Introduction:
Currently, Veterans attempting to appeal their VA rating decision they must contact the Department of Veterans Affairs and request an appeal form. This burdensome step is unnecessary and only adds additional time to the already lengthy process.
Background:
U.S. Representative Dina Titus (D-NV) and Jon Runyan (R-NJ) introduced H.R. 1405 a bill which would help streamline a Veteran’s appeal to their VA rating. This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to include a standardized appeals form with every rating decision issued by the department. This simple measure will eliminate the unnecessary step of requiring Veteran’s to request the form following their rating, which often times takes as long as 60 days to receive. Furthermore, it would reduce the need for the VA to mail an additional 100,000 unnecessary letters each year to Veteran’s, cutting down on cost and man-hours.
Also, included in H.R. 1405 is language which would authorize National Guard and Reserve members entitled to Reserve retirement pay the honor of claiming “Veteran” status. This provision is identical to H.R. 679, The Honor America’s Guard-Reserve Retirees Act, introduced earlier this year by Congressman Tim Walz (D-MN).
Take Action:
Please CLICK HERE to contact your U.S. Congressman to encourage them to co-sponsor and pass this legislation.
By using the “Write to Congress” feature on the EANGUS Web site at www.eangus.org, you can IMMEDIATELY write or e-mail your elected officials. A sample letter is included in our “Write to Congress” feature. You can e-mail the pre-written message or edit the sample letter as you desire. This is the quickest and most effective method of expressing your views to Congress. Also, you are encouraged to forward this message to your friends and family and urge them to “Write to Congress” on this issue. For more in-depth information and background visit our web site at www.eangus.org.
