Kiggans Votes in Favor of Putting Veterans First

WASHINGTON, DC: Today, Congresswoman Jen Kiggans (VA-02) voted in favor of H.R. 8371, the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21^st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act. This legislation, which passed out of the U.S. House by a vote of 389-9, includes Congresswoman Kiggans’ bills, H.R. 3581, the Caregiver Outreach and Program Enhancement (COPE) Act and H.R. 3504, the VA Medical Center Security Report Act of 2023.

“Improving the lives of our nation’s heroes is, and always will be, one of my top priorities in Congress,” said Congresswoman Kiggans. “Veterans deserve a VA that works for them and allows them to fully live the lives they risked so bravely for our freedom. I am proud that two of my own bills were included in this comprehensive legislative package, which will help increase mental health resources for veterans’ caregivers and improve security at VA medical centers. The passage of today’s bipartisan legislation is an exciting advancement for veteran care and services, and I encourage the Senate to swiftly so it can be signed into law as soon as possible.”

The Senator Elizabeth Dole 21^st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act is a legislative package aimed at ensuring veterans have access to important resources and a quality of care deserving of their service. The package includes multiple pieces of legislation targeting better home care, mental health resources for caregivers, improvements in access to disability benefits and community care, and more.

Congresswoman Kiggans’ COPE Act authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide grants to organizations, which is mandated in H.R. 8371, whose mission is focused on the mental healthcare of individuals who take on a caregiver responsibility for veterans. It also requires the VA to provide outreach to registered caregivers and requires both the VA and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to provide Congress with research on the program and its outcomes.

Her VA Medical Center Security Report Act of 2023 aims to increase safety and security at VA Medical facilities by requiring VA leadership to provide reports that accurately detail the health of VA police forces and security at VA Medical Centers. While the VA currently operates 144 police units at VA medical centers, the number of violent crimes committed at VA medical facilities increased from 3,141 in FY 2018 to 6,505 in FY 2021.

Legislation in the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21^st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act includes but is not limited to:

• The House-passed COPE Act (H.R. 3581), which would recognize the mental strain often experienced by caregivers of certain veterans by providing community mental health grants to help alleviate caregiver’s concerns about stigma.
• The House-passed Elizabeth Dole Home Care Act (H.R. 542), which would expand access to Home- and Community-Based Services at every VA medical center, which would allow severely ill and aging veterans the dignity of receiving their care at home rather than in institutions.
• The Veterans Care Improvement Act (H.R. 3520), which would improve the timeliness and quality of care and services delivered to veterans under community care by improving the rate at which community care providers return medical records to the VA. This would streamline administrative processes to ensure veterans receive timely and high-quality care. It would also ensure that VA provides veterans with more information and transparency regarding their eligibility for community care.
• The Veterans Education Assistance and Improvement Act (H.R. 3874), which would cut through red tape for the GI Bill and allow student veterans to use their benefits that best meet their needs.
• Includes the VA Office of Inspector General Training Act (H.R. 2733), which would require all new VA employees to receive training on reporting wrongdoing and cooperating with the VA Inspector General.
• Includes the VA Medical Center Security Report Act of 2023 (H.R. 3504), which would require VA to conduct a survey of each of their facilities on security weaknesses and the status of their police force as well as provide a report on the results of these surveys to Congress.

You can read the full text of the legislation here.