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billion for partnership grants for intercity rail service, Veterans Affairs Clothing Allowance Improvement
including high-speed rail; $5 billion for rail Act of 2021, which would allow eligible veterans to
improvement and safety grants; and $3 billion for be automatically enrolled in the clothing allowance
grade crossing safety improvements. The legislation program, eliminating the burden of having to
also expands Amtrak’s Board to add a position for a reapply each year. This would have a big impact on
disability advocate. many PVA members.
According to an inspector general report from We also supported S. 1607, the Student Veterans
September 2021, Amtrak has made progress on Transparency and Protection Act of 2021, which
overdue Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) would improve data-sharing between VA and the
compliance requirements. Amtrak reported that the Department of Education, so VA would have more
ADA requires that 516 stations across its rail data for the GI Bill Comparison Tool. It would also
network be compliant. It is responsible for making reinstate education benefits to students who
various combinations of station components experienced predatory behavior from certain
accessible at individual stations, including the schools.
station structure, train platform, and parking area.
Based on federal regulation and lease agreements Another bill we supported was S. 1664, the
with third parties, Amtrak has determined it has sole Department of Veterans Affairs Post-Traumatic
and shared responsibility for 386 of these stations. Stress Disorder Processing Claims Improvement
Over the next six years, Amtrak will embark on a Act of 2021, which would improve training for claims
plan to bring more than 300 stations into ADA processors who review PTSD disability benefit
compliance. claims and establish a formal process that identifies
future training needs to avoid inaccurately
INDEPENDENT BUDGET AND OTHER VSOS RAISE processed and unjustly denied claims.
NEED FOR CONGRESS TO FINALIZE VA BUDGET
FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022 PVA SUBMITS STATEMENT IN HOUSE MST
HEARING
On November 10, the Independent Budget veterans
service organizations (VSO), PVA, DAV, and VFW, On November 17, PVA submitted a statement for
along with five other VSOs sent a letter to Senate the record for a joint House Veterans’ Affairs,
leadership to express serious concerns about Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs and
reports that the Senate was considering approving Health Subcommittees hearing titled, “Supporting
a full-year continuing resolution (CR) to fund the Survivors: Assessing VA’s Military Sexual Trauma
federal government for the remainder of fiscal year (MST) Programs.” PVA’s statement focused on a
(FY) 2022. A full-year CR would have significant set of VA Office of Inspector General reports that
negative consequences for veterans, their families, relayed the department’s shortcomings in MST
caregivers, and survivors. FY 2022 began on claims process. Our statement stressed the
October 1. Congress passed a continuing resolution importance of raters and clinicians being aware of
to fund the government through December 3. the complicated conditions of veterans with spinal
cord injuries and disorders and other disabilities
PVA WEIGHS IN ON PENDING VETERANS who might file MST claims.
LEGISLATION
Representative Raul Ruiz (D-CA) referred to our
On November 17, the Senate Veterans’ Affairs statement when questioning witnesses, asking if VA
Committee held a hearing on pending legislation. offered specialized training for staff when it comes
PVA submitted a statement for the record to provide to complexities often seen in veterans with serious
our views on some of the 22 bills included in the disabilities. VA stressed the importance of training,
hearing. We strongly supported several bills, but PVA believes more work needs to be done in
including S. 2513, the Brian Neuman Department of this area to ensure that veterans with complex
