Mark O'brien Va Clothing Allowance Improvement Act

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4772, as amended, the Mark O'Brien VA Clothing Allowance Improvement Act.

The clothing allowance program was created to give veterans the financial means to replace clothes that have been damaged due to their service-connected disability. For example, a veteran who has a prosthetic or uses a wheelchair may wear out their clothes quickly and need to replace them often.

Yet, under current law, veterans who qualify for the clothing allowance must go through a tedious process of reapplying every year to receive their benefit, even if their condition is unlikely to change.

H.R. 4772, as amended, would streamline the process for veterans receiving a clothing allowance by making the renewal process automatic.

To ensure proper oversight of this program, VA would be required to reevaluate the veteran 5 years after they have received the benefit to determine eligibility for the clothing allowance. If a veteran has a more permanent condition, such as an amputation, VA would have the authority to exempt the veteran from regular reevaluations.

I support these commonsense changes, which would simplify the clothing allowance program and reduce the paperwork burden on our veterans, and I am glad to see the cost of the bill is also fully offset. I thank Congressman Levin and Congressman Moore for their leadership on this issue.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support H.R. 4772, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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