U.S. Reps. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ) and Mike Bost (R-IL) applauded U.S. House passage of a measure they introduced to ensure that spouses and families of United States military veterans receive the full benefits they deserve after their loved one has passed away.
“In the case one of our service members or veterans passes away, their surviving family members deserve to have their needs prioritized, especially when it comes to accessing the benefits and support they need,” Rep. Ciscomani said. “My bill makes great strides to deliver on our promise to take care of our veterans and their families, and I am glad to see it pass out of the House once again with unanimous support.”
The Prioritizing Veterans’ Survivors Act, H.R. 1228, which the congressman sponsored on Feb. 12 alongside lead original cosponsor Rep. Bost, passed the U.S. House of Representatives on April 9 with unanimous support by a vote of 424-0.
H.R. 1228 provides that the Office of Survivors Assistance (OSA) must operate within the Office of the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Currently, OSA operates within the Pension and Fiduciary Service of the Veterans Benefits Administration, where OSA has operated under layers of red tape and no longer has direct access to the VA secretary to fix policy issues or address problems that arise within the program, according to the lawmakers.
“This is a common-sense bill to ensure that the surviving families of our service men and women always have a seat at the VA table by reversing actions taken by the Biden administration that wrongfully moved the VA Office of Survivor Assistance out of the Office of the Secretary,” said U.S. House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Bost.
In 2024, over 600,000 veterans’ survivors received benefits from the VA, added Rep. Bost, and the bill aims to ensure that the VA Secretary receives the advice needed to improve the department’s delivery of benefits for all survivors, including those who are not currently in receipt of such care, services, and benefits.
The U.S. Senate on April 10 received H.R. 1228 and referred it to the U.S. Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee for consideration.