{"bills":[{"photos":{"featured":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr3936-114/featured_vet-act-1466314710.jpg","featured_large":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr3936-114/featured_large_vet-act-1466314710.jpg","shareable":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/hr3936-114.png"},"introduced_on":"2015-11-05","title_override":"Does the VA Need to Host Events to Help Vets File Disability and Pension Claims?","summary_override":"

This bill would require the Dept. of Veterans Affairs (VA) to carry out a three-year pilot program aimed at helping veterans complete VA disability and pension claims while obtaining needed medical opinions all at one place. It would require the VA to hold Veterans Engagement Team (VET) events at least once a month at community facilities in 10-15 districts represented by VA regional offices over the three-year program.

To help veterans complete their claims, VA staff would host VET events at community facilities where veterans could come to complete their claims and receive a medical opinion if one is needed. If a veteran’s claim can’t be completed at the VET event, the VA would be required to provide them with a clear explanation of the next steps needed to complete the claim.

During the first year of the program, the VA would hold these events at a location in at least 10 districts represented by VA regional offices, including at least two regional offices in five districts of the Veterans Benefits Administration. For both the second and third years of the program, events would happen at least once a month at a location in 15 VA districts, including at least three regional offices in each district.

The VA would be able to coordinate with state and local governments, nonprofit groups, and businesses to use facilities to host VET events for no or minimal cost. It would also be able to accept uncompensated services from non-VA physicians who assist in offering medical opinions to be used in disability and pension claims. VA physicians could travel between districts for these events, but wouldn’t be transferred on a permanent basis.

","official_title":"To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program under which the Secretary carries out Veteran Engagement Team events where veterans can complete claims for disability compensation and pension under the laws administered by the Secretary, and for other purposes.","short_title":"VET Act","popular_title":null,"short_summary":"Veteran Engagement Teams Act or the VET Act\n\n(Sec. 2) This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), beginning not later than October 1, 2016, to carry out a three-year pilot program under which the VA shall carry out Veteran Engagement Team events to assist veterans in completing VA disability and pension claims.\n\nSuch events shall be carried out:\n\n during the first year, at least once a month within the jurisdiction of each of 10 VA regional offices, including at least 2 regional offices in each of the 5 districts of the Veterans Benefits Administration; during each of the second and third years, at least once a month within the jurisdiction of each of 15 VA regional offices, including at least 3 regional offices in each district; at different locations within each regional office's jurisdiction and at least 50 miles from any regional office; during the sponsoring regional office's normal business hours; and with a sufficient number of physicians (to be available for opini...","summarized":true,"cost":null,"cost_commentary":"A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.","impact":"Veterans who need to file a disability or pension claim with the VA; physicians who work with or for the VA; and the VA and Veterans Benefits Administration.","argument_for":"Veterans have earned their disability and pension benefits and shouldn’t have to leave go without because they’re unable file their claims. 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Countable is live on the web, as an iPhone app in the App Store, and on Android on Amazon and Google Play.\r\n\r\nTell your Senators and Representative what you think about how they’re doing for Veterans Affairs– not every six or two years – but every day!\r\n","page_title":"Veterans Affairs Issue Desk at Countable - Vote on Legislation, Stay informed, Hold Government Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/veterans-affairs/black_veterans-affairs-1429042036.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/veterans-affairs/grey_veterans-affairs-1429042036.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/veterans-affairs/white_veterans-affairs-1429042036.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"government","name":"Government","slug":"government","description":"Federal legislation related to the operations of the US Federal Government. 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I am not totally for anything but careful consideration of the existing reality. I have no patience with sloppy ill-informed reasoning. I live in deepest darkest Medieval Florida which I regret but, at this point, I'm too long of tooth to change. So I try to make a leftie difference where I'm planted!","twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":"","youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":"alis","issue_count":131,"is_following":null,"influence_score":26885,"influence_level":40,"follower_count":140,"following_count":51,"position_count":833,"id":"NZavgNm6","partner_id":null}],"bill_position":{"flagged":false,"id":"e0d27a3f-c355-40e0-9dfb-d7417be45c23","argument_for":"Perhaps there shouldn't be a need for this but clearly there is a need! So get off your lazy butts and make sure it happens. Or is this yet another way in which you flag waving (non)-patriots are going to screw veterans?","argument_against":null,"show_argument_for":true,"show_argument_against":false,"upvote_count":0,"upvotes_for_count":0,"upvotes_against_count":null,"has_upvoted":false,"endorsement_count":0,"links":{"self":"https://www.causes.com/positions/e0d27a3f-c355-40e0-9dfb-d7417be45c23"},"body":"Perhaps there shouldn't be a need for this but clearly there is a need! So get off your lazy butts and make sure it happens. Or is this yet another way in which you flag waving (non)-patriots are going to screw veterans?","stance":"yea","created_at":"2016-06-20T03:53:57.941Z","shareable_image_url":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/positions/e0d27a3f-c355-40e0-9dfb-d7417be45c23.png","note_color":null,"note_text":null,"bill_id":"hr3936-114","user_id":"NZavgNm6","endorser_ids":[]}}

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Does the VA Need to Host Events to Help Vets File Disability and Pension Claims?