Senate Unanimously Passes Two Bipartisan Veterans Bills Spearheaded by Tester

Bipartisan Tester bills to improve claims processing and support tribal veterans’ cemeteries one step closer to law

Two bipartisan bills spearheaded by U.S. Senator Jon Tester to support veterans nationwide are one step closer to law after unanimously passing the Senate yesterday. These priorities now head to the U.S House of Representatives for consideration.

“This is a big step forward for veterans across the country who are relying on VA to deliver stronger benefits and earned support,” said Tester. “Unanimous Senate passage of my bipartisan bills means we’re closer to making good on a number of my priorities as Chairman—including cutting down the timeline for processing claims and delivering more veterans a final resting place deserving of their service and sacrifice.”

As Chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Tester worked across the aisle to pass the following bills:

• Veterans Benefits Improvement Act of 2021—Bipartisan legislation to cut appeal wait-times by bolstering recruitment for the Board of Veterans’ Appeals, streamline VA’s scheduling of veterans’ disability exams, and initiate further cooperation between VA and tribal, state, county, and local Veteran Service Officers.

• National Cemeteries Preservation and Protection Act of 2022—Bipartisan legislation to support tribal veterans’ cemeteries by requiring VA to pay plot allowances for native veterans buried at tribal veterans cemeteries and authorize eco-friendly burial methods.