2024 Legislative Priorities

As part of AMVETS’ Legislative Advocacy Week (LAW), we would like to share this list of our top priorities for legislative action this year. These priorities are reflective of issues important to AMVETS members nationally and locally, and we urge your support of these initiatives:

  1. Mental Health and Suicide Prevention in the VA and Armed Forces 
  2. Create Equitable Non-Profit Policies for Veteran Non-Profits 
  3. Support the Immediate Passage of the Major Richard Star Act 
  4. Increase Women Veterans' Voices in Policy and Government to Address Issues Disproportionately Affecting Them 
  5. Bolster Recruitment and Retention at VA 
  6. Create a National Veterans Strategy to align care and benefits to focus on outcomes and success 
  7. POW/MIA 
  8. Support the Increase of DIC for Our Survivors 
  9. Support the Completion of a Successful and Seamless Electronic Healthcare Record 
  10. Readiness/Recruitment for the Next Generation of Veterans 

Additional information on each of the priorities can be found on the 2024 AMVETS Legislative Priorities document.

The following are the current bills supported by AMVETS:

The VET (VSO Equal Tax Treatment) Act (H.R. 1432) (S. 677)

  • Priority bill for AMVETS
  • In House: 15 cosponsors; bipartisan; made it through Ways & Means markup and may be passed before March
  • In Senate: 1 original cosponsor; bipartisan; no movement 

Major Richard Star Act  (H.R. 1282) (S. 344) 

  • In House: 326 cosponsors; bipartisan; made it through HVAC markup
  • In Senate: 71 cosponsors; bipartisan
    No hearing held in the Senate
     

Caring for Survivors Act (H.R. 1083) (S. 414) 

  • For surviving spouses/DIC
  • In House: 65 cosponsors; Democrat-heavy (only 3 Republicans)
  • In Senate: 21 cosponsors; Democrat-heavy (only 2 Republicans & 1 Independent)
  • Hearing to be held in the House on January 30
  • Hearing held in the Senate
     

GUARD VA Benefits Act (H.R. 1139) (S. 740) 

  • In House: 170 cosponsors; bipartisan
  • In Senate: 36 cosponsors; bipartisan (leaning Democrat)
  • Hearing held in Senate & Subcommittee hearing held in House


Future bills AMVETS would support:

  • SSG Fox SPGP Bill 2.0**

Click on the link to Find Your Representative.

Click on the link to Find Your Senator.

 

A Note About Room Numbering

The three primary House office buildings—Cannon, Longworth and Rayburn—share a room numbering system for above-ground rooms that might confuse visitors at first.  The system is fairly straight forward and can be used to identify most member and committee offices merely by knowing the correct room number regardless of building.

All Cannon above-ground rooms are three digits.  As you would expect, the first digit indicates the floor level.  For example, 303 Cannon is on the 3rd floor.

All above-ground Longworth rooms are four digits and start with the number 1.  The second digit from the left indicates the floor.  For example, 1309 is on the third floor of the Longworth building.

All above-ground Rayburn rooms are also four digits, but start with a 2. The second digit indicates the floor number. For example, 2125 is on the first floor of Rayburn.

Spring NEC Hotel:
Bethesda Marriott
5151 Pooks Hill Road
Bethesda, Maryland 20814
Hotel Registration Information

Tuesday, March 5, 2024
 7:00pm Legislative Advocacy Week (LAW) Briefing Salon D&E

Brief Agenda:  Complete 2024 Spring NEC Events and Meeting Schedule

  • Tuesday March 5th - 7:00 PM Legislative Advocacy Week (LAW) Briefing
  • Wednesday March 6th - 7:45 AM Load bus and depart for Capital Hill
  • Thursday March 7th - 7:45 AM Load bus and depart for Capital Hill
  • Thursday March 7th - 10:00 AM head to AMVETS National HQ for Memorial Service and Luncheon 
  • Thursday March 7th - 10:00 AM head to AMVETS National HQ for Memorial Service and Luncheon
  • Friday March 8th - 8:00 am - Sharp 2 Buses will Depart Hotel for National Mall Washington DC       
  • Friday March 8th - 9:00 am - Placing wreaths at the 4 War Memorials at the National Mall WWII, Korean, Vietnam, and Women’s Memorial 
  • Saturday March 9 - 8:00 am to 8:45 am - NEC Men Pre-NEC Meeting – Salon D & E
  • Saturday March 9 - 9:00 am to 1:00 pm - NEC Meeting – Salon D & E

Click on the link below for the complete bus schedule.
Bus Schedule for the weeks events

Updated 2/18/2024