LEGISLATIVE UPDATE: Over 50 Pieces of Veterans Legislation sent to President To Be Signed Into Law

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Last night, the House of Representatives unanimously passed the Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012 (H.R. 1627). The bill, now headed to the President for signature into law, will bring immediate VA healthcare to Camp Lejeune veterans and their families who have been diagnosed with a disease related to the water contamination that occurred at the base between 1957 and 1987. In addition, H.R. 1627 increases VA accountability to veterans by streamlining the disability claims process, ensuring transparency in VA funding, protecting veterans from sexual assault, and transforming how VA does business in the 21st century.

“This legislation is a culmination of more than a year’s worth of work on behalf of America’s veterans, and an example of what lawmakers can accomplish working together in a bipartisan manner,” stated Rep. Jeff Miller, Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. “The Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012 will make an immediate impact in the lives of veterans, their families, and survivors by providing the care and support they have earned through their service to our nation.”

“I am pleased that the House of Representatives came together in a bipartisan manner to support H.R. 1627, which included legislation I authored to help streamline the claims process for our veterans,” stated Rep. Jon Runyan, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs. “Our veterans have sacrificed so much and it is an outrage that many have to wait months for benefits claims to be processed. The backlog at VA must be addressed and fixed, and I believe the passage of this bill is an important first step. I look forward to continuing my work to ensure the backlog is eliminated.”

“Every year, VA spends millions of dollars on conferences and, while there is a need for such meetings, Congress must be able to provide proper oversight of this spending. I’m proud that this legislation will require VA to report on conferences costing $20,000 or more,” stated Rep. Marlin Stutzman, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity. “Transparency and accountability are essential as VA conducts its mission to serve our veterans.”  

“Caring for our nation’s veterans and their families is one of our most crucial duties as legislators. I am especially pleased that the Veterans Sexual Assault Prevention and Health Care Enhancement Act is part of this legislation and will be sent to the President for consideration,” stated Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle, Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Health. “Negligence related to sexual assault within the VA cannot be tolerated. This legislation will correct a fundamental weakness in VA’s system by setting in place the procedures and accountability measures necessary to ensure the protection of veterans and staff.”

“America’s veterans deserve the very best of the benefits and care they have earned, and VA consistently falls short when it comes to addressing the needs of our heroes. More than half of disability claims have been pending for more than 125 days and the backlog has surged to more than 900,000 claims,” stated Rep. Bill Johnson, Chairman of Subcommittee on Oversight & Investigations. “This is completely unacceptable. The Modernizing Notice to Claimants Act, included in H.R. 1627, which I introduced, will modernize how VA communicates with claimants while holding VA’s feet to the fire in making sure America’s veterans are being properly served by VA.”

To learn more about the Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012, click: http://veterans.house.gov/hr1627

ASSISTANCE DOGS 101: THE BASICS

Assistance Dog: This is the main or “umbrella” term that the different types of dogs  described below fall under. It is also important to remember not all types of assistance dogs (listed below) have access to public places or are protected under ADA laws. Assistance Dog is a generic term for a dog specifically trained to do more than one task to mitigate the effects of an individual's disability. The presence of a dog for protection, personal defense, or comfort does not qualify that dog as an assistance dog.  Assistance Dogs can be Service Dogs, Guide Dogs, Hearing dogs, or Seizure Response Dogs, etc.  However not all working dogs are consider Assistance Dogs, as explained below.

Service Dog:  A dog that works for individuals with disabilities other than blindness or deafness. They are trained to perform a wide variety of tasks including but not limited to; pulling a wheelchair, bracing, retrieving, alerting to a medical crisis, and providing assistance in a medical crisis. Service dogs can also facilitate hand/eye coordination and balance. Service Dogs (in most cases) have public access.

Ø  It is also very important to understand that no 2 service dogs are the same. While the “basic training” of service dogs remains standard, each and every Service Dog is specially trained to meet the exact needs of the client it will be partnered with. The training is very specialized can take up to 2 years depending on what tasks the dog will need to provide the veteran or client. This type of training is also a good way to distinguish good Service Dog agencies from the rest.

Ø  It is also very important that any agency providing a Service Dog to a veteran/client have Assistance Dog International Accreditation (ADI) accreditation, not just “membership.” This will also help you acquire your VA provided benefits for the upkeep of the dog and/or follow current DOD policy for having assistance Dogs on Military Installations. ADI is the ONLY internationally recognized organization that provides proper guidelines and standards for Assistance Dogs. In addition, this is the same organization that helped to write the ADA Laws and works hand in hand with the International Association of Guide Dogs (the equivalent for Guide Dog training). 

Hearing Dog:  Hearing Dogs learn to alert individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing to basic sounds such as a smoke alarm, a ringing telephone, a crying baby or a doorbell. The dog is trained to alert the individual of a sound and then lead them to the sound.  For example, if the sound being alerted to is a smoke alarm, the dog then accompanies/escorts the owner out of the building automatically.

Guide Dog: A dog that has been specially trained to guide a blind or visually impaired person. Guide Dog tasks involve curb work, being sensitive to changes in elevation, guiding around clearance issues (pedestrians, overheads, etc.) and guiding a person safely around and through street traffic.

Seizure Response Dog: A dog  trained to (among other things) push life-alert buttons, help and/or comfort a person during a seizure and get help or retrieve the phone for the client. Although most reputable assistance dog agencies do not profess to train dogs to detect seizures, many Seizure Dogs have, after several years with a client, developed the ability to alert their owner of an oncoming seizure.

Skilled Companion Dogs: A dog trained to work with an individual with a disability under the guidance of a facilitator. A facilitator is typically a parent, spouse, or caregiver who handles and cares for the assistance dog and is responsible for the customized training needs of the dog. Though similar to a Service dog, Skilled Companion Dogs usually perform fewer tasks.  Many of these dogs were once in training programs to become Service or Guide dogs. Skilled Companion dogs work only in the home of the recipient and do not have public access.

Therapy or Social Dog: This type of dog does not fall under the “umbrella” of being an Assistance Dog. Social or Therapy dogs’ work is usually focused on providing a change to a person's emotional or psychological state. These dogs provide the wonderful service of bringing joy to people through activities such as visiting hospitals and retirement homes; however, they are not Assistance Dogs and require no specialized training.

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Public Access: The right of a person with a disability to be accompanied by his/her Assistance Dog in all public accommodations. Public access is granted to the person with the disability, not to the assistance dog. This is outlined in American with Disabilities Act law.

Assistance Dogs International - www.assistancedogsinternational.org

ADA Defines Public Access as: "The Americans with Disabilities Act guarantees a blind, deaf, or physically disabled person the legal right to be accompanied by a service animal in all areas open to the general public. Service animal (see note) means any guide dog, signal dog, or other animal individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including but not limited to guiding individuals with impaired vision, alerting individuals with impaired hearing to intruders or sounds, providing minimal protection or rescue work, pulling a wheelchair, or fetching dropped items.^"

ADA Laws- www.doj.gov

Note: We are not promoting any one organization, we are simply providing the most accurate information & assist you.

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Please remember this in no way represents every type of working dog & only includes the most basic of explanations and definitions. My sincere hope is to educate the general population & federal agencies on all aspects of assistance animals. However, I think it is important that we start with the basics in an effort to move this forward correctly. I believe many problems stem from a general lack of understanding, causing terms to be used incorrectly or interchangeably, as well as contributing to the spread of misinformation on this valuable resource & benefit to our veteran and military populations.

WE CANNOT EXPECT TO BRING ABOUT CHANGE FOR THE BETTER WITHOUT TAKING THE INITIATIVE & ACTION TO EDUCATE!

~Christina M Roof

In Case You Missed It! The House and Senate Reach Agreement on Comprehensive Veterans Legislation

Agreement Reached on Comprehensive Legislation for Veterans

For more information, contact: Amy K. Mitchell, (202) 225-3527

JUN 21, 2012 Issues: Veterans

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, Rep. Jeff Miller, Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, issued the following statement on an amendment to H.R. 1627, which reflects an agreement reached in conference by the Republican and Democratic leadership of the Veterans’ Affairs Committees in the House and Senate:

“This comprehensive legislation represents more than a year’s worth of work by the House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees on behalf of America’s veterans. The Committees have worked in unison for months to come to agreement on a package that will improve benefits and services to veterans and their families.

“This bill includes nearly 50 provisions, which combines House-passed legislation and Senate Committee-reported bills. Today, we move forward to improve healthcare, housing, education, homelessness, memorial affairs, and compensation for veterans and certain dependents. This legislation also protects veterans from predatory behaviors and requires increased accountability and transparency within VA.

“We have achieved this legislative accomplishment in a fiscally responsible manner and the bill will not cost the taxpayer an extra dime. We have received a great deal of input from Veterans Service Organizations and advocates from across the country to address the most pressing concerns our veterans face today. Their participation has been key to moving this legislation forward.

“I would like to thank my colleagues, Chairman Murray and Ranking Member Burr in the Senate, and Ranking Member Filner in the House, for their continued support and dedication to ensure the benefits earned by veterans are preserved and remain one of our nation’s top priorities.”

Source: http://veterans.house.gov/Agreement%20Reached%20on%20Comprehensive%20Legislation%20for%20Veterans