NBC Montana: Biden signs Tester’s bipartisan bill extending services for veterans

President Joe Biden signed into law Sen. Jon Tester’s bipartisan legislation to extend Department of Veterans Affairs services and programs.

The legislation ensures Veterans can access medical disability examinations, gives veterans educational benefits when educational institutions are closed, and extends emergency preparedness funding.

The bill was signed along with his legislation to protect funding for hunter safety classes.

U.S. Senator Jon Tester released the following information:

Tester’s Bipartisan Bill to Extend Critical Veterans Services and Programs Signed into Law

Chairman’s bipartisan bill to ensure delivery of benefits for veterans and their families nationwide now law

Last week, President Joe Biden signed into law Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester’s bipartisan legislation to extend critical Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) services and programs relied upon by the nation’s veterans and their families.

“We have a responsibility to ensure veterans have certainty when it comes to accessing the support they earned in service to our nation,” said Tester. “That’s why I’m proud to have led the bipartisan effort to make sure VA can continue to deliver these essential services and programs to our veterans and their families. As Chairman, I’ll always fight to protect veterans’ access to the care and benefits they earned.”

Tester’s Fiscal Year 2024 VA Extenders Legislation reauthorizes key veteran programs and services. It includes provisions that will ensure veterans have timely access to medical disability examinations for VA, protect student veterans from losing their earned GI bill or other VA education benefits when educational institutions are closed, and extend emergency preparedness funding for VA to support its critical role in responding to public health or other emergencies.

Tester’s bill was signed into law alongside his bipartisan legislation to protect hunter safety classes. They are Tester’s third and fourth bills signed into law this Congress, following his bipartisan Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Act and Fiscal Year 2023 Major Medical Facility Authorization Act. He is the only lawmaker in the 118th Congress to have multiple bills signed into law.