(Source: Senate Committee on Veterans) -- The Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs today passed the companion legislation to Congresswoman Janice Hahn’s bipartisan H.R. 4287 that updates the definition of “homeless veteran” to include those fleeing domestic violence.
“Veterans have put their lives on the line for our country and should never be denied the resources they need just because they don’t fall under the proper definitions,” said Rep. Hahn. “By making this small yet significant change, veterans fleeing situations of domestic violence will have access to the tools they need. I want to thank Senator Mark Begich for taking the lead on this in the Senate and I’m hopeful the House will follow suit soon.”
“This bill simply updates the legal definition of ‘homeless veteran’ to bring it to the same standard as the rest of the law, and it will allow veterans who are in a domestic violence situation to access the same benefits available to other homeless veterans,” Sen. Begich said. “It corrects a grievous oversight and will allow those who have served our country to receive the support and benefits they have earned a thousand times over with their patriotism and courage.”
The Department of Veterans Affairs has developed a number of programs to assist homeless veterans, however the outdated definition of “homelessness” could cause problems for victims of domestic violence. H.R. 4287, along with its Senate counterpart, addresses this issue by updating the definition.
H.R. 4287 has already garnered the support of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), The Association of the US Navy, The Service Women’s Action Network, The National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty, The National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth, Veterans for Common Sense, The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans and The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
Contact:
Henry Connelly — (202)568-1546
Source: Senate Committee on Veterans
