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Policy Vets Briefs is the online newsletter of Policy Vets and provides information of importance to veterans and the veterans’ advocacy community. Policy Vets Briefs is published every two weeks and made available without charge. 

January 5, 2024 - Briefs

Military

Military boosts service members’ family separation pay for first time in 2 decades | Stars and Stripes - Service members separated from their families will receive an increased Family Separation Allowance, from $250 to $400 monthly, as part of the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act. This first increase in two decades was driven by Rep. Tony Gonzales and aims to ease financial strains for military families living apart. Service members can apply for this allowance if involuntarily separated from dependents, including those on ships or temporary duty away from their permanent stations for over 30 days. Stars and Stripes. Read more.

Veterans Affairs

VA Emergency Transportation Access Act Introduced | The Sidney Sun-Telegraph - The bipartisan VA Emergency Transportation Access Act aims to protect veterans' access to emergency medical transport in rural areas. It prevents the Department of Veterans Affairs from reducing pay and reimbursement rates for transportation providers, unless certain requirements are met to ensure veterans' access to these services isn't reduced. The Act is supported by several veteran organizations and industry leaders. Read More

The nation's first lesbian governor is fighting for LGBTQ+ veterans to receive coverage for IVF | LGBTQ Nation - Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey introduced the HERO Act to provide LGBTQ+ military veterans with coverage for in-vitro fertilization (IVF), addressing current limitations of the federal Veterans Administration. The legislation, which is under review, also proposes additional benefits for veterans, including expanded mental health care, tax credits for hiring veterans, and more. Read More

Disabled veterans tax break revisited | Claremore Progress - Oklahoma is working on refining the language of a 2021 Senate bill that provides a sales tax break for fully disabled veterans. Read More

Veteran Service and Partner Organizations

New bill would pay for veterans to become teachers in Oklahoma | KJRH.com - Oklahoma State Senator Adam Pugh, a veteran, proposed a bill to certify veterans as teachers, coinciding with the development of a new 58-bed veterans hospital in downtown Tulsa. Read more.

Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions (VETS) and Rep. Dan Crenshaw Celebrate Bi-Partisan Support for NDAA Bill that Includes Grants for Research in Psychedelic Treatment | PRWeb - The National Defense Authorization Act now includes a provision for psychedelic research, thanks to efforts by Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions (VETS) and Rep. Dan Crenshaw. This significant development could revolutionize mental health care for military personnel, particularly in treating PTSD and TBI. Read more.

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