U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., recently introduced the “Historically Underserved Veterans Inclusion Act.”
The bill “aims to promote equitable access to resources at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).”
“Those who answered the call to serve should be able to access quality, comprehensive benefits and services,” said Cherfilus-McCormick. “Unfortunately, far too many underserved veterans face persistent, unjust roadblocks when it comes to navigating the VA. This legislation will allow the Center for Minority Veterans (CMV) and the Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans (ACMV) to provide equal access to earned benefits to a larger group of veterans, ensuring that all service members can obtain the services that they valiantly earned and delivering better outcomes nationwide.”
The bill “would extend the reach of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Center for Minority Veterans (CMV) and the Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans (ACMV) to ensure all veterans receive equitable service from the VA regardless of race, origin, religion, or gender” including “minority and historically underserved veterans including those of Middle Eastern or North African descent; who identify as belonging to more than one race or ethnicity; who are LGBTQ+; who belong to a religious minority; who have language barriers; lack U.S. citizenship status;” and “too include any groups that may be identified as underserved in the future, the bill also provides new authority to designate additional groups of veterans as ‘historically underserved.’”
The Black Veterans Project, American Veterans for Equal Rights (AVER), the Modern Military Association of America and Disabled American Veterans are backing the proposal.
Nine House Democrats are co-sponsoring the bill which was sent to the U.S. House Veterans Affairs Committee. So far, there is no companion measure over in the U.S. Senate.
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