pleased that part of the language that I have been working on, along with other friends here in the House of Representatives, works to make sure that our returning veterans have a job, make sure that their families are taken care of.

I was in the Air Force Reserve for 6 years. That was a long time ago. I was never called to active duty. I worked for the sheriff's office then, and even back in the early 1970s, as I served our country in the Air Force and served our community on the streets as a police officer, I never had to worry when I served my one weekend a month or my 2 weeks every year that my employer would get upset with me and say, You know what, we can't support you here as you support our country and our troops across the world serving our country; we need you here every day. In fact, it was just the opposite. The sheriff's office said, We are proud to have you as a member of the Air Force Reserve. We are proud to have you come back and serve with us and have you continue to serve in the Air Force Reserve. And when I became sheriff later on in 1997, and after 2001, still serving as the sheriff in King County, we made sure that our Guard and Reserves had a job.

And I could see it in the eyes of their spouses and their children and the rest of their family, because they felt loved, they felt cared for, they felt comfortable to know that when their loved one returned, they had a job.

Imagine for a moment that you started a family, you started a business, you have employment, you have a profession, and all of a sudden it is taken away. When you return, it is gone. Your family has no job. You have no income. You are looking at maybe selling your house, selling your car. Health insurance might not be available. All of these things are things that our veterans in the last few years had to deal with upon their return. This bill fixes that.

We are able to help them make sure that they have employment when they return from serving our country and keeping us free. I urge all of my colleagues to vote in favor of this legislation. What an honor it is to be here again today to speak on behalf of our veterans across the world.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1315, as amended, contains several important provisions to improve the lives of servicemembers and veterans.

First, severely injured servicemembers would be able to benefit from VA's specially adapted housing program prior to discharge. I appreciate Chairwoman Herseth Sandlin's vigilance and leadership in this area in bringing this forward.

Second, DOD, the Department of Labor, the Attorney General, the Office of Special Counsel and VA would be required to adapt common reporting criteria regarding servicemembers' employment rights under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, USERRA. Again, I appreciate Mr. Reichert for his hard work in bringing this forward. I think this is an excellent provision.

Third, VA would be authorized to establish scholarship programs for pursuing degrees in rehabilitation for the visually impaired. Ms. Sheila Jackson-Lee also did a good job in bringing this forward. This is something that I am very, very familiar with in the sense that I am an optometrist and have had the opportunity to visit, not to visit, to deal with these types of patients many times in the past. This is something we definitely need to do.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairwoman Herseth Sandlin for her bipartisan leadership on this excellent bill, and I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1315, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Reichert), one of the authors of a portion of the bill, such time as he may consume.

Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman has no further speakers, in closing, I can't tell you how privileged I am in serving on the Economic Opportunity Subcommittee. We are charged with putting veterans to work and providing educational benefits. As the son of an old master sergeant in the Air Force who did 20 years and retired, I understand the importance of this.

This bill is an excellent bill. I want to thank the chairman for his hard work and also thank the ranking member, Mr. Buyer, for his hard work. I thank Chairwoman Herseth Sandlin, and again our staffs who do so much work.

This bill is an excellent product of bipartisan work on behalf of veterans, and I urge all of my colleagues to support the legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.