BIDEN Lauds Passage of Veterans Benefits Bill
April 25, 2008
Washington, DC – Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (D-DE) applauded the Senate passage yesterday of the Veterans Benefits Enhancement Act of 2007 by a vote of 96-1. This important legislation enhances life insurance programs for disabled veterans; improves adaptable housing and automobile benefits for disabled veterans; enhances funeral and burial benefits; and extends educational allowances for apprenticeships and on-the-job training.
“We have a sacred obligation to support every veteran who has faithfully served in our Armed Forces – whether they have served in previous conflicts or recently returned home from Iraq or Afghanistan,” said Senator Biden. “This legislation is a step in the right direction, providing much-needed improvements to essential benefits like traumatic-injury insurance, additional resources to disabled veterans with life-altering injuries so they can specially adapt their homes and automobiles, and extending life insurance coverage for veterans’ families and their survivors.”
The Veterans Benefits Enhancement Act of 2007 specifically includes provisions to:
Increase the amount of supplemental life insurance available to totally disabled veterans under the Service-Disabled Veterans Insurance;
Increase the maximum amount of Veterans’ Mortgage Life Insurance that a service-connected disabled veteran may purchase and extend coverage under the Family Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance to members of the Individual Ready Reserve;
Expand the number of individuals who qualify for retroactive benefits from traumatic injury protection coverage under the Traumatic Service members’ Group Life Insurance program;
Expand eligibility for home improvement and structural alteration assistance to permanently disabled members of the Armed Forces before discharge or release;
Extend eligibility for specially adapted housing assistance to service-disabled veterans and qualified service members with severe burn injuries;
Increase the supplemental benefit for disabled veterans to purchase specially adapted automobiles; and
Provide a two-year extension for monthly educational assistance for veterans pursuing apprenticeships or on-the-job training.
