Bills to boost vets benefits, protect student veterans pass committee

The Veterans’ Compensation Cost of Living Adjustment Act of 2020 and the Transparency for Student Veterans Act both passed the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs last week.

Both initiatives were introduced by Congresswoman Elaine Luria, D-Va.

The Veterans’ Compensation Cost of Living Adjustment Act of 2020 would put more money in the pockets of American veterans by increasing compensation rates for certain benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs. This COLA includes compensation, clothing allowance, and dependency and indemnity compensation benefits.

This bill would base increases in these benefits on the cost-of-living increase for Social Security recipients.

In September, Luria’s Veterans’ Compensation Cost of Living Adjustment Act became law with broad bipartisan support.

“Veterans across my district, and the nation, depend on these earned benefits, so it is my duty to ensure that the increasing costs of living are taken into account each year,” Luria said. “Last year, I was honored to deliver for our veterans when my Veterans’ Compensation Cost of Living Adjustment Act of 2019 became law. I look forward to working with my colleagues to once again ensure veterans’ benefits are protected.”

Luria’s Transparency for Student Veterans Act (H.R. 6157) would empower veterans to choose the higher education option that is best for them. This bill would enable the VA to access student outcome data that the government already collects through other federal agencies.

The data would then be available online to all veterans through the GI Bill Comparison Tool, which will provide an easily-accessible, one-stop access point for information such as graduation rates, transfer rates, and post-graduation employment statistics.

“The Transparency for Student Veterans Act will ensure that our bravest men and women have the information that they need to make a more informed decision about their education,” Luria said. “This bill will equip our veterans with transparent information about how to best utilize their GI Bill education benefits.”