Press Releases

Today, Rep. Mike Bost (R-Ill.), the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, released the following statement after the Committee reported 17 bills with strong bipartisan support to be considered on the House Floor:

“I am thrilled that we passed 17 bills, including 6 Republican-led bills, out of the VA Committee today. These proposals would improve the delivery of care and services for veterans at VA. They would increase access to home-based long-term care, make it easier for veterans to file complaints with patient advocates, support student veterans, and more,” said Ranking Member Bost. “I am particularly pleased to see Rep. Mace’s and my bill, the Veterans’ Cyber Risk Awareness Act, reported favorably today. This bill would help veterans stay safer online and provide us with needed information about how they are targeted there. I am also pleased to see my bill, the VA Principles of Benefits Automation Act, reported favorably today. It would help modernize the delivery of compensation benefits to disabled veterans and finally bring the Veterans Benefits Administration into the 21st century. I hope to see these bills, along with the rest of the proposals we passed today, brought to the House floor for a vote soon.”

During the markup, Ranking Member Bost also advocated for the House to pass the Health Care for Burn Pit Veterans Act and the Dr. Kate Hendricks Thomas SERVICE Act. Those bills would connect toxic-exposed veterans with life-saving care from the VA healthcare system. The SERVICE Act is named after a toxic-exposed veteran and advocate, Dr. Kate Hendricks Thomas, who passed away yesterday from breast cancer following her exposure to burn pits in Iraq. Ranking Member Bost’s comments this morning can be watched here.

The following bills were passed out of the Committee today:

H.R. 2326 – Veterans Cyber Risk Awareness Act (Rep. Mace, Rep. Bost)
H.R. 7158 – Long-Term Care Veterans Choice Act (Rep. Higgins)
H.R. 5754 – Patient Advocate Tracker Act (Rep. McClain)
H.R. 6064 – To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to seek to enter into an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine for a review of examinations, furnished by the Secretary, to individuals who submit claims to the Secretary for compensation under chapter 11 of title 38, United States Code, for mental and physical conditions linked to military sexual trauma (Rep. Nehls)
A.N.S. offered by Rep. Bost to H.R. 7153 – Department of Veterans Affairs Principles of Benefits Automation Act (Rep. Bost)
A.N.S. offered by Rep. Bost to H.R. 6604 – VETS Credit Act (Rep. Buchanan)
H.R. 7393 – The Improving VA Workforce through Minority Serving Institutions Act of 2022 (Rep. Ocasio-Cortez)
H.R. 6961, as amended – The Dignity for MST Survivors Act (Rep. Mrvan)
A.N.S. offered by Rep. Takano to H.R. 2724, as amended – VA Peer Support Enhancement for MST Survivors Act (Rep. Delgado)
H.R. 6052 – Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General Training Act of 2021 (Rep. Underwood)
A.N.S. offered by Rep. Pappas to H.R. 7277 – Improving Oversight of VA Community Care Providers Act of 2022 (Rep. Pappas)
H.R. 2428 – Strengthening Oversight for Veterans Act of 2021 (Rep. Rice)
H.R. 7369 – Veteran Eligibility for Necessities To Undertake Rewarding Entrepreneurship (VENTURE) Act (Rep. Levin)
A.N.S. offered by Rep. Takano to H.R. 6376, as amended – Student Veteran Work Study Modernization Act (Rep. Axne)
H.R 7375 – To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to update the payment system of the Department of Veterans Affairs to allow for electronic fund transfer of educational assistance, administered by the Secretary, to a foreign institution of higher education (Rep. Sherrill)
H.R. 5738, as amended – Lactation Spaces for Veteran Moms Act (Rep. Luria)
H.R. 7335 – Improving Military Sexual Trauma (MST) Claims Coordination Act (Rep. Luria)