[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 203 (Monday, December 16, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H10271-H10272]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
{time} 1500
IDENTIFYING BARRIERS AND BEST PRACTICES STUDY ACT
Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 4183) to direct the Comptroller General of the United States
to conduct a study on disability and pension benefits provided to
members of the National Guard and members of reserve components of the
Armed Forces by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other
purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 4183
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Identifying Barriers and
Best Practices Study Act''.
SEC. 2. COMPTROLLER GENERAL STUDY ON DISABILITY AND PENSION
BENEFITS PROVIDED TO MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL
GUARD AND MEMBERS OF RESERVE COMPONENTS OF THE
ARMED FORCES BY THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS
AFFAIRS.
(a) In General.--Not later than 36 months after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the
United States shall complete a study on disability and
pension benefits provided to members of the National Guard
and members of reserve components of the Armed Forces by the
Department of Veterans Affairs. In conducting such study, the
Comptroller General shall review, for the period beginning on
January 1, 2008, and ending on December 31, 2018, each of the
following:
(1) The number of members of the National Guard and the
number of members of reserve components of the Armed Forces
who received disability compensation or pension provided by
the Department of Veterans Affairs.
(2) A comparison of each of the following between veterans
who served only in the National Guard or reserve components
and veterans who served in the regular components of the
Armed Forces:
(A) The percentage of each group of such veterans with
service-connected disabilities.
(B) The number of veterans in each group with each
disability rating.
(C) The number of veterans in each group with a service-
connected disability, including the number of each of the
following types of such veterans in each group:
(i) Pilots.
(ii) Veterans who served in the special forces.
(iii) Veterans who participated in the Personnel
Reliability Program.
(iv) Veterans who underwent diving or flight physicals as a
regular component of their service in the Armed Forces and
who have a muscular-skeletal or mental health condition.
(D) The number of total claims for disability compensation
and pension submitted, approved, and disapproved for each
group of veterans.
(3) An identification of common barriers for members of the
National Guard and members of reserve components in obtaining
disability benefits under the laws administered by the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs, including barriers relating to
documentation of injuries incurred while serving, such as
line of duty letters.
(b) Reports.--
(1) Preliminary report.--Not later than 18 months after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General
shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the
Senate and House of Representatives a preliminary report on
the findings of the study required by subsection (a).
(2) Final report.--Upon completion of the study, the
Comptroller General shall submit to such Committees a final
report on such study.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Takano) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.
General Leave
Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and to insert extraneous material on H.R. 4183, as amended.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4183, as amended, the
Identifying Barriers and Best Practices Study Act, introduced by
Representative Khanna of California.
I support this legislation that requests a multiyear study on VA
disability and pension benefits for members of the Reserve components
and
[[Page H10272]]
National Guard. Any veteran injured during their time in service should
have access to care for lingering disabilities and compensation for
loss of earning power.
Since September 11, members of the Reserve component and National
Guard have increasingly answered the call to service to meet our
Nation's national security needs. Yet, despite greater demands and
commitments, Reserve and National Guard veterans and their families do
not always have easy access to benefits.
We have heard from our VSO partners that Guard and Reservists, like
those who served in special missions, often have difficulty documenting
injuries. Their medical records tend to be scattered and are often
incomplete. This lack of in-service documentation of injury
disproportionately affects Guard and Reservists.
The additional burden of obtaining a line-of-duty determination,
which provides clear documentation of injury, rests on their shoulders.
This can prevent receipt of compensation from VA down the road.
The study requested by this bill will compare Reserve and National
Guard veterans and special operators, such as pilots and divers, to
Active-Duty veterans and provide Congress with a report on the barriers
they face when receiving their benefits through VA. The findings in the
report will best inform Congress on next steps toward providing Reserve
and National Guard veterans the compensation and benefits that they
have earned.
I urge all Members to support H.R. 4183, as amended, and take the
first steps to removing barriers to benefits for Guard, Reserve, and
special operators.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4183, the Identifying
Barriers and Best Practices Study Act.
H.R. 4183, as amended, would require the Government Accountability
Office to complete a study that compares the utilization of disability
and pension benefits between veterans of the National Guard, Reserve,
and Active-Duty components.
Some National Guard and Reserve veterans believe that it is more
challenging for them to successfully apply for VA benefits compared to
veterans of regular components. According to a Statement for the Record
provided by The American Legion during the Disability Assistance and
Memorial Affairs Subcommittee hearing on H.R. 4183: ``Guard and Reserve
veterans have historically been at a disadvantage when seeking VA
compensation and disability benefits due to poor reporting and
documentation of injuries which occur during a period of Reserve or
Active Duty for training.''
We must ensure that all of our veterans who have been injured as a
result of their service receive the benefits they have earned. This
legislation would shed additional insight into the barriers our
National Guard and Reserve veterans could face when seeking VA
benefits. This may, in turn, inform how VA could improve its claims
process for National Guard and Reserve veterans.
I encourage all Members to support H.R. 4183, as amended.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers. I am prepared
to close.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Madam Speaker, as mentioned here, this is a problem we have been
dealing with concerning our Reserve and National Guard. We want to make
sure that they are provided with these benefits. I want to encourage
all of our Members to support this legislation.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
I just want to take this moment to just reflect on how much our
reservists and National Guard have contributed to our national defense
in these past 18 years.
Some of us may recall the role of the Guard and Reserve during the
Vietnam war era, where that was often a refuge for servicemembers who
were not expecting to be called into Active Duty or called into
service.
But gone are those days. The National Guard and Reserve are called up
frequently, often on multiple deployments, and they have served our
country with vigor, with tremendous patriotism.
So I have to say that I am very pleased that we are moving forward
with this study. I think it is a travesty if our reservists and
guardsmen cannot document their service-connected injuries and not be
able to collect the benefits that they deserve down the road.
I urge all of my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 4183, as
amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 4183, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. TAKANO. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
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