Thursday, October 23, 2008

President signs bill to overhaul veterans' disability claims process

From the Times-Herald Record in NY:

WASHINGTON - President Bush signed a landmark veterans benefit bill Oct. 23, one that overhauls the disability claims bureaucracy of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The legislation should reduce the time between a veteran filing a disability claim and receiving a decision, which now averages six months.

It also forces the VA to modernize its record-keeping process, which should cut down the backlog of nearly 1 million claims. The new law includes legislation from Rep. John Hall, D-Dover Plains, and Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y.

“This is a victory for all of the brave men and women who have put their lives on the line to defend the freedoms we hold dear,” Clinton said.