Concurrent Receipt: refers to the dual receipt of military retired
pay and VA disability. Presently, a military retiree must offset, dollar
for dollar, from their retired pay the amount they are receiving in VA
Disability Compensation.
What legislation is pending to correct this problem?
HR 44, by Rep. Bilirakis (R-FL) provides limited authority for
concurrent payment of retired pay and veterans' disability compensation
for certain disabled veterans. This bill is similar to HR 303 and HR 65
with a smaller benefit for certain disabled retirees. For disability rated as total -
$300 per month; 90 percent disability -- $200 per month; 70 or 80
percent disabled -- $100 per month. This bill is a partial measure to
correct the concurrent receipt inequity. Passed in FY 2000 National
Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
HR 303, by Rep. Bilirakis (R-FL) to permit retired members who have
service-connected disabilities to receive compensation from the
Department of Veterans Affairs concurrently with retired pay, without
deduction from either. S 2357, by Sen. Reid (D-NV) to permit retired
members of the Armed Forces who have a service-connected disability to
receive military pay concurrently with veterans' disability
compensation.
(above info from
http://www.incongress.com/home.cfm - more info out on the web about the bills)
More concurrent receipt info/bills
http://www.afsahq.org/body_concurrent.htm
November 02,2001
Homeless Veterans. Heather French Henry, Miss America 2000, during her
reign and ever since has championed laws to eliminate homelessness among
veterans of the nation's wars. She pestered everyone on Capitol Hill.
Everything fell into place this year. Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey
became chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee and he sponsored
HR 2716, Homeless Veterans Assistance Act of 2001.
The act proposes to eliminate homelessness among veterans over the next
10 years. Smith says, "There are an estimated 225,000 veterans who are
homeless each and every night."
The program provides housing, 10 new domiciliary care establishments,
gives a push to Department of Labor's training and counseling for
veterans, expands contracts with community agencies that serve veterans
incompetent to manage their own financial affairs and bangs heads of
Secretaries of Housing and Urban Development and Department of Veterans
Affairs to get closer consultation.
The Secretaries of Labor and Veterans Affairs are directed to set up a
six-site demonstration program of referrals and counseling for
about-to-be freed incarcerated veterans.
The full House approved this bill on Oct. 15. As approved and sent to
the U. S. Senate, the proposed law will eliminate chronic homelessness
among veterans within 10 years. When armed forces veterans see a
homeless veteran, they can truly say: "There but for the grace of God go
I." Sens. Bob Graham and Bill Nelson deserve your comments on HR 2716,
Stuart Collick-Heather French Henry Homeless Veterans Assistance Act.
Hope some of this Helps. I am a Lic Psychologist and work primarily with
vets with housing and addictions problems at a non-for-profit shelter so
try to keep up on new legislature etc that can help.
