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For Immediate Release Contact: Betsy Hart
September 29, 2008 (202) 226-8555

VETS BILLS WITH HERSETH SANDLIN PROVISIONS SENT TO PRESIDENT

Comprehensive Legislation Includes Herseth Sandlin Bills to Improve Veteran Housing, Employment Rights

September 29th, 2008- Over the weekend, two comprehensive bills aimed at improving veterans’ health care and benefits received final Congressional approval and will now be sent to the President for his signature. Included in these two pieces of legislation are Herseth Sandlin-authored provisions to improve housing for homeless veterans and ensure servicemember employment rights following deployments.

“The comprehensive veterans’ legislation that was approved over the weekend will provide greater services, protections and safeguards to those that have answered the call to duty,” Rep. Herseth Sandlin said. “I’m pleased that we were able to get these bills to the President’s desk before the end of the year and intend to keep working to ensure that we meet our obligations to the men and women who have served our country in uniform.”

The first bill, the “Veterans’ Mental Health and Other Care Improvements Act of 2008,” includes Rep. Herseth Sandlin’s legislation, the "Services to Prevent Homelessness Act," which authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide financial assistance to nonprofit organizations and consumer cooperatives that provide support services for very low-income veterans occupying permanent housing. This critical program will help veterans transitioning from homelessness to permanent housing, poor disabled and older veterans requesting supportive services in home-based settings, and poor veterans in rural areas with distance barriers to centrally-located services.

The other bill, the “Veterans’ Benefits Improvements Act of 2008” includes a provision of Herseth Sandlin’s "Improving SCRA and USERRA Protections Act" which previously passed the House as a stand-alone bill. Rep. Herseth Sandlin originally introduced this bill to reform the USERRA (Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act) complaint processto help protect veterans from losing their jobs due to military service. The legislation is in response to a court case surrounding the plight of Dr. Carlos Bedrossian, who, in addition to his military service in the Air Force Reserves, was employed as a physician and professor at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. The Hospital sought to fire Dr. Bedrossian because of the inconvenience caused by his military service.

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Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth Sandlin serves South Dakota in the U.S. House of Representatives. She is a member of the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of moderate Democrats committed to fiscal discipline and strong national security, and is co-chair of the Rural Working Group, which is dedicated to raising the profile of issues important to rural America. She also serves on three committees vital to South Dakota’s interests: Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs and Natural Resources. In the 110th Congress, Rep. Herseth Sandlin was one of only 15 members appointed to serve on the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.