BIPARTISAN ACTION ON
VETERANS’ BENEFITS H.R. 6416, THE “JEFF MILLER AND RICHARD BLUMENTHAL VETERANS HEALTH CARE AND BENEFITS IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2016”
In early December, lawmakers voted unanimously to pass H.R. 6416, the “Jeff Miller and Richard Blumenthal Veterans Health Care and Benefi ts Improvement Act of 2016.” T is is a bipartisan bill sponsored in the House by the outgoing Vet- erans Aff airs Committee Chairman Rep. Jeff Miller (R-FL) and in the Senate by Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), the senior Democrat on the Senate Veterans Aff airs Committee. H.R. 6416 included provisions that will: • Expedite the payment of survivor benefi ts; • Require a GAO review of VA regional offi ces’ claims- processing performance;
• Award Veteran status for all National Guard and Reserve retirees;
• Expands Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship coverage for survivors of members who died in service between 2001 and 2005;
• Improves assistance for homeless Veterans; and • Calls for studies on the potential eff ects of Veterans’ toxic exposures on their children. Needless to say, we are pleased that H.R. 6416 provided a successful ending to long-standing eff orts by this Associa- tion to ensure fairness for survivors and Reserve Component members. We thank Rep. Tim Walz (DFL-MN) and Sen. John Boozman (R-AR) for their persistence over many years to resolve the Veterans’ status issue. As soon as this bill is signed into law, any service member who served honorably for at least 20 years in the National Guard or Reserves would be recognized as a Veteran. In addition, we are ecstatic that the bill did not include an estimated $3.4 billion in cuts over the next fi ve years to the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Arguably, defending earned education benefi ts is perhaps some of the most important work we do and we are pleased to have played a role this year in blocking these costly reductions for our members.
Put your degree within your budget.
To help make earning your degree more affordable, Bellevue University offers a unique combination for active-duty military. Choose one of more than 25 bachelor’s degrees at Military Preferred tuition of $250 per credit hour.* Combine that with credit for training, an online accelerated degree format, and one of the most generous credit transfers in the nation, and you’ll be on your way to earing your degree quickly and affordably.
FLEXIBLE. AFFORDABLE. ACCREDITED. NONPROFIT.
*Active duty members of the United States Military, National Guard, Reserve and Coast Guard who declare an undergraduate major available at the Military Preferred pricing are eligible for a tuition rate of $250.00 per credit hour for all courses in their undergraduate degree.
A non-profit university, Bellevue University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission through the U.S. Department of Education (
www.hlcommission.org) • 800-621-7440 • Bellevue University does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or disability in the educational programs and activities it operates. Bellevue University, 1000 Galvin Road South, Bellevue, Nebraska 68005. 10470-0716
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