U.S. Rep. French Hill (R-AR) on Sept. 17 introduced bipartisan legislation to improve the processing of veterans benefits by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
“Too many veterans in my home state of Arkansas have suffered financially because of payment mistakes made by the VA,” Rep. Hill said. “It is unacceptable that the lives of our veterans can be turned upside down at no fault of their own.”
Rep. Hill cosponsored the VA Overpayment Accountability Act, H.R. 4360, with bill sponsor U.S. Rep. Andy Kim (D-NJ), which also would improve the due process accorded U.S. military veterans with respect to recovery of overpayments made by the VA and other amounts owed by veterans, according to the text of the bill.
“The VA Overpayment Accountability Act takes the burden off our veterans when the VA makes a payment error and protects their hard-earned monthly benefit checks and credit scores,” said Rep. Hill. “Veterans should never have to pay such a heavy price for the VA’s mistakes.”
If enacted, H.R. 4360 would address an increase in overpayments made to veterans caused by communications errors between the VA’s outdated IT systems, according to the congressman’s office, which said that many times, the VA tries to recover such overpayments by withholding monthly benefit checks, directly impacting the millions of veterans across the nation who struggle with poverty.
The bill would ensure that veterans could repair any damage to their credit scores and would require the VA to improve its IT systems.
The measure has been referred to the U.S. House Veterans’ Affairs Committee for consideration.