Jeff Miller and Richard Blumenthal Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2016

Floor Speech

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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chairman and the ranking member for their work on behalf of our Nation's veterans, and for bringing the omnibus veterans bill to the floor today.

In the United States, there are about 5 million veteran-owned businesses and an estimated 500,000 service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses. Under current law, if a veteran who was rated 100 percent disabled and owned a service-disabled veteran-owned small business passes away, the surviving spouse has 10 years to transition the business away from service-disabled veteran-owned small business status.

However, if the veteran business owner is rated less than 100 percent disabled, or dies of a non-service-connected injury, the surviving spouse has only 1 year to transition the business for contracts with the VA.

Current law unfairly punishes these businesses and places them at an economic disadvantage. That is why I introduced H.R. 1313. My bill allows service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, whose principal owner passes away and was rated at less than 100 percent disabled at the time of death, with the reasonable 3-year transition period from service-disabled veteran-owned status with the VA.

It is only right that we provide our heroes and their families, and the employees, with the flexibility and certainty to ensure that their businesses continue to thrive.

H.R. 1313 is supported by the Paralyzed Veterans of America, AMVETS, VFW, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, and the American Legion.

I want to thank the chairman and ranking member for including my legislation in the omnibus veterans bill, H.R. 6416, and I hope my colleagues will join me to pass this commonsense bill and support the veteran-owned businesses across the country.

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