Congressman Luttrell Introduces Two Bipartisan Veterans Bills
WASHINGTON – Congressman Morgan Luttrell (R-TX), Chairman of the Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs (DAMA), today introduced the Veterans Benefits Improvement Act and Veterans Compensation Cost of Living Adjustment Act of 2023. DAMA Ranking Member Rep. Chris Pappas (D-NH) co-led the introduction of the two pieces of legislation.
“We have an obligation to support the veterans who have served and sacrificed for our country,” said Congressman Luttrell. “The legislation I introduced today will make certain our veterans receive the highest quality care and support by ensuring they can access the benefits they deserve and are able to meet their financial needs, especially in these challenging times. I look forward to continuing to work with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to improve the lives of veterans and their families.”
“I’m grateful to my friend and fellow veteran, Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Chairman, Rep. Luttrell, for his leadership on introducing two important veterans’ bills today. The Veterans Benefits Improvement Act would help make the disability exam process better for veterans who submit compensation claims, particularly for veterans in rural, remote, and overseas areas,” said Chairman Bost. “The Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act is also vitally important for our veterans this year – as they, like all Americans – are paying more for everything from the grocery store to the gas pump. I look forward to marking up both bills in our Committee soon.”
“We have a solemn obligation to ensure the needs of our veterans are met,” said Congressman Pappas. “I’m honored to partner with Congressman Luttrell on two critically important bipartisan pieces of legislation to ensure veterans’ benefits keep pace with our changing economy and reduce the VA claims backlog to minimize delays veterans face in accessing their earned benefits. I’ll continue working with my colleagues across the aisle to advance these bills and other important legislation on behalf of our veterans.”
The Veterans Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Act of 2023
The Veterans Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act (COLA) of 2023 would increase the rates of compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities, as well as the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for the survivors of certain veterans as of December 1, 2023. The increase in VA benefits would equal the cost-of-living increase provided for certain Social Security benefits.
Veterans Benefits Improvement Act
The Veterans Benefits Improvement Act would make improvements to the requirement that the Secretary publish disability benefit questionnaire (DBQ) forms on the VA’s website for use by a veteran’s private provider. It also includes a report on improving access to travel reimbursement pay for veterans living abroad who must attend a disability exam. Additionally, this bill would improve communication regarding the scheduling of disability exams between contractors, veterans, and the veteran’s accredited representative.