Legislation

LVMAC Tidbit: At Last! An Agent Orange Seminar for the General Public

VVA 415 AO Town Hall Flyer No. 2 19Sep2015Editor’s Note:  We wish to bring your attention to something we consider to be a very special event in the Lehigh Valley — a seminar on Agent Orange not only for veterans, but also their progeny and the general public.  Pennsylvania VVA Chapter 415 of the Vietnam Veterans of America is sponsoring it and is bringing in well-known, national-level speakers, some with academic credentials.  Please note we’re using the term “Agent Orange” as an umbrella term for several different kinds of herbicides used in Vietnam … and in the United States.

You may be asking yourself why invite the progeny of veterans and the general public,  for weren’t the effects of Agent Orange limited to those military veterans who served in Vietnam?   It is because, many believe, more than military veterans have been affected but also their progeny and, additionally, the general public — these products were not only used in Vietnam.  Consequently, the chapter is seeking to heighten their awareness through education and to gain their assistance in pushing needed government research studies long overdue and resisted.  The Congress, the Department of Veterans Affairs and other departments of government may have been turning a blind eye to a matter of importance to all of us.

For more information and how to register for the event, refer to the article below, which is being republished with the kind permission of its author and appeared in the June 2015 issue of Lifestyles over 50. (more…)

By LVMAC, ago

Forward Observer — Finally! Pennsylvania In-State Tuition Rate Now Applies to “State-less” Veterans

LVMAC Poster Art 2005After years of foot dragging, the General Assembly has finally acted.  The one-year residency requirement to receive the in-state tuition rate at a public institution of higher leaning in Pennsylvania is now officially waived.  Act 11 of 2015 was signed into law by the Governor on 29 June.  It amends Act 287 of 1982 by requiring community colleges and state related/state-owned institutions to provide in-state tuition rates for veterans, their spouses and dependent children wanting to use their GI Bill benefits regardless of how long they have resided in the state. (more…)

By LVMAC, ago

Forward Observer — The Spending of Your Veterans Trust Fund Donations

LVMAC Poster Art 2005In 2012 the Veterans Trust Fund was established in Pennsylvania.  We thought you might want to know how it is being used this year.

In 2015, fifty-five organizations applied for grants, the sum of which would have amounted to nearly $4.7 million in funding for veterans’ services and programs. Of these, ten grants were subsequently awarded.  Since all were competing for $350,000 in grant money, there is an implication: there are needs state government is failing to recognize through the usual means. (more…)

By LVMAC, ago

Forward Observer — Punishing the Higher Education System for Veterans – The Pennsylvania Way

LVMAC Poster Art 2005Effective 1 July 2015, a little mentioned section of the Veterans Access, Choice, And Accountability Act of 2014 signed into law by the President on 7 August will have huge consequences to Pennsylvania’s public institutions of higher learning.  It may well affect the well-being of about 25,000 veterans who are students and up to $300 million in state revenues from the federal government to Pennsylvania’s institutions of higher learning.

Section 702 of that law states:

 … the Secretary shall disapprove a course of education provided by a public institution of higher learning (more…)

By LVMAC, ago

LVMAC Tidbit — Government Shutdown Affects Veterans

Many of you have concerns about the continuationVeterans Shutdown Field_Guide 01Oct2013 (1 of 2) of the government shutdown engineered by our Congress.

Since we are largely a veterans population in the Lehigh Valley, we thought it would be useful for you to know the facts on how you are affected.  Tap on the images on the right  for the details the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is putting out.  (more…)

By LVMAC, ago

Forward Observer — TRICARE For Life Users Face Potentially Higher Costs When Using the VA

LVMAC Poster Art 2005In an August 14,  2013 News Release, TRICARE announced that its TRICARE For Life (TFL) beneficiaries may incur higher costs for treatment when using a VA healthcare facility effective October 1 – if the condition for which they are being treated is not related to their service-connected disability.

It states that after October 1, 2013, “as part of the intake process at VA facilities … TFL beneficiaries will be asked if they’re using their VA or TFL benefit or if they have other health insurance (OHI).  When electing to use their TFL benefit at the VA, they will also be informed they must pay the remained bill after TRICARE pays its portion of the TRICARE-allowable charge. They may be asked to sign a form indicating they understand their responsibility.” (more…)

By LVMAC, ago

Forward Observer — Honey, The “In-Laws” Are Back! The Consumer Credit Association (Payday Lenders)

LVMAC Poster Art 2005Editor’s Note:  Kerry Smith, a Staff Attorney for Community Legal Services of Philadelphia was the speaker at our March Council Meeting.  Ms. Smith, at that time, explained the harm of such lending legislation and how other states which have passed such wish they could turn back the clock.  She urged the Council to stand up for our veterans and oppose any such legislation.

STAND WITH OUR MILITARY VETERANS: OPPOSE PAY DAY LENDING

Uninvolved Veterans, Get Off Your Derrieres and Protect Your Comrades

The Pennsylvania Council of Chapters, Military Officers Association of America, strongly opposes Senate Bill 975, the Micro Loan Program, recently introduced on May 31, 2013 to legalize payday lending in Pennsylvania at 300% interest on a two-week loan.  We agree with them.  The bill,  which will result in such usury despite possible good intentions, has surprisingly made it out of the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee by a narrow 8 to 6 voting margin and is now on the floor of the Senate for a vote in a few more days.  PA MOAA Payday Ltr 2013 Revised

Since the possibility exists for our legislators to fail to take — or are not given — the time to completely read the bills they vote upon on a Senate or House floor (let alone reflect upon their possible unintended consequences), your timely action could make the difference in their decision-making. (more…)

By LVMAC, ago

LVMAC News — Veterans, Reservists and the National Guard Should Worry About a Pennsylvania Payday Lending Bill

Newspaper Logo 70%

In this Issue

Pending Payday Lending Legislation: A Debt Trap for Military Veterans
General Announcements
Homelessness
Scholarship Program
Community Educational Outreach
PTSD Booklet for Families
Healthcare in Our Community
Veterans Supportive Colleges Initiative
DoD/VA News

Pending Payday Lending Legislation: A Debt Trap for Military Veterans

Go to the Forward Observer article on payday lending to read what Kerry Smith told the Council at its 20 March business meeting. (more…)

By LVMAC, ago

LVMAC News — McKenrick Talks About a New VA Regional Office

Newspaper Logo 70%In This Issue:

  • The New Director of the Philadelphia VA Regional Office Introduces Himself to the Council
  • Community Educational Outreach’s Journey of Discovery Reaches Its End
  • Changing Our Stripes in Employment
  • Health Care in Our Community is at a Critical Stage in Its Development
  • Adam Keys Smart Home Build May or May Not Continue
  • A New Program Director Has Been Found for the Visitation Program
  • LVMAC is on a Mission to Recruit All the Area’s Universities and Colleges
  • Finally, Something Significant Out of State Government

The New Director of the Philadelphia VA Regional Office Introduces Himself to the Council

Robert McKenrick, the relatively new Director of the newly reorganized Philadelphia VA Regional Office of the Veterans Benefits Administration, spoke to the Council at its business meeting on 21 November. He brought along Eileen Kostic, Manager of the Veterans Service Center, and Leroy Saunders, a Military Services Coordinator.  Mr. McKenrick is a current war veteran from the Army Reserve.

Recently what was known as the VA Regional Office and Insurance Center (VARIOC) split (more…)

By LVMAC, ago