TEXARKANA, Ark. - For military veterans diagnosed as having service-connected disabilities that are rated less then halfway physically debilitating, some pending federal congressional legislation could offer financial help, if approved.
During a Texarkana Area Veterans Council meeting last week, Greg Beck, a vice chairman of the group, said U.S. House of Representative's Bill No. 333 could help aid veterans who have been designated has having an overall service-connected disability rating of less then 50%. The bill, if approved, could make these veterans eligible to concurrently receive both their military retirement pay and disability compensation.
Besides the proposed bill, Beck also said that U.S. Senate Bill No. 976, if approved, would allow for expanding compensation eligibility for a veterans' dependent family members and survivors.
Two other proposed bills, House Bill No. 1972 and Senate Bill No. 810, would both, if approved, allow for legislators to expand the list of diseases associated with exposure to the herbicide Agent Orange, to include hypertension.
Beck added that this current legislation is under review and under study within the various committee and sub committees in both houses of Congress.
"These bills could eventually be approved for a final vote, or they could just die inside the committee process, but they all really need to be approved and passed," Beck said.
In other business, TAVC Chairman Robert Hernandez said the Memorial Day ceremony at Memorial Gardens turned out well even though there was a scramble to get enough chairs for attendees.
Trustee Dan Nicholson reported that last month's American Legion Women's Auxiliary celebration of it's 100th Anniversary (founded locally May 11, 1921), came off well with at least 21 attendees, as did the speech by the organization's oldest member, 90-year-old Letha Muskgrove.