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News from Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin
For Immediate Release
Contact: Chip Weiskotten, 202-226-8553
Russ Levsen, 202-226-4449

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES PASSES TWO HERSETH SANDLIN VETERANS BILLS

Legislation to Assist Low-Income Veterans and Disabled Service Members in Civilian Life

August 2, 2007, Washington, D.C. – This week, the full U.S. House of Representatives passed two bills introduced by Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin to assist low-income veterans and disabled service members.

Rep. Herseth Sandlin, who is chairwoman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, said, “I am proud to help move these important provisions toward passage. Our nation’s veterans have already given so much; it’s only right that we reflect that contribution and sacrifice with fair and full benefits and services once they return home.”

The Veterans’ Supportive Services Assistance Act (H.R. 2378) was passed as part of an omnibus veterans' health care bill. This legislation provides financial assistance to nonprofit organizations and consumer cooperatives to help very low-income veterans who occupy permanent housing. Supportive services that may be offered as part of the bill include physical and mental health, case management, daily living, personal financial planning, transportation, vocational counseling, employment and training, education, assistance in obtaining veterans’ benefits and public benefits, child care, and housing counseling.

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that 1.5 million of our nation's veterans live in poverty, including 702,000 veterans with disabilities and 404,000 veterans in households with children. 634,000 of the 1.5 million poor veterans live in extreme poverty. These poor veterans face residential insecurity due to their low-income levels or their past episodes of homelessness. They also face health and vocational challenges and access barriers to supportive services, which limit their ability to sustain housing and maintain independence from more costly public institutional care and support.

In addition, the House passed H.R. 1315, a bill introduced by Rep. Herseth Sandlin to improve Specially Adaptive Housing assistance to disabled service members.

Under current law, disabled service members who are still on active duty and have not reached veteran status, and who are residing temporarily in housing owned by a family member, are ineligible for grants to adapt that housing to meet their disability needs. Rep. Herseth Sandlin’s bill closes this loophole, and would allow assistance up to $14,000 to adapt the family member’s home to meet the service member's special needs.

H.R. 1315 would also:

• Direct the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs to establish a scholarship program for students seeking a degree or certificate in blind rehabilitation;
  
• Require the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Defense to coordinate their sharing of and reporting on the complaint data filed by the National Guard and Reservists facing difficulty in obtaining employment; and
  
• Add a representative from the National Governor's Association to the existing 15 member Advisory Committee on Veterans Employment, Training and Employer Outreach operated under the auspices of the Department of Labor.

# # #

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 appointed to serve on the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.