{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/us-house-unanimously-passes-pingree-bill-assist-veterans-va-debt", "U.S. House Unanimously Passes Pingree Bill to Assist Veterans with VA Debt", "2017-11-08", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Chellie Pingree", "P000597", "pingree.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.\u2014The U.S. House of Representatives today unanimously\u00a0passed Congresswoman Chellie Pingree\u2019s (D-Maine) bill, the Veterans Fair Debt Notice Act. The legislation provides veterans with more timely and understandable notifications about possible debts with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).\u00a0\n\u201cThis bill offers a common sense fix to frustrations that veterans across the country have experienced with the VA\u2019s debt management system. \u00a0Veterans in Maine have called my office shocked to find out they owe the VA money,\u201d Pingree said during a floor speech before the vote. \u201cSome are confused by the letters they receive. \u00a0Others are told by the VA that they\u2019ve missed important deadlines to dispute, seek forgiveness, or create a payment plan for the alleged debt. Regardless of whether the debt is real or a mistake by the VA, we shouldn\u2019t make it so hard for veterans to know their rights and obligations.\u201d\nLast Thursday, the House Committee on Veterans Affairs\u00a0passed an amended version of Pingree\u2019s bill. In September,\u00a0Pingree testified before committee members\u00a0on her legislation.\nThe intention of the bill is to provide veterans with more timely and understandable notifications when they have a possible debt with the Department of Veterans Affairs for overpayment of benefits. Pingree\u2019s office has worked with multiple veterans who did not learn of their debt until it was too late for them to take action.\u00a0\nAs amended by the committee, the legislation directs the VA to:\u00a0\n1. Work with veterans service organizations to draft a plain language notification,\n2. Create a system for sending notifications electronically in combination with mail, and\u00a0\n3. Study the problem of veterans not receiving notifications and the costs of sending letters by certified mail.\u00a0\n Congresswoman Pingree\u2019s Floor statement on H.R. 3705, the Veterans Fair Debt Notice Act \nThank you for yielding the time.\nI rise in support of the Veterans Fair Debt Notice Act. \u00a0This bill offers a common sense fix to frustrations that veterans across the country have experienced with the VA\u2019s debt management system.\nVeterans in Maine have called my office shocked to find out they owe the VA money. \u00a0Some are confused by the letters they receive. \u00a0Others are told by the VA that they\u2019ve missed important deadlines to dispute, seek forgiveness, or create a payment plan for the alleged debt.\u00a0\nRegardless of whether the debt is real or a mistake by the VA, we shouldn\u2019t make it so hard for veterans to know their rights and obligations.\nWe\u2019ve seen single mom veterans who can\u2019t get a home loan and newly transitioned service members who struggle to re-integrate with garnished pay, recouped tax returns and reduced disability payments, all because of assigned debts they knew nothing about after notifications got sent to the wrong place or \u201clost in the mail.\u201d\nIn response, H.R. 3705 directs the VA to work with veterans service organizations to develop standard notification letters that are written in plain language.\nIt also directs the VA to explore how to inform veterans of debts more quickly by sending notifications electronically in addition to standard mail.\u00a0\nAnd it requires the VA to study why so many veterans have not received notifications in the mail, as well as steps the VA can take to improve its address database and the costs using certified mail.\nI thank Chairmen Roe and Bost, and Ranking Members Walz and Esty for bringing this legislation to the House floor, and I urge its passage.\nThank you.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://pingree.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/us-house-unanimously-passes-pingree-bill-assist-veterans-va-debt"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.4249340165406466, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}