releases: http://tipton.house.gov/press-release/house-prioritizes-veterans-final-weeks-session
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| http://tipton.house.gov/press-release/house-prioritizes-veterans-final-weeks-session | House Prioritizes Veterans in Final Weeks of Session | 2016-12-08 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | CO | Scott Tipton | T000470 | tipton.house.gov | legacy | The U.S. House of Representatives passed several bills this week to ensure veterans have access to quality health care and support systems when they return home from service. The bills focus on increasing accountability within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), quality of care standards at VA facilities, and access to a spectrum of education and rehabilitation services for veterans. Congressman Tipton (CO-03) voted in support of the measures. “No matter what side of the aisle we sit on, we all agree that we want the very best for our veterans. The bills we passed this week will help us honor the men and women who have so nobly served our country,” Tipton said. “I know my colleagues in the Senate share our goals, and I hope they will act quickly to get these bills to the president’s desk.” On Dec. 12, the House passed the Jeff Miller and Richard Blumenthal Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2016 (H.R. 6416) with a bipartisan vote of 419-0. The bill improves the VA disability program by removing red tape that often prohibits veterans and their families from receiving benefits. The bill also cuts red tape to create more opportunities for veterans to use their VA education benefits, increases the number of mental health practitioners that are able to treat veterans, and establishes a National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans. The House also passed the Ethical Patient Care for Veterans Act (H.R. 5399) and the Faster Care for Veterans Act of 2016 (H.R. 4352). H.R. 5399 would require medical clinicians within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to report unacceptable behavior from other VA clinicians directly to the appropriate state licensing board. Currently, the VA must determine whether a report of substandard practices should be referred to the state licensing board, and the internal process takes more than 100 days on average. The bill aligns VA reporting obligations with existing medical professional ethics standards. H.R. 4352 directs the VA to start a pilot program in at least three Veterans Integrated Service Networks that will allow veterans to schedule and confirm appointments at VA medical facilities online. The House also passed the Improving Broadband Access for Veterans Act of 2016 (H.R. 6394) with an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 411-4. The bill directs the Federal Communications Commission to assess veterans’ current access to broadband internet service and determine steps that can be taken to increase access. A study by the Pew Research Center shows that less than half of Americans living below the federal poverty level have broadband internet access. There are more than 1.4 million veterans living below the federal poverty level, and 5.3 million veterans live in rural communities. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |