News Releases

Sen. Moran, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Correct VA Payments

Forever GI Bill Housing Payment Fulfillment Act would address the VA’s failure to fully comply with reimbursement rates

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies – joined Senators John Boozman (R-Ark.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) to introduce the Forever GI Bill Housing Payment Fulfillment Act. This bipartisan legislation will make certain the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) reimburses veterans for missed or underpaid Forever GI Bill housing benefits.

“The VA must make every effort to restore confidence with veterans by delivering the care and benefits they have earned,” said Sen. Moran. “The significant problems with the implementation of the Forever GI Bill must be resolved immediately – any further delay is unacceptable and will burden those veterans impacted. This legislation will make certain the VA is working to earn back GI Bill beneficiaries’ trust. I’m proud to be a part of efforts to make the VA worthy of the service and sacrifice of our nation’s heroes.”

The Forever GI Bill Housing Payment Fulfillment Act was introduced to address the VA’s failure to fully comply with reimbursement rates set by the Forever GI bill. The improper payments resulted from IT systems that had not been properly updated and lack of internal processes to get the VA the necessary information about payment rates.

This legislation will direct the VA to:

  • End improper payments as soon as possible;
  • Establish a team of specialists who will be responsible to report to Congress a detailed plan to correct this egregious error;
  • Provide a report to Congress by July 2020 that identifies how many beneficiaries were impacted and to what extent, aggregated by state; and
  • Certify the VA is fully compliant with the law.

###