U.S. Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) and U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) recently unveiled bipartisan, bicameral legislation that would expand the charitable deduction rules for Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs).
“Veterans Service Organizations offer vital support and a sense of community to Americans who wore our nation’s uniform and sacrificed so much for our country,” Rep. Wenstrup said on March 7. “This bipartisan, bicameral legislation makes needed reforms to the tax code that will help VSOs grow and maintain their memberships without having to risk losing their ability to receive tax-deductible charitable donations.”
The VSO Equal Tax Treatment (VETT) Act, H.R. 1432/S. 677, would update a provision in the federal tax code that currently prevents VSOs from accepting tax-deductible donations unless they maintain a membership of at least 90 percent wartime veterans, a rule that excludes United States military veterans who joined and served after the Vietnam War and prior to the Persian Gulf War in 1991, according to a bill summary provided by the lawmakers.
Rep. Wenstrup sponsored H.R. 1432 with lead original cosponsor U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), while Sen. Cassidy sponsored S. 677 alongside original cosponsor U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL).
“Veterans — regardless of whether they served in wartime or peacetime — should be treated equally,” Sen. Cassidy said. “Our bill fairly treats millions of military men and women who served our great nation.”
The VETT Act is endorsed by AMVETS, the American Legion, the Fleet Reserve Association, Jewish War Veterans, the Military Order of the World Wars, and the U.S. Coast Guard Chief Petty Officers Association, among several other organizations.