Steil Introduces Bills to Support Veterans and Families
Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Bryan Steil (WI-01) announced the introduction of two pieces of legislation aimed at providing support and fairness to veterans and their families: the No Veteran Falls Through the Cracks Act and the Survivor Benefits Fairness Act.
"Our men and women who have worn the uniform deserve the benefits they have fought for and earned," said Steil said "Whether it is ensuring timely follow up from healthcare providers or protecting grieving families from bureaucratic overreach, I will continue to work to provide meaningful support to veterans and their families.”
Background:
The No Veteran Falls Through the Cracks Act
Under current law, if a veteran cancels a mental health appointment online, the VA is not mandated to follow up and reschedule as they would with a phone cancellation. While some cancelations may be routine scheduling conflicts, these can also be signs of a broader mental health crisis.
This bill would require the VA to connect with veterans and reschedule his or her mental health appointment, standardizing VA policies for cancelations across the board.
Congressman Steil previously introduced this legislation in the 117th Congress.
To read the full text of the legislation, click HERE.
The Survivor Benefits Fairness Act
Under current law, if a deceased veteran’s family receives benefit checks and dies during the month they received a payment, the VA is permitted to request the entire month’s payment back. This has led to circumstances where families are asked to remit a month’s benefit check when their family member passes away just hours before the end of the month.
This bill would ensure that the VA cannot demand the families of beneficiaries pay back their monthly benefits in the event of a surviving spouse’s death.
Congressman Steil previously introduced this legislation in the 118th Congress.
To read the full text of the legislation, click HERE.
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