Rep. Boozman: "Very Productive Start to the Week" For Veterans Subcommittee

Rep. Boozman: "Very Productive Start to the Week" For Veterans Subcommittee

Bill similar to one introduced by Boozman passes the House; Roundtable on veterans employment opportunities in auto industry held in Michigan

Chairing a Field Hearing in Rogers on Modernizing VA Benefits

U.S. Representative John Boozman (R-AR), Chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Economic Opportunity Subcommittee, today said that yesterday's passage of legislation to enhance veterans' benefits and informative roundtable discussion on veterans employment in Michigan mark a "productive start to the week" for his subcommittee.

"Yesterday afternoon I sat down with some of nation's top experts to discuss how we can address the effect job cuts in the auto industry are having on our efforts to keep veterans employed. When I arrived back in Washington, we passed a bill to help disabled veterans and homeless veterans. It has been a very productive start to the week for my subcommittee," said Boozman.

Boozman was in Owosso, Michigan yesterday to join a roundtable of what he called "heavy-hitters" to discuss the U.S. Department of Labor's Veterans Employment and Training Service's response to rising unemployment among veterans in the automotive sector.

"We brought together some real heavy-hitters on this subject, sat down and just looked at what we can do to put these men and women back to work. My subcommittee is charged with ensuring there are good jobs available to our veterans when they leave the service, but we can't do it alone. It takes a collective effort to make that happen," said Boozman.

After the roundtable, Boozman returned to Washington in time to help pass legislation that improves a number of veterans' benefits programs, including one that offers housing grants for disabled veterans.

"The housing grant programs are designed to provide disabled veterans with an opportunity to adapt their homes to their particular living needs. Many disabled veterans returning from the battlefield are young and will be living with their families. We want to make it easier men and women in that situation to transition out of a medical facility, even if they do not have the means to own their own home," said Boozman. "The changes will enable these younger, single veterans who are disabled and return to live with their families to be eligible to modify their parents' home through the program."

The bill, the "Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act of 2005,"originated in the Senate and overwhelmingly passed the U.S. House of Representatives 372-0 last night. Because the House made changes, the bill must return to the Senate for final approval.

Three of the four major provisions in bill are identical to those in H.R. 3665, the "Veteran's Housing and Employment Improvement Act," which Boozman introduced and ushered through the House last year. That bill, which has not been considered in the Senate, included similar language that allowed disabled veterans living with family to apply for "adaptive housing" grants which would allow them to modify the home, even if he or she is not the owner of the property.

It also reauthorized the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program through 2009 and makes permanent the pilot program under which the VA Secretary may make direct housing loans to Native American veterans and extends the eligibility for such direct loans to certain non-Native American veterans who have a meaningful interest in the property under tribal law and are the spouses of a Native American.

All three of these provisions from H.R. 3665 are included in S. 1235, along with a provision to extend free Servicemembers Group Life Insurance coverage for fully disabled veterans for two years after they leave their service.

http://www.boozman.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=44120