House Passes Amata-Cosponsored Veterans’ Bill to Report on Overcoming Barriers to Benefits

Washington, D.C. – Tuesday, Congresswoman Aumua Amata welcomed House passage of the Identifying Barriers and Best Practices Study Act, H.R. 4183. This bipartisan Veterans' legislation was introduced by Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), with Rep. Amata (R-AS) as the lead Republican on the bill and original cosponsor.

This Act requires the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a three-year study of disability and pension benefits provided to Veterans who served in special missions, including pilots and divers, and who served on reserve components of the Armed Forces while on active duty. This multi-year study will examine disability and pension data from 2008 to 2018 to identify any barriers that exist specific to these veterans. Next, the study will focus on possible ways to overcome these barriers.

Guard and reservists in these fields report that service-connected injuries are sometimes not properly documented at the time by medical staff due to the nature of their service, and the tempo of the required work. Consequently, it can be difficult to obtain the disability benefits.

"Our nation has a special commitment to the care and well-being of those who served," said Aumua Amata. "In this case, that responsibility requires thorough diligence and ensuring we hear from our Veterans so the VA can have the best information available to promote their care. Thank you especially to my colleague Congressman Khanna for his leadership in this important effort."

This legislative effort was broadly supported by various Members of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, and statements of support were made by the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Reserve Officers Association, and the Disabled Veterans of America.

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