Washington, D.C. – This week, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik voted to pass five bills that will support North Country veterans and their families. The pieces of legislation that passed the House with bipartisan support included:
- The Gold Star Spouses and Spouses of Injured Servicemembers Leasing Relief Expansion Act, to support spouses or dependents of a servicemember who suffers catastrophic injury or illness during their time of service by allowing them to terminate property and automobile leases that were previously entered into by the servicemember.
- The GIVE Act, which improves outreach and transparency to veterans and members of the Armed Forces by requiring the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make additional information available about postsecondary institutions that includes religious affiliation and if the university is a minority serving institution.
- The Legal Services for Homeless Veterans Act, which requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide grants to public or private entities to provide legal assistance for housing, family law, and criminal defense to homeless veterans. It would also require the VA to conduct a study on the services it provides to female veterans who are homeless.
- The VA Reporting Transparency Act, which requires the VA to establish a searchable website that would allow the public to obtain electronic copies of all reports requested by Congress and prepared by the department.
- The Protecting Business Opportunities for Veterans Act, which requires participants in the Vets First Program to certify that they are performing the required percentage of work so they are able to obtain proper training and business skills.
“The North Country is home to more veterans than any other district in New York, and I remain committed to passing legislation that supports those who have made significant sacrifices for our country,” said Congresswoman Stefanik. “These five bills will help increase transparency within the Department of Veterans Affairs, support military spouses and homeless veterans, and help veterans obtain skills so they can be competitive members of the workforce. I will continue to be an outspoken supporter of legislation that supports our veterans and their families, and I applaud my House colleagues for coming together to pass these important bills.”
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