Congressman Jamaal Bowman’s amendment to support veterans in their transition to civilian life passed the U.S. House of Representatives as part of the Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act, it was announced on Wednesday, Jan. 12. The amendment, co-led by Representatives Deborah Ross (NC-02), Jenniffer González-Colón (PR-AL), and Gwen Moore (WI-04), requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide newly transitioned veterans with information regarding the medical services they can access, including the mental health care and military sexual trauma (MST) support to which they are personally entitled.

 

On top of the added burdens that come with the transition to civilian life, including disproportionate rates of mental health crises, studies show that many new veterans are not aware of the full range of benefits they can access. The Bowman amendment equips the 250,000 veterans that transition each year with information about the important and potentially lifesaving resources available to them.

 

Reacting to the news, Bowman said, “The mental health of our veterans cannot and must not be ignored.” He added, “It is our responsibility to ensure that veterans transitioning to civilian life are provided with the resources and information they need to access healthcare and mental health services. Regardless of party affiliation, we should all be able to agree that our veterans make unimaginable sacrifices and often struggle with adjusting back to civilian life because of a lack of government support. This bipartisan amendment helps them heal by connecting them to federal suicide prevention resources and prioritizes the de-stigmatization of getting mental health care. This is just one step in our work to respect and honor those who have served.”

 

For her part, Ross said, “We owe it to all of our veterans, including those in the reserves and National Guard, to provide access to gold-standard medical benefits. We also owe it to these exceptional individuals to make access to their much-deserved benefits simple and easy.” She added, “That is why I am pleased that the House passed the Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act and has accepted my amendment, which takes proactive steps to ensure newly transitioned veterans know about their VA medical benefits. These resources, including mental health support, exist for the sole purpose of helping former members of the Armed Services. It is critical that we do everything we can to increase awareness and enable veterans to take advantage of these life changing benefits.”

 

Meanwhile, Gonzalez-Colon said service members face numerous obstacles when transitioning out of service and the amendment makes accessing earned benefits like community-based healthcare and mental health services easier. “I am proud to work across the aisle to improve the lives of veterans in Puerto Rico and across the entire United States,” she said.

 

Bowman’s office said that The Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act expands eligibility for Post-9/11 GI Bill educational benefits to include members of the reserves and National Guard. Currently, these Americans do not receive the essential educational benefits that their counterparts in active duty can access.

 

As reported, Councilman Eric Dinowitz previously confirmed that at a City-level, Resolution 1838-2021, raised at the committee on veterans, reaffirms New York City’s status as a Purple Heart City and calls on the State legislature to pass, and the governor to sign, assembly / senate bills, A.7961/S.2279, to designate the State of New York a Purple Heart State.

 

Meanwhile, Intro 2354-2021, also City-level legislation, also raised at the committee on veterans, and which has been enacted, but has been returned to City Council unsigned by former Mayor Bill de Blasio, is a local law to amend the New York city charter’s definition of the term “veteran” and the membership of the veterans’ advisory board.

 

We have reached out to the councilman to ask for an update in this regard, and his office advised, “It regularly occurs for bills to expire (if not signed by [the] mayor within 30 days of being approved by the council) instead of being signed by the mayor within that time period. Either way, it becomes law.”

 

The bill will ensure that veterans who may have received an other-than-honorable service discharge, perhaps due to difficulties arising from PTSD or for other reasons, will be entitled to health and certain other benefits. Norwood News had reported on this issue in May.

 

To watch Congressman Bowman’s speech on the House floor in support of his amendment, click here.