II 111th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 402 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES February 10, 2009 Ms. Snowe (for herself, Mr. Baucus, Mrs. Lincoln, Mr. Burr, and Ms. Collins) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs A BILL To improve the lives of our Nation's veterans and their families and provide them with the opportunity to achieve the American dream.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Keeping Our Promise to America's Military Veterans Act.

2.

Sense of Congress on legislation to improve the lives of our Nation's veterans and their families

It is the sense of Congress that, in order to express the unending gratitude of the American people for the sacrifices of America's veterans and their families in defending the American way of life, legislation should be enacted to improve the lives of our Nation’s veterans and their families and provide them with the opportunity to achieve the American dream, including legislation that— (1)assures timely, predictable, and adequate funding of the Department of Veterans Affairs, especially funding for medical care activities, so that the Department may readily provide veterans the services for which they are eligible; (2)improves the ability of the Veterans Benefits Administration to provide timely and accurate decisions on all claims for veterans benefits; (3)assures that the Department provides timely access to high-quality treatment for mental health conditions, including for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI); and (4)facilitates a seamless transition from military life to civilian life for members of the Armed Forces who are separating from the Armed Forces and for their families.