Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act of 2008

VETERANS' BENEFITS IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2008 -- (House of Representatives - September 24, 2008)

Mr. BOOZMAN. Madam Speaker, as ranking member of the Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, I am delighted with the product of our negotiations with the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee. This is an excellent bill, and I think we can declare a victory for America's veterans.

I want to especially thank Chairman Filner and Ranking Member Buyer. This truly is an excellent product, and I appreciate your leadership in bringing it all together.

I would also like to acknowledge the excellent bipartisan manner in which Chairwoman Herseth Sandlin has led the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity. She has done a tremendous job, and I congratulate her for a successful 110th Congress, and look forward to reversing roles with her again next year.

S. 3023 has a wide range of improvements for employment, education, vocational rehabilitation, housing programs, and servicemembers' rights. This bill improves protections for our servicemembers under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, and we require training for Federal human resource officials to increase the number of veterans in our Federal workforce.

We will finally study the employment needs of Native Americans and increase the court's discretion when ruling on veteran's employment cases. Along with our disabled veterans, we owe so much to the spouses and children of those who lose their life while on active duty or become 100 percent disabled in service. Therefore, we extend the time to use their chapter 35 education benefits to 20 years.

Those who need vocational rehabilitation will find it easier to qualify for independent living. We will also require the VA to conduct a 20-year study on 3-year groups of veterans who use voc. rehab benefits to determine the effectiveness of those benefits.

The recent stimulus bill increased conforming loan limits for VA guaranteed loans, and we will extend those temporary limits through 2011. Under the temporary increased limits, VA may be able to guarantee up to nearly $730,000, depending on the location of the home.

We are also renewing the VA's authority to guarantee adjustable and hybrid adjustable rate loans. These types of loans are ideal for some veterans, and I am pleased we were able to renew VA's authority.

Disabled veterans will see increased opportunities in sports through an imaginative integrated adaptive sports program operated by VA, U.S. Paralympics, Inc., and partners such as Disabled Sports U.S.A., National Parks and Recreation Association, Blaze Sports, the DAV and Paralyzed Veterans of America. The program will support disabled athletes from the grassroots level through elite competition such as the recently completed Paralympic Games in Beijing.

Finally, there was some confusion at the VA regarding their authority to use funds for mass TV and radio advertising to promote veterans' benefits. S. 3023 makes it clear that VA will now have the authority to conduct advertising campaigns using modern media methods to reach more veterans.

Again, Madam Speaker, this is a great bill. I want to again thank our chairman, Mr. Filner, and our ranking member, Mr. Buyer, and also Chairwoman Herseth Sandlin for their great work in bringing this forward.

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