Approximately 100 PVA chapter and national leaders gathered in Washington, DC for the annual Advocacy and Legislation Seminar
By PVA National Staff
On March 4-7, approximately 100 PVA chapter and national leaders gathered in Washington, DC for the annual Advocacy and Legislation Seminar. Each year, Seminar brings these PVA advocates to the nation’s capital for four days of briefings on critical issues important to PVA members, visits with congressional representatives, and the annual testimony of PVA’s National President to a joint session of the House and Senate VA Committees.
Seminar sessions highlighted two PVA priority areas: expanding the VA Comprehensive Family Caregiver Program to assist family members of veterans with service-connected illnesses and making further improvements to the Air Carrier Access Act to build on the successful legislation that passed in 2018. Seminar workshops also focused on implementation of the VA MISSION Act and appeals reform, improving ancillary VA benefits for automobile adaptations and specially adapted housing, and the impact of disaster response and recovery systems on people with disabilities.
A panel focused on improving access for veterans with disabilities to long-term services and supports. Laurel Rodewald, with the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, described that organization’s efforts to draw attention to the needs of veteran caregivers and the creation of the Military and Veterans Caregiver Experience Map. The conference keynote speaker was House Veterans Affairs’ Committee Chairman Mark Takano (D-CA) who outlined the Committee’s plans for the 116th Congress.
For more information about PVA’s priorities for the 116th Congress, please visit https://www.pva.org/research-resources/116-congress-legislative-priorities.
