Sen. Angus King (I) introduced a bill with Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) to provide support to veterans participating in the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) when they are applying for benefits.
Maine’s Sen. Susan Collins (R) has also signed onto the bill as a cosponsor alongside a number of other Democratic and Republican lawmakers.
According to the United States Department of Labor (DOL), TAP is a program designed to “address the employment, training, and job security needs of over 200,000 military servicemembers who transition to civilian life each year.”
Titled the TAP Promotion Act, this bipartisan bill would authorize accredited representatives to participate in TAP classes so that they can help servicemembers file Benefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD) claims as they return to civilian life.
BDD allows members of the military to file expedited claims and complete medical evaluations before leaving service, reducing coverage gaps once they return to civilian life.
TAP instructors are not allowed to assist veterans with benefits paperwork, so bringing accredited representatives into the classroom would give veterans more direct access to their services.
“Every year approximately 200,000 servicemembers transition out of military service into civilian life, whether the servicemember is finishing their first deployment, or retiring,” Sen. King said in a statement Friday.
“The TAP Promotion Act would allow these servicemembers to connect with an informed, VA-accredited representative who can mentor them in the process of applying for and receiving the benefits they earned,” said King.
“Thanks to my colleagues for understanding the importance of serving our veterans—just as they have served us throughout their careers,” he added.
Sen. Cramer also shared comments Friday addressing the proposed legislation.
“[TAP] is one of the most important tools we have to help servicemembers prepare for life after the military,” said Cramer. “But, of course, information alone isn’t enough. It takes people.”
“State and county Veterans Service Officers are often the first ones to help veterans access benefits that veterans themselves have earned,” Cramer continued. “I think it’s important to always remember that—they’ve earned these benefits.”
“What our bill does is it makes sure they are part of the process from the start and not brought in after a veteran is already out the door.”
Click Here to Read Sen. King’s Full Statement
Rep. Jared Golden (D) of the 2nd Congressional District has also recently introduced bipartisan veteran-focused legislation, proposing a bill to assess the effectiveness of the mental health services available to veterans and transitioning servicemembers.
Titled the Improving Mental Health Support for Servicemembers and Veterans Act, this bill would launch a formal review of the mental health programs offered by the federal government to former military members and those reentering civilian life.
“When I came home from the Marines,” said Rep. Golden in a statement Friday, “I saw how important it is to have a strong support system in your corner.”
“The VA is full of skilled public servants who do that work, but there’s only so much an individual employee can do about the fundamental gaps in service created by an imperfect system,” Golden said.
[RELATED: Jared Golden Leads Bipartisan Push to Assess Effectiveness of Veterans’ Mental Health Services]
As part of this review, the Department of Defense-Veterans Affairs Joint Executive Committee (JEC) would conduct a full inventory of the government’s mental health programs, including “metrics, milestones, and plans of actions to identify inefficiencies and gaps in programming.”
This work would need to be completed and reported to the House and Senate Veterans Affairs Committees within 180 days, or six months, of enactment.
Additionally, the JEC’s existing Joint Separation Health Assessment (SHA) would need to be updated every two years.
According to Golden, the SHA “currently uses an outdated process to infrequently catalog veterans’ generalized health needs.” He suggested that this “forces policymakers to contend with data that isn’t specific nor timely enough.”
