Rep. Morgan Luttrell, Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs, opened a legislative hearing today focused on improving access to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) disability compensation benefits for veterans and their families.
The subcommittee is reviewing nine proposed bills aimed at addressing issues such as timely appeals decisions, equitable reimbursements, expanded cemetery access, and changes to survivor benefits eligibility. The measures include requiring the VA Board of Veterans Appeals to report annually on delays in deciding benefits appeals, ensuring equal treatment for veterans seeking transportation and burial plot reimbursements, mandating annual reports from the National Cemetery Administration, expanding Dayton National Cemetery without federal cost, changing eligibility requirements for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), and updating procedures related to fraudulent disability benefit questionnaires.
“These bills we will be considering today would: Require the VA Board of Veterans Appeals to include in their annual report the reasons why the Board has failed to decide benefits appeals in a timely manner. Provide equity between all veterans who are seeking transportation and private burial plot reimbursements from the VA. Require the National Cemetery Administration to publish an annual report, like those published by VBA, VHA, and the Board of Veterans Appeals. Initiate the expansion of the Dayton National Cemetery, acquiring nearby land at no charge to the federal government. Change the eligibility requirements for DIC, VA’s largest survivors’ benefit, to surviving spouses under the age of 55 who choose to remarry and to the survivors whose loved one passed away from service-connected A.L.S. before the 10-year mark. And consider changes to how VA identifies fraudulent disability benefit questionnaires and the evidentiary standard for determining if some conditions are service connected,” Luttrell said.
Luttrell emphasized that these proposals have not yet been offset financially—meaning there is currently no identified funding source or spending reduction elsewhere in the budget—which is required before further committee consideration can proceed.
“I do want to highlight that the bills we are considering today are not yet offset. That means that no mechanism has been identified for how we will fund these bills and ensure good policy and fiscal responsibility go hand in hand,” he stated. “Our responsibility as legislators and current law requires that new spending must be offset by a reduction elsewhere, to minimize the growth of our national debt.”
He added that until offsets are determined for many proposals under discussion, they cannot advance beyond this stage.
Luttrell also noted his intention to collaborate with Chairman Bost, Ranking Member McGarvey, other subcommittee members, and witnesses present at today’s hearing on refining these legislative proposals.
“I am grateful that today we will be considering these bill that ensure veterans and their families are honored in their life, and that they are properly cared for in death,” Luttrell said.
The hearing marks an ongoing effort by lawmakers responsible for overseeing veterans' compensation programs—including pensions, burial benefits, fiduciary oversight, survivors’ benefits—and agencies such as Compensation Service, Board of Veterans Appeals, National Cemetery Administration, and Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.
He concluded his remarks by yielding time to Ranking Member McGarvey for additional comments.
