{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2020/12/senate-passes-boozman-bill-to-bolster-va-care-and-services-for-women-veterans", "Senate Passes Boozman Bill to Bolster VA Care and Services for Women Veterans", "2020-12-10", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "John Boozman", "B001236", "www.boozman.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTONTheSenate passed a package of veterans' health care and benefits improvements that incorporates a number of U.S. Senator John Boozman's (R-AR) legislative priorities, including enhancing Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) care and services for women veterans.\r\nTheDeborah Sampson Act,bipartisan legislation introduced by Boozman and Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT), was included in the comprehensive veterans package. The Boozman-Tester language will eliminate barriers to care and services that many women veterans face and help ensure the VA can address the needs of women veterans who are more likely to face homelessness, unemployment and go without needed health care.\r\nVA facilities need to be updated to accommodate the growing number of women veterans so we can meet their needs. Ensuring the VA has the capability to providemore equitable care and services is key to fulfilling our promise.Passage of this bill will enable us to better support women who answer the call to serve their nation in uniform,Boozman said.\r\nThis is a groundbreaking moment as we push VA to provide better access to care and services for thenearly two million livingwomen veterans across the country,said Ranking Member Tester.Women have served in uniform since the American Revolution and are now the fastest growing population of veterans in the country. It's our responsibility to make sure VA health care and benefits are tailored to meet their needs and are accessible to them and their families. Unanimous passage of ourDeborah Sampson Actsends a clear message to women veteransand the American publicthat Congress is willing to come together to do what's necessary and follow through on this sacred duty.\r\nThere are 19,000 women veterans in Arkansas. According to VA data, women comprise 10 percent of the veteran population. That number is expected to increase to more than 16 percent within the next 25 years.\r\nThe senators first introduced the legislation in 2017. Their bill garnered support from leading Veteran Service Organizations includingthe Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) and the Disabled American Veterans (DAV).\r\nAdditional Boozman-authored and championed provisions approved by the Senate in theJohnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvements Act of 2020include:\r\n \r\nExpandingwartime benefitsto veterans who served in the Vietnam War and have been ineligible for assistance because of differences between the war era dates at the Department of Defense (DoD) and the VA.Currently,DoD recognizes the Vietnam War era as November 1, 1955 to May 15, 1975, whilethe VArecognizes the Vietnam War era as February 28, 1961 to May 7, 1975. This discrepancy has prevented members of the U.S. Military Assistance Advisory Group from qualifying for wartime veterans benefits like the veterans pension.\r\nIncreasingthe number ofhealth care providerswho are allowed to conduct the required medical exam for veterans applying for benefits in order to help reduce backlog.\r\nImproving access to specialized trainingthat would ensureVA grant-funded cemeteries meet and maintainthe National Cemetery Administration's (NCA) National Shrine Commitment.\r\nUpdating the VA's funeral benefits to treat all non-service connected deaths equally, regardless of where the veteran passes away.\r\nClosing a loophole that prevents the VA from putting the names of veterans' family members on headstones in private cemeteries. Currently, the VA is only authorized to put veterans' family members' names on headstones in national, state and tribal veterans' cemeteries.\r\nModernizing theServicemembers Civil Relief Act(SCRA) topermit servicemembers to deliver notice of termination of residential and car leases electronically, including by email.\r\nExpanding the list of work-study activities that qualify for payment of work-study allowances under the VA's rehabilitation, training and education programs.", 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://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2020/12/senate-passes-boozman-bill-to-bolster-va-care-and-services-for-women-veterans"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9976569563150406, "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"}