To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish the position of Director of Physician Assistant Services within the office of the Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Health.

H.R. 84: Veterans Timely Access to Health Care Act -- Makes the standard for access to care for a veteran seeking primary care from the Department of Veterans Affairs 30 days from the date the veteran contacts the Department. Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to prescribe an appropriate standard for waiting times at Department health-care facilities as measured from the time a visit is scheduled until the time the veteran is seen. Directs the Secretary to periodically review the performance of Department health-care facilities in meeting such standards. Authorizes the Secretary to contract for health care services in non-Department facilities in a case in which the Secretary is unable to meet access standards. Prohibits such contracting-out with respect to a Department geographic service area that has a compliance rate in meeting such standards of 90 percent or more. Requires quarterly reports from the Secretary to the congressional veterans' committees on the Department's experience with respect to waiting times. H.R. 1036: Veterans Physical Therapy Services Improvement Act of 2009 -- To amend title 38, USC, to establish the position of Director of Physical Therapy Service within the Veterans Health Administration and to establish a fellowship program for physical therapists in the areas of geriatrics, amputee rehabilitation, polytrauma care, and rehabilitation research H.R. 1075: RECOVER Act (Restoring Essential Care for Our Veterans for Effective Recovery Act) -- Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, if a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facility that would otherwise provide covered medical services to veterans residing in an area for which a major disaster is declared is unable to provide such services for at least 180 days due to such disaster, to contract with one or more non-VA facilities in that area to provide such services to veterans who reside within 150 miles of the VA facility that is unable to provide the services. Makes such requirement inapplicable to a VA facility that is closed, or that the Secretary intends to close, as part of the Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services (CARES) process. Makes this Act applicable to any VA facility unable to provide covered services on or after August 29, 2005, by reason of a major disaster. H.R. 1211: Women Veterans Health Care Improvement Act -- To amend title 38, U.S.C., to expand and improve health care services available to women veterans, especially those serving in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, from the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. H.R. 1335: To amend title 38, USC, to prohibit the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from collecting certain copayments from veterans who are catastrophically disabled. -- Prohibits the collection by the VA of copayments or other fees for hospital or nursing home care in the case of catastrophically disabled veterans. H.R. 1546: Caring for Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury Act of 2009 -- Directs the VA Secretary to establish within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) the Committee on Care of Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury to continually assess VHA capability to meet the treatment and rehabilitation needs of veterans with traumatic brain injury. H.R. 2504: To amend title 38, USC, to provide for an increase in the annual amount authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out comprehensive service programs for homeless veterans. -- To amend title 38, USC, to provide for an increase in the annual amount authorized to be appropriated to the VA Secretary to carry out comprehensive service programs for homeless veterans. H.R. 2698: Veterans and Survivors Behavioral Health Awareness Act -- Directs the VA Secretary to provide scholarships to individuals pursuing education or training in behavioral health care specialties that are critical to the operations of Vet Centers (centers for readjustment counseling and related mental health services for veterans) in order to recruit and retain individuals with such specialties for service in Vet Centers. Conditions the scholarship on the recipient's agreeing to serve in such a capacity for whatever period the Secretary specifies in the agreement. Directs the Secretary, on receipt of a request for counseling from an individual who has been discharged or released from active service, to: (1) provide referrals to assist the individual in obtaining mental health care and services outside the VA; and (2) if pertinent, advise such individual of the individual's rights to apply for review of the discharge or release. Directs the Secretary to award grants to nonprofit organizations that provide emotional support services for survivors of deceased members of the Armed Forces and deceased veterans through the survivors' peers. H.R. 2699: Armed Forces Behavioral Health Awareness Act -- Makes any member of the Armed Forces who is deployed in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom or Enduring Freedom eligible for readjustment counseling and related mental health services through Vet Centers (centers for such counseling and services for veterans), regardless of the member's duty status. Directs the Secretary of Defense to award grants to nonprofit organizations that provide emotional support services for family members of members of the Armed Forces, including members of the reserves. Requires the Secretary of the Army to carry out a pilot program to enhance awareness of post-traumatic-stress-disorder (PTSD) among members of the Army. H.R. 2701: FY 2010 Intelligence Authorization Act -- Support of the retention of section 348 which would require a declassification review of Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) records that may be pertinent to the health problems being suffered by as many as 175,000 Desert Storm veterans. H.R. 2879: Rural Veterans Health Care Improvement Act of 2009 -- Authorizes the VA Secretary to pay travel expenses for veterans receiving treatment at Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities at the rate of 41.5 cents per mile. (Under current law the rate is that provided to federal employees in connection with the performance of official duties.) Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish and operate at least one and up to five centers of excellence for rural health research, education, and clinical activities; (2) establish a grant program to provide innovative transportation options to veterans in highly rural areas; (3) carry out demonstration projects to examine alternatives for expanding care for veterans in rural areas; (4) establish a program to provide peer support, readjustment, and mental health services to veterans who served in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom (and related services to their family members); (5) assign an Indian Veterans Health Care Coordinator for each of the ten VA facilities that serve communities with the greatest per capita number of Indian veterans; (6) report to Congress jointly with the Secretary of Health and Human Services on the advisability of the joint establishment and operation by the VAs Veterans Health Administration and the Indian Health Service of health clinics to serve populations of Indian reservations, including Indian veterans; and (7) report annually to Congress on matters related to VA care for veterans residing in rural areas. H.R. 2990: Disabled Military Retiree Relief Act -- To provide special pays and allowances to certain members of the Armed Forces, expand concurrent receipt of military retirement and VA disability benefits to disabled military retirees, and for other purposes. H.R. 3257, H.R. 3484, H.R. 3579, H.R. 3813, H.R. 3948, H.R. 3976, H.R. 4079, H.R. 4203, H.R. 4359; H.R. 4469: Legislation of various bills -- Enhanced benefits and services for veterans and their families H.R. 3441: To provide for automatic enrollment of veterans returning from combat zones into the VA medical system, and for other purposes -- To provide for automatic enrollment of veterans returning from combat zones into the VA medical system, and for other purposes H.R. 3926: Armed Forces Breast Cancer Research Act -- Directs the Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs to jointly conduct a study on the incidence of breast cancer among members of the Armed Forces and veterans and report study results to Congress. H.R. 3949: Veterans Small Business Assistance and Servicemembers Protection Act of 2009 -- To amend the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to improve the equitable relief available for servicemembers called to active duty, and for other purposes. H.R. 4006: Rural, American Indian Veterans Health Care Improvement Act of 2009 -- Directs the VA Secretary to assign an Indian Veterans Health Care Coordinator for each of the ten VA facilities that serve communities with the greatest per capita number of Indian veterans. Includes among Coordinator duties: (1) improving outreach to tribal communities; (2) coordinating the medical needs of Indian veterans on Indian reservations with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and the Indian Health Service (HIS); and (3) acting as an ombudsman for Indian veterans enrolled in the VHA health care system. Directs the Secretary to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the Secretary of the Interior to ensure the electronic transfer of health records of Indian veterans between HIS and VA facilities. Requires the VA Secretary and the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to report jointly to Congress on the advisability of the joint VHA-HIS establishment and operation of health clinics to serve populations of Indian reservations, including Indian veterans. H.R. 4241: To amend chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code, to allow for increased flexibility in payments for State veterans homes -- Authorizes the VA Secretary, in lieu of making payments to state homes for furnishing nursing home care to veterans, to enter into agreements with such homes to furnish such care under federal provisions which allow the Secretary to transfer to non-VA homes (at the expense of the United States) veterans who have been furnished such care in a facility under the jurisdiction of the VA. Replaces provisions providing for payment of nursing home care at the lesser of the prevailing rate or the cost of daily care with provisions providing for payment at the rate determined for a state home that is the applicable or prevailing rate payable in the geographic area in which the state home is located. H.R. 4632: Renovate and Enhance Veterans Meeting Halls and Posts Act (REVAMP Act) - Amends the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 to require the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to make grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible veterans service organizations for repairs and rehabilitation of their existing facilities. Defines "eligible veterans service organization" as: (1) a tax-exempt entity organized on a local or area basis; and (2) a local or area chapter, post, or other unit of a national, regional, statewide, or other larger entity of which local or area chapters, posts, or units are members (but not any such national, regional, statewide, or other larger entity itself). Prohibits an eligible veterans service organization from receiving such grant amounts, for any single fiscal year, in an amount exceeding the lesser of the cost of the proposed repair or rehabilitation or $200,000. Makes a grant recipient ineligible to receive another such grant until after five succeeding fiscal years. Prohibits the use of such grants for construction or acquisition of a new facility. H.R. 23, S. 663: A Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War II Act of 2009 -- Establishes in the Treasury the Merchant Mariner Equity Compensation Fund for payments by the VA Secretary of a monthly benefit of $1,000 to each individual who, between December 7, 1941, and December 31, 1946, was a documented member of the U.S. merchant marine (including the Army Transport Service and the Naval Transport Service) serving as a crewmember of a vessel that was operated in U.S. waters by the War Shipping Administration or the Office of Defense Transportation and under contract to, or the property of, the United States. Requires such individuals to: (1) apply for such benefit before October 1, 2009; and (2) not have received benefits under the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944. H.R. 174, S. 691: A bill to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a national cemetery for veterans in southern Colorado region, and for other purposes. -- Directs the VA Secretary to establish a national cemetery in El Paso County, Colorado. H.R. 1302, S. 1155: A bill to amend title 38, USC, to establish the position of Director of Physician Assistant Services within the office of the Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs for health. -- A bill to amend title 38, USC, to establish the position of Director of Physician Assistant Services within the office of the Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs for health. H.R. 1428, S. 1752: A bill to amend title 38, USC, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide wartime disability compensation for certain veterans with Parkinson's disease. -- A bill to amend title 38, USC, to direct the VA Secretary to provide wartime disability compensation for certain veterans with Parkinson's disease. S. 546: Retired Pay Restoration Act of 2009 -- Allows the receipt of both military retired pay and veterans' disability compensation with respect to any service-connected disability (under current law, only a disability rated at 50% or more). Makes eligible for the full concurrent receipt of both veterans' disability compensation and either military retired pay or combat-related special pay those individuals who were retired or separated from military service due to a service-connected disability. S. 977: Prisoner of War Benefits Act of 2009 -- A bill to amend title 38, USC, to provide improved benefits for veterans who are former prisoners of war, and for other purposes. S. 1444: Compensation Owed for Mental Health Based on Activities in Theater Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Act -- A bill to amend title 38, USC, to clarify the meaning of "combat with the enemy" for purposes of service-connection of disabilities. S. 1467: Lance Corporal Josef Lopez Fairness for Servicemembers Harmed by Vaccines Act of 2009 -- A bill to amend title 38, USC, to provide coverage under Traumatic Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance for adverse reactions to vaccinations administered by the Department of Defense, and for other purposes. S. 1483: A bill to designate the Department of Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic in Alexandria, Minnesota, as the "Max J. Beilke Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic". -- A bill to designate the Department of Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic in Alexandria, Minnesota, as the "Max J. Beilke Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic". S. 1518: Caring for Camp Lejeune Veterans Act of 2009 -- A bill to amend title 38, USC, to furnish hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care to veterans who were stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, while the water was contaminated at Camp Lejeune. S. 1531: Department of Veterans Affairs Reorganization Act of 2009 -- A bill to amend title 38, USC, to establish within the Department of Veterans Affairs the position of Assistant Secretary for Acquisition, Logistics, and Construction, and for other purposes. S. 1556: Veteran Voting Support Act of 2009 -- A bill to require the VA Secretary to permit facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs to be designated as voter registration agencies, and for other purposes. S. 1753: Disabled Veteran Caregiver Housing Assistance Act of 2009 -- A bill to amend title 38, USC, to increase assistance for disabled veterans who are temporarily residing in housing owned by a family member, and for other purposes. S. 1963 [S. 252, S. 597, S. 801]: Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2009A bill to amend title 38, USC, to provide assistance to caregivers of veterans, to expand and improve health care services available to women veterans, to improve the provision of health care to veterans. -- Specific support for the mental health care provisions, care giver provisions, rural health care provisions and enhancements and improvements for women veterans health care within the Department of Veterans Affairs. [This measure contains provisions of S. 252, S. 597, and S. 801] General Support Letter for Buyer/Mckeon Amendment to HR 4872 -- Ensure both VA and DoD beneficiaries are exempted in any national health care reform legislation. General Support Letter -- Funding for Gulf War research in DoD FY 2011 appropriations bill. Letter to chairman ofHouse Veterans AffairsCommittee Sub-Committee on DisabilityAssistance & MemorialAffairs -- Concerns and comments of The American Legion regarding the VAs Benefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD) program. General Support Letter -- Support of legislation to enable State Veterans Homes to furnish nursing home care to parents whose child died while serving in the Armed Forces of the United States. Testimony (HVAC Roundtable meeting) -- Organizations legislative priorities for 2010. Testimony -- Veteran/military transition issues. Testimony -- Status update on implementation of Veterans Benefits Improvement Act of 2008 (PL 110-389). Testimony -- Review of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Contract Health Care: Project HERO Testimony -- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Budget Request for FY 2011 and FY 2012 Testimony -- The Veterans Health Administrations Fiscal Year 2011 Budget Testimony -- H.R. 4241, to amend Chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code (USC), to allow for increased flexibility in payments for State Veterans Homes. Testimony (HVAC Claims Summit 2010) -- Department of Veterans Affairs claims processing issues. Testimony -- Examination of VA Regional Office Disability Claims Quality Review Methods Is VBAs Systematic Technical Accuracy Review (STAR) Making the Grade? Testimony -- Various health care bills (H.R. 949, H.R. 1075, H.R. 2698, H.R. 2699, H.R. 2879, H.R. 3926, H.R. 4006, H.R. 84, and 3 Discussion Drafts). General Support Letter for Buyer/Mckeon Amendment to HR 4872 -- Ensure both VA and DoD beneficiaries are exempted in any national health care reform legislation. General Support Letter -- Funding for Gulf War research in DoD FY 2011 appropriations bill. General Support Letter -- Support $10 million in funding in FY 2011 DoD authorization bill for the Eye Trauma and Vision Research Program. General Support Letter -- Support of legislation to enable State Veterans Homes to furnish nursing home care to parents whose child died while serving in the Armed Forces of the United States. Testimony (HVAC Roundtable meeting) -- Organizations legislative priorities for 2010. Testimony -- Veteran/military transition issues. Testimony -- Status update on implementation of Veterans Benefits Improvement Act of 2008 (PL 110-389). Testimony -- Review of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Contract Health Care: Project HERO Testimony -- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Budget Request for FY 2011 and FY 2012 Testimony -- The Veterans Health Administrations Fiscal Year 2011 Budget Testimony -- H.R. 4241, to amend Chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code (USC), to allow for increased flexibility in payments for State Veterans Homes. Testimony (HVAC Claims Summit 2010) -- Department of Veterans Affairs claims processing issues. Testimony -- Examination of VA Regional Office Disability Claims Quality Review Methods Is VBAs Systematic Technical Accuracy Review (STAR) Making the Grade? Testimony -- Various health care bills (H.R. 949, H.R. 1075, H.R. 2698, H.R. 2699, H.R. 2879, H.R. 3926, H.R. 4006, H.R. 84, and 3 Discussion Drafts). General Support Letter -- Support $10 million in funding in FY 2011 DoD authorization bill for the Eye Trauma and Vision Research Program. Letter to Chairman, House Veterans Affairs Committee Subcommittee on Disability Assistance & Memorial Affairs -- Concerns and comments of The American Legion regarding the VAs Benefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD) program.

Client expense: $6,800 · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: Defense, Dept of (DOD), Education, Dept of, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Housing & Urban Development, Dept of (HUD), Labor, Dept of (DOL), SENATE, Small Business Administration (SBA), Veterans Affairs, Dept of (VA), Veterans Employment & Training Service

FY 2011 Budget Resolution, in regard to increasing the Department of Veterans Affairs health care budget. S 1963, bill to amend Title 38, United States Code - to enhance the capacity of the Department of Veterans Affairs to recruit and retain nurses and other critical health care professionals and to improve the provision of health care to veterans. HR 919, bill to amend Title 38 to enhance the capacity of the Department of Veterans Affairs to recruit and retain nurses and other critical health care professionals. S 597, Women's Veterans Health Improvement Act of 2008 - provisions to identify and address needs of women veterans and their families through research, training and certification programs, and participation on VA advisory committees. S 362/HR 949, to amend Section 7422 of Title 38, which provides medical professionals with collective bargaining rights, including the right to resolve disputes with management over matters affecting working conditions through grievances, arbitrations, and negotiations. S 362/HR 949 would give VA registered nurses, psychiatrists, doctors, and dentists the same bargaining rights as their counterparts in military hospitals and prison facilities. S 1155/HR 1302 - provision to establish a full-time Director of Physician Assistant Services with the Department of Veterans Affairs. S 658 - provisions to improve access to health care for rural veterans. Recommending an increase in the mileage rate and greater oversight of contract care program (such as Project HERO, VA's contract health care program already underway) to include collection of data comparing amount of travel required for visits to contract care facilities to amount of travel required to receive care at nearest VA facility; and its resulting impact on VA's capacity to provide services in-house. S801/HR 2342, bill to provide support services to family caregivers of severely injured or disabled veterans. HR 1016/S 423, HRes 804, bills to provide advance appropriations for VA health care.

Department of Veterans Affairs appropriations and its delivery of benefits and services to veterans, their dependents and survivors: HR 4894, HR 4887, HR 4477, HR 4048, HR 3949, HR 3491, HR 3155, HR 3082, HR 2990, HR 2898, HR 2879, HR 2770, HR 2738, HR 2734, HR 2583, HR 2573, HR 2419, HR 2389, HR 2342, HR 2254, HR 2180, HR 1818, HR 1546, HR 1388, HR 1377, HR 1335, HR 1302, HR 1293, HR 1211, HR 1204, HR 1203, HR 1197, HR 1171, HR 1088, HR 1017, HR 1016, HR 953, HR 952, HR 816, HR 811, HR 775, HR 667, HR 658, HR 612, HR 593, HR 466, HR 456, HR 341, HR 333, HR 303, HR 297, HR 296, HR 295, HR 294, HR 293, H.RES. 261, HR 177, HR 114, HR 108, H.Con. Res 85, HR 32, S 3148, S 1963, S 1939, S 1779, S 1407, S 1204, S 944, S 847, S 821, S 820, S 801, S 728, S 658, S 642, S 597, S 546, S 423, S 407, S 404, S 277, S 252, S 66, S.Con.Res. 13

Client expense: $190,000 · Firm income: Not reported

PL 111-81: Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act of 2009 -- Beginning with FY2011 requires a two-fiscal-year discretionary new budget authority for the following accounts of the VA: (1) Medical Services; (2) Medical Support and Compliance; and (3) Medical Facilities Requires the Comptroller General to conduct a study on the adequacy and accuracy of VA baseline model projections for health care expenditures PL 111-82: Authorizes major medical facility leases for the Department of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2010, and for other purposes PL 111-97: Military Spouses Residency Relief Act -- Amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to prohibit, for purposes of voting for a federal, state, or local office, deeming a person to have lost a residence or domicile in a state, acquired a residence or domicile in any other state, or become a resident in or of any other state solely because the person is absent from a state because the person is accompanying the persons spouse who is absent from the state in compliance with military or naval orders Prohibits a service members spouse from either losing or acquiring a residence or domicile for purposes of taxation because of being absent or present in any US tax jurisdiction solely to be with the service member in compliance with the service members military orders if the residence or domicile is the same for the service member and the spouse Prohibits a spouses income from being considered income earned in a tax jurisdiction if the spouse is not a resident or domiciliary of such jurisdiction when the spouse is in that jurisdiction solely to be with a service member serving under military orders PL 111-98: A bill to authorize a major medical facility project at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Walla Walla, Washington, and for other purposes PL 111-117: Consolidated Appropriations Act, FY 2010 -- Makes appropriations for the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2010 HR 23 / S 663: Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War II Act of 2009 -- Establishes in the Treasury the Merchant Mariner Equity Compensation Fund for payments by the VA Secretary of a monthly benefit of $1,000 to each individual who, between December 7, 1941, and December 31, 1946, was a documented member of the US merchant marine (including the Army Transport Service and the Naval Transport Service) serving as a crewmember of a vessel that was operated in US waters by the War Shipping Administration or the Office of Defense Transportation and under contract to, or the property of, the United States Requires such individuals to: (1) apply for such benefit before October 1, 2009; and (2) not have received benefits under the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944 HR 174 / S 691: Legislation directing the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a national cemetery for veterans in southern Colorado region, and for other purposes -- Directs the VA Secretary to establish a national cemetery in El Paso County, Colorado HR 1017 / S 1204: Chiropractic Care Available to All Veterans Act -- Amend the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Programs Enhancement Act of 2001 and title 38, USC, to require the provision of chiropractic care and services to veterans at all Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers and to expand access to such care and services HR 1302 / S 1155: Amend title 38, USC, to establish the position of Director of Physician Assistant Services within the office of the Department of Veterans Affairs Under Secretary for Health HR 953: Veterans Travel Tax Relief Act --Help veterans afford medical treatment and ensure proper compensation without complicated programs. HR 1036: Veterans Physical Therapy Services Improvement Act of 2009 -- Would amend title 38, USC, to establish the position of Director of Physical Therapy Service within the Veterans Health Administration and to establish a fellowship program for physical therapists in the areas of geriatrics, amputee rehabilitation, polytrauma care, and rehabilitation research HR 1211: Women Veterans Health Care Improvement Act -- Would amend title 38, USC, to expand and improve health care services available to women veterans, especially those serving in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, from the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes HR 1335: Amend title 38, USC, to prohibit the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from collecting certain copayments from veterans who are catastrophically disabled -- Prohibits the collection by the VA of copayments or other fees for hospital or nursing home care in the case of catastrophically disabled veterans HR 1546: Caring for Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury Act of 2009 -- Directs the VA Secretary to establish within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) the Committee on Care of Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury to continually assess VHA capability to meet the treatment and rehabilitation needs of veterans with traumatic brain injury HR 2504: Would amend title 38, USC, to provide for an increase in the annual amount authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out comprehensive service programs for homeless veterans HR 2990: Disabled Military Retiree Relief Act -- Provides special pays and allowances to certain members of the Armed Forces, expand concurrent receipt of military retirement and VA disability benefits to disabled military retirees, and for other purposes HR 3082: FY 2010 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs spending bill -- Support amendment to increase funds by $1 million to the Medical Services account at the Department of Veterans Affairs with an offset to the General Operating Expenses account in order to offer educational debt forgiveness for mental health professionals who agree to employment with the Department of Veterans Affairs. HR 3441: To provide for automatic enrollment of veterans returning from combat zones into the VA medical system, and for other purposes HR 3949: Veterans' Small Business Assistance and Servicemembers Protection Act of 2009 -- Amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to improve the equitable relief available for servicemembers called to active duty, and for other purposes HR 3961: Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act of 2009 -- Amend title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to revise the Medicare sustainable growth rate (SGR) payment system for determining the annual updates to the Medicare physician fee schedule. S 546: Retired Pay Restoration Act of 2009 -- Allows the receipt of both military retired pay and veterans' disability compensation with respect to any service-connected disability (under current law, only a disability rated at 50% or more) Makes eligible for the full concurrent receipt of both veterans' disability compensation and either military retired pay or combat-related special pay those individuals who were retired or separated from military service due to a service-connected disability S 669: Veterans Second Amendment Protection Ac t -- Clarify that Department of Veterans Affairs determinations of mental incompetency should not constitute adjudication as a mental defective with regard to that veterans inclusion in the National Criminal Background Check System (NICS), which governs who can legally purchase firearms. S 977: Prisoner of War Benefits Act of 2009 -- Amend title 38, USC, to provide improved benefits for veterans who are former prisoners of war, and for other purposes S 1109: Providing Real Outreach for Veterans Act of 2009 -- A bill to provide veterans with individualized notice about available benefits, to streamline application processes or the benefits, and for other purposes S 1118: Amend title 38, USC, to provide for an increase in the amount of monthly dependency and indemnity compensation payable to surviving spouses by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs , and for other purposes S 1302: Veterans Health Care Improvement Act of 2009 -- Provide for the introduction of pay-for-performance compensation mechanisms into contracts of the Department of Veterans Affairs with community-based outpatient clinics for the provisions of health care services, and for other purposes S 1427: Department of Veterans Affairs Hospital Quality Report Card Act of 2009 -- Amend title 38, USC, to establish a Hospital Quality Report Card Initiative to report on health care quality in Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers, and for other purposes S 1444: Compensation Owed for Mental Health Based on Activities in Theater Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Act -- Amend title 38, USC, to clarify the meaning of "combat with the enemy" for purposes of service-connection of disabilities S 1467: Lance Corporal Josef Lopez Fairness for Servicemembers Harmed by Vaccines Act of 2009 -- Amend title 38, USC, to provide coverage under Traumatic Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance for adverse reactions to vaccinations administered by the Department of Defense, and for other purposes S 1483: Designate the Department of Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic in Alexandria, Minnesota as the "Max J. Beilke Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic" S 1518: Caring for Camp Lejeune Veterans Act of 2009 -- A bill to amend title 38, USC, to furnish hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care to veterans who were stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, while the water was contaminated at Camp Lejeune S 1531: Department of Veterans Affairs Reorganization Act of 2009 -- A bill to amend title 38, USC, to establish within the Department of Veterans Affairs the position of Assistant Secretary for Acquisition, Logistics, and Construction, and for other purposes

H.Con.Res. 85/S.Con.Res. 13, FY 2010 Budget Resolution, in regard to increasing the Department of Veterans Affairs health care budget. S 423/HR 1016, bills to authorize advance appropriations for VA health care - provisions to reform the VA health care funding process and enhance Congress' ability to better predict and oversee health care spending. S 252, bill to amend Title 38, United States Code - to enhance the capacity of the Department of Veterans Affairs to recruit and retain nurses and other critical health care professionals and to improve the provision of health care to veterans. HR 919, bill to amend Title 38 to enhance the capacity of the Department of Veterans Affairs to recruit and retain nurses and other critical health care professionals. S 597, Women's Veterans Health Improvement Act of 2008 - provisions to identify and address needs of women veterans and their families through research, training and certification programs, and participation on VA advisory committees. S 362/HR 949, to amend Section 7422 of Title 38, which provides medical professionals with collective bargaining rights, including the right to resolve disputes with management over matters affecting working conditions through grievances, arbitrations, and negotiations. S 362/HR 949 would give VA registered nurses, psychiatrists, doctors, and dentists the same bargaining rights as their counterparts in military hospitals and prison facilities. HR 1302 - provision to establish a full-time Director of Physician Assistant Services with the Department of Veterans Affairs. S 658 - provisions to improve access to health care for rural veterans. Recommending an increase in the mileage rate and greater oversight of contract care program (such as Project HERO, VA's contract health care program already underway) to include collection of data comparing amount of travel required for visits to contract care facilities to amount of travel required to receive care at nearest VA facility; and its resulting impact on VA's capacity to provide services in-house. S801/HR 2342, bill to provide support services to family caregivers of severely injured or disabled veterans. HR 1016/S 423, HRes 804, bills to provide advance appropriations for VA health care.

Medicare Coverage of Services Provided by PAs, (S. 318, S. 1157), FY 2010 Labor/HHS Appropriations; Bill to establish fulltime Director of PA Services at the VA (HR 1302, S. 155), Inclusion of PAs in HC Reform Legislation (HR 3590, HR 3962)Federal Employees Compensation Act, FMCSA Regulations on Truck Driver Physicals, Pay equity for federally employed PAs

Client expense: $253,000 · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality (AHRQ), Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), Indian Health Service, Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), Office of Management & Budget (OMB), Office of Personnel Management (OPM), SENATE, Transportation, Dept of (DOT), U.S. Postal Service (USPS), Veterans Affairs, Dept of (VA), White House Office

Department of Veterans Affairs appropriations and its delivery of benefits and services to veterans, their dependents and survivors: 3949, HR 3491, HR 3155, HR 3082, HR 2990, HR 2898, HR 2879, HR 2770, HR 2738, HR 2734, HR 2583, HR 2573, HR 2419, HR 2389, HR 2342, HR 2254, HR 2180, HR 1818, HR 1546, HR 1388, HR 1377, HR 1335, HR 1302, HR 1293, HR 1211, HR 1204, HR 1203, HR 1197, HR 1171, HR 1088, HR 1017, HR 1016, HR 953, HR 952, HR 816, HR 811, HR 775, HR 667, HR 658, HR 612, HR 593, HR 466, HR 456, HR 341, HR 333, HR 303, HR 297, HR 296, HR 295, HR 294, HR 293, H.RES. 261, HR 177, HR 114, HR 108, H.Con. Res 85, HR 32, S 1963, S 1939, S 1779, S 1407, S 1204, S 944, S 847, S 821, S 820, S 801, S 728, S 658, S 642, S 597, S 423, S 407, S 404, S 277, S 252, S 66, S.Con.Res. 13

Client expense: $190,000 · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: Defense, Dept of (DOD), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Labor, Dept of (DOL), Office of Personnel Management (OPM), SENATE, Small Business Administration (SBA), U.S. Postal Service (USPS), Veterans Affairs, Dept of (VA), Veterans Employment & Training Service

Funding for affordable housing for low income families; appropriations for affordable housing programs and disaster relief for housing, including American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (neighborhood stabilization provisions) (HR1), Serve America Act (HR 1388), Section 4 appropriations, Shelter, Land and Urban Management Assistance Act (HR1702); GROWTH Act (HR 1302, S2433), Millenium Challenge Corporation appropriations, Foreign Aid appropriations, Weatherization Assistance Program

Client expense: $80,000 · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: Corporation for Natl & Community Service, Energy, Dept of, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Housing & Urban Development, Dept of (HUD), SENATE, White House Office

HR 952--No Title--Amend title 38, USC, to clarify the meaning of "combat with the enemy" for the purposes of service connectiion of disabilities. HR 953--Veterans Travel Tax Relief Act--Help veterans afford medical treatment and ensure proper compensation without complicated programs. HR 1197--Medal of Honor Health Care Equity Act of 2009--Assigns priority status for hospital care and medical services provided through VA to certain veterans who are recipients of the Medal of Honor. HR 1211--Women Veterans Health Care Improvement Act--Amend title 38, USC, to expand and improve health care services available to women veterans, especially those serving in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, from the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. HR 1302--Amend title 38, USC, to establish the position of Director of Physician Assistant Services within the office of the Under Secretary for Health on all matters relating to the educations and training, employment, appropriate utilization, and optimal participation of physician assistants within VHA programs and initiatives. Requires the VA Secretary to ensure that an individual is serving in such position no later than 120 days after the enactment of this Act. HR 1335--Amend title 38, USC, to prohibit the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from collecting certain copayments from veterans who are catastrophically disabled.--Prohibits the collection by the VA of copayments or other fees for hospital or nursing home care in the case of catastrophically disabled veterans. HR 1546--Caring for Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury Act of 2009--Directs the VA Secretary to establish within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) the Committee on Care of Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury to continually assess VHA capability to meet the treatment and rehabilitation needs of veterans with traumatic brain injury. HR 2254-- Draft Bill (Senate)--Agent Orange Equity Act of 2009--Establish presumption of Agent Orange/herbicide exposure for Blue Water Navy veterans. HR 2734--Health Care for Family Caregivers Act of 2009--Amend section 1781 of title 38, USC, to provide medical care to family members of disabled veterans who serve as caregivers to such veterans. HR 2738--Amend title 38, USC, to provide travel expenses for family caregivers accompanying veterans to medical treatment facilities--Amend title 38, USC, to provide travel expenses for family caregivers accompanying veterans to medical treatment facilities. HR 2874--Helping Active Duty Deployed Act of 2009--Amend the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to improve the equitable relief available for servicemembers called to active duty, and for other purposes. HR 2990--Disabled Military Retiree Relief Act--Provide special pays and allowances to certain members of the Armed Forces, expand concurrent receipt of military retirement and VA disability benefits to disabled military retirees, and for other purposes. HR 3200--America's Affordable Health Care Choices Act of 2009--Address veteran concerns in national health care reform legislation with an emphasis on maintaining the independence of the VA health care system. HR 3365--Medicare VA Reimbursement Act of 2009--Provide Medicare reimbursement to VA medical facilities for items and services provided to Medicare eligible veterans for non service-connected conditions. S 546--Retired Pay Restoration Act of 2009--Allows the receipt of both military retired pay and veterans' disability compensation with respect to any service-connected disability (under current law, only a disability rated at 50% or more). Makes eligible for the full concurrent receipt of both veterans' disability compensation and either military retired pay or combat-related special pay those individuals who were retired or separated from military service due to a service-connected disability. S 728--Veterans Insurance and Benefits Act of 2009--Directs the VA Secretary to grant level-premium term life insurance to veterans under age 65 with service-connected disabilities. Increases from $20,000 to $30,000 the maximum amount of supplemental insurance provided through the VA for totally disabled veterans. Removes a condition on the qualification of certain individuals for retroactive benefits from traumatic injury coverage under Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance. Increases the maximum loan guarantee amount under the veterans' mortgage life insurance program from $90,000 to $150,000, then to $200,000 after January 1, 2012. Establishes an annual cost-of-living adjustment for the temporary payment of dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC) to a veteran's surviving spouse with one or more children under the age of 18. Provides eligibility requirements for the payment of a special monthly pension based on disability for veterans who already qualify for a service pension based upon age. Increases amounts of DIC payable to surviving spouses and parents of deceased veterans. Increases, and authorizes the annual adjustment of, pension amounts payable to hospitalized veterans and certain children of veterans of a period of war. Authorizes and directs the Secretary to pay a: (1) supplemental benefit for the funeral and burial expenses of veterans, making such amount $900 with respect to a non-service-connected death and $2,100 with respect to a service-connected death; and (2) supplemental burial plot allowance for veterans eligible for the current allowance. Authorizes the provision of specially adapted housing assistance for disabled veterans whose disability is due to a severe burn injury. Authorizes the Secretary to pay a supplemental benefit, for assistance in the purchase of automobiles and other conveyances, for disabled veterans currently eligible for such assistance. S 1467--Lance Corporal Josef Lopez Fairness for Service Members Harmed by Vaccines Act of 2009--Extend TSGLI benefit to service members with severe disabilities/injuries due to vaccines. HR 23, S 663--A Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War II Act of 2009--Establishes in the Treasury the Merchant Mariner Equity Compensation Fund for payments by the VA Secretary of a monthly benefit of $1,000 to each individual who, between December 7, 1941and December 31, 1946, was a documented member of the U.S. merchant marine (including the Army Transport Service and the Naval Transport Service) serving as a crewmember of a vessel that was operated in U.S. waters by the War Shipping Administration or the Office of Defense Transportation and under contract to, or the property of, the United States. Requires such individuals to: (1) apply for such benefit before October 1, 2009; and (2) not have received benefits under the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944. HR 174, S691--A bill to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a national cemetery for veterans in southern Colorado region, and for other purposes--Directs the VA Secretary to establish a national cemetery in El Paso County, Colorado. HR 1016, S423--Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act of 2009--Requires, beginning with FY2011, a two-fiscal-year discretionary new budget authority for the following accounts of the VA: (1) Medical Services; (2) Medical Support and Compliance; (3) Medical Facilities; (4) Information Technology; and (5) Medical and Prosthetic Research. Requires the Comptroller General to conduct a study on the adequacy and accuracy of VA baseline model projections for health care expenditures. HR 1163, S 746--A bill to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a national cemetery in the Sarpy County region to serve veterans in eastern Nebraska, western Iowa, and northwest Missouri--Directs the VA Secretary to establish a national cemetery in the Sarpy County, Nebraska, region to serve the needs of veterans and their families in Nebraska, Iowa, and Missouri. HR 1182, S 745--Military Spouses Residency Relief Act--Amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to prohibit, for purposes of voting for a federal, state, or local office, deeming a person to have lost a residence or domicile in a state, acquired a residence or domicile in any other state, or become a resident in or of any other state solely because the person is absent from a state because the person is accompanying the person's spouse who is absent from the state in compliance with military or naval orders. Prohibits a service member's spouse from either losing or acquiring a residence or domicile for purposes of taxation because of being absent or present in any U.S. tax jurisdiction solely to be with the service member in compliance with the service member's military orders if the residence or domicile is the same for the service member and the spouse. Prohibits a spouse's income from being considered income earned in a tax jurisdiction if the spouse is not a resident or domiciliary of such jurisdiction when the spouse is in that jurisdiction solely to be with a service member serving under military orders. HR 3082, S 1407--Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2010--Making appropriations for the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2010. House Resolution 679, Senate Resolution 260--A resolution designating September 16, 2009, as "The American Legion Day"--A resolution designating September 16, 2009, as "The American Legion Day". Testimony--FY 2011 Department of Veterans Affairs Budget and Legislative priorities of The American Legion. General Support Letters--Timely passage of the FY 200 Militry Construction, Veterans' Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriation Act. General Support Letter--Increased funding for Gulf War Veteran' Illness research. General Support Letter--Legislation to automatically enroll service members returning from combat zones into The Department of Veterans Affairs health care system. General Support Letter--Better access to VA health Care for veterans residing in rural areas.\ General Support Letter--Support for advance appropriation for VA health Care.

H.Con.Res. 85/S.Con.Res. 13, FY 2010 Budget Resolution, in regard to increasing the Department of Veterans Affairs health care budget. S 423/HR 1016, bills to authorize advance appropriations for VA health care - provisions to reform the VA health care funding process and enhance Congress' ability to better predict and oversee health care spending. S 252, bill to amend Title 38, United States Code - to enhance the capacity of the Department of Veterans Affairs to recruit and retain nurses and other critical health-care professionals and to improve the provision of health care to veterans. HR 919, bill to amend Title 38 to enhance the capacity of the Department of Veterans Affairs to recruit and retain nurses and other critical health care professionals. S 597, Women's Veterans Health Improvement Act of 2008 - provisions to identify and address needs of women veterans and their families through research, training and certification programs, and participation on VA advisory committees. S 362/HR 949, to amend Section 7422 of Title 38, which provides medical professionals with collective rights, including the right to resolve disputes with management over matters affecting working conditions through grievances, arbitrations and negotiations. S 362/HR 949 would give VA registered nurses, psychiatrists, doctors, and dentists the same bargaining rights as their counterparts in military hospitals and prison facilities. HR 1302 - provision to establish a full-time Director of Physician Assistant Services with the Department of Veterans Affairs. S 658 - provisions to improve access to health care for rural veterans. Recommending an increase in the mileage rate and greater oversight of contract care program (such as Project HERO, VA's contract health care program already underway) to include collection of data comparing amount of travel required for visits to contract care facilities to amount of travel required to receive care at nearest VA facility; and its resulting impact on VA's capacity to provide services in-house. S8 01/HR 2342, bill to provide support services to family caregivers of severely injured or disabled veterans. HR 1016/S 423, HRes 804 bills to provide advance appropriations for VA health care.

Medicare Coverage of Services Provided by PAs (s. 318, S. 1157); FY 10 Labor/HHS Appropriations; Bill to establish a full-time director of PA services at the VA (HR 1302, S. 1157); Health Care Reform & Inclusion of PAs in models of care (HR 3299, HELP bill, Finance bill); Federal Employees Compensation Act; FMCSA Regulations on Truck Driver Physicals; Pay equity for PAs in federal employment

Client expense: $253,000 · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality (AHRQ), Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), Natl Institutes of Health (NIH), Office of Management & Budget (OMB), Office of Personnel Management (OPM), SENATE, Transportation, Dept of (DOT), Veterans Affairs, Dept of (VA), White House Office

Department of Veterans Affairs appropriations and its delivery of benefits and services to veterans, their dependents and survivors: HR 3491, HR 3155, HR 3082, HR 2898, HR 2879, HR 2770, HR 2738, HR 2734, HR 2583, HR 2573, HR 2419, HR 2389, HR 2342, HR 2254, HR 1818, HR 1546, HR 1388, HR 1377, HR 1335, HR 1302, HR 1293, HR 1211, HR 1204, HR 1203, HR 1197, HR 1171, HR 1088, HR 1017, HR 1016, HR 953, HR 952, HR 816, HR 811, HR 775, HR 667, HR 658, HR 612, HR 593, HR 466, HR 456, HR 341, HR 333, HR 303, HR 297, HR 296, HR 295, HR 294, HR 293, H.RES. 261, HR 177, HR 114, HR 108, H.Con. Res 85, HR 32, S 1407, S 1204, S 944, S 847, S 821, S 820, S 801, S 728, S 658, S 642, S 597, S 423, S 407, S 404, S 277, S 252, S 66, S.Con.Res. 13

Client expense: $210,000 · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: Defense, Dept of (DOD), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Labor, Dept of (DOL), Office of Management & Budget (OMB), Office of Personnel Management (OPM), SENATE, Small Business Administration (SBA), U.S. Postal Service (USPS), Veterans Affairs, Dept of (VA), Veterans Employment & Training Service

H.Con.Res. 85/S.Con.Res. 13, FY 2010 Budget Resolution, in regard to increasing the Department of Veterans Affairs health care budget. S 423/HR 1016, bills to authorize advance appropriations for VA health care - provisions to reform the VA health care funding process and enhance Congress' ability to better predict and oversee health care spending. S 252, bill to amend Title 38, United States Code - to enhance the capacity of the Department of Veterans Affairs to recruit and retain nurses and other critical health-care professionals and to improve the provision of health care to veterans. HR 919, bill to amend Title 38 to enhance the capacity of the Department of Veterans Affairs to recruit and retain nurses and other critical health care professionals. S 597, Women's Veterans Health Improvement Act of 2008 - provisions to identify and address needs of women veterans and their families through research, training and certification programs, and participation on VA advisory committees. S 362/HR 949, to amend Section 7422 of Title 38, which provides medical professionals with collective rights, including the right to resolve disputes with management over matters affecting working conditions through grievances, arbitrations and negotiations. S 362/HR 949 would give VA registered nurses, psychiatrists, doctors, and dentists the same bargaining rights as their counterparts in military hospitals and prison facilities. HR 1302 - provision to establish a full-time Director of Physician Assistant Services with the Department of Veterans Affairs. S 658 - provisions to improve access to health care for rural veterans. Recommending an increase in the mileage rate and greater oversight of contract care program (such as Project HERO, VA's contract health care program already underway) to include collection of data comparing amount of travel required for visits to contract care facilities to amount of travel required to receive care at nearest VA facility; and its resulting impact on VA's capacity to provide services in-house. S801/HR 2342, bill to provide support services to family caregivers of severely injured or disabled veterans.

Medicare Coverage of Services Provided by PAs (S. 318, S. 1157); FY 10 L-HHS Appropriations; Bill to establish a full-time Director of PA Services at the VA (HR 1302, S. 1157); Health Care Reform & Inclusion of PAs in models of care (HR 3200); Federal Employees Compensation Act; FMCSA REgulations on Truck Driver Physicals; Pay Equity for PAs at Army medical facilities; VA PA pay equity issues.

Client expense: $302,341 · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality (AHRQ), Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Food & Drug Administration (FDA), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), Office of Management & Budget (OMB), SENATE, Transportation, Dept of (DOT), Veterans Affairs, Dept of (VA), White House Office

PL 111-37--Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2009--Directs the VA Secretary of to increase, as of December 1, 2009, the rates of veterans' diability compensation, additional compensation for dependents, the clothing allowance for certain disabled adult children, and dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children. Requires each such increase to be the same percentage as the increase in benefits provided under the title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act, on the same effective date. HR 1197--Medal of Honor Health Care Equity Act of 2009--Assigns priority status for hospital care and medical services provided through VA to certain veterans who are recipients of the Medal of Honor. HR 1211--Women Veterans Health Care Improvement Act--Amend title 38 USC, to expand and improve health care services available to women veterans, especially those serving in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operations Iraqi Freedom, from the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. HR 1302--Amend title 38, USC, to establish the position of Director of Physician Assistant Services within the office of the Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Health--Establishes within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) of the VA the position of Director of Physician Assistant Services, who shall report to the VHA's Under Secretary for Health on all matters relating to the education and training, employment, appropriate utilization, and optimal participation of physician assistants within VHA programs and initiatives. Requires the VA Secretary to ensure that an individual is serving in such position no later than 120 days after the enactment of this Act. HR 1335--Amend title 38, USC, to prohibit the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from collecting certain copayments from veterans who are catastrophically disabled.--Prohibits the collection by the VA of copayments or other fees for hospital or nursing home care in the case of catastrophically disabled veterans. HR 1546--Caring for Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury Act of 2009--Directs the VA Secretary to establish within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) the Committee on Care of Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury to continually assess VHA capability to meet the treatment and rehabilitation needs of veterans with traumatic brain injury. HR 1681--No Title--Improve coordination between the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs during the seamless transition process of injured servicemembers and veterans. HR 1701--PTSD/TBI Guaranteed Review for Heroes Act--Establish special review board to consider discharge upgrade petitions from former servicemembers diagnosed with PTSD and TBI separated with less than honorable discharges and also mandate that current members suffering from these conditions receive a complete evaluation by a Physical Evaluation Board prior to discharge. HR 1821--Equity for Insured Veterans Act of 2009--Increase dollar amounts of VA vocational rehabilitation and employment assistance benefits. HR 2583--No Title--Improve health care for women veterans. HR 2734--Health Care for Family Caregivers Act of 2009--Amend section 1781 of title 38, USC, to provide medical care to family members of disabled veterans who serve as caregivers to such veterans. HR 2738--Amend title 38, USC, to provide travel expenses for family caregivers accompanying veterans to medical treatment facilities--Amend title 38, USC, to provide travel expenses for family caregivers accompanying veterans to medical treatment facilities. HR 2990--Disabled Military Retiree Relief Act--Provide special pays and allowances to certain members of the Armed Forces expand concurrent receipt of military retirement and VA disability benefits to disabled military retirees, and for other purposes. S 315--Veterans Outreach Improvement Act of 2009--Directs the Secretary of Veterans to establish a separate account for the funding of outreach activities of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and a separate subaccount for the funding of outreach activities of the Veterans Health Administration, the Veterans Benefits Administration, and the National Cemetery Administration. S 347--Amend title 38, USC, to allow the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to distinguish between the severity of a qualifying loss of a dominant hand and a qualifying loss of a non-dominant hand for purposes of traumatic injury protection under Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance, and for other purposes.--Amend title 38, USC, to allow the VA Secretary to distinguish between the severity of a qualifying loss of a dominant hand and qualifying loss of a non-dominant hand for purposes of traumatic injury protection under Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance, and for other purposes. S 475--Military Spouses Residency Relief Act--Amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to prohibit, for purposes of voting for a federal, state, or local office, deeming a person to have lost a residence or domicile in a state, acquired a residence or domicile in any other state, or become a resident in or of any other state solely because the person is absent from a state because the person is accompanying the person's spouse who is absent from the state in compliance with military or naval orders. Prohibits a servicemember's spouse from either losing or acquiring a residence or domicile for purposes of taxation because of being absent or present in any U.S. tax jurisdiction solely to be with the servicemember in compliance with the servicemember's military orders if the residence or domicile is the same for the servicemember and the spouse. Prohibits a spouse's income from being considered income earned in a tax jurisdiction if the spouse is not a resident or domiciliary of such jurisdiction when the spouse is in that jurisdiction solely to be with a servicemember serving under military orders. S 514--Veterans Rehabilitation and Training Improvements Act of 2009--Requires the amount of subsistence allowance paid to a veteran for a month in which the veteran participates in a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) rehabilitation program to be equal to the national average of the basic allowance for housing paid to a member of the Armed Forces in pay grade E-5. Authorizes the VA Secretary to reimburse a veteran who successfully completes a VA rehabilitation program for costs incurred as a direct consequence of program participation, including child care expenses. Repeals the 2600 per-fiscal-year limit on veterans who may participate in the VA program of independent living services and assistance. S 546--Retired Pay Restoration Act of 2009--Allows the receipt of both military retired pay and veterans' disability compensation with respect to any service-connected disability (under current law, only a disability rated at 50% or more). Makes eligible for the full concurrent receipt of both veterans' disability compensation and either military retired pay or combat-related special pay those individuals who were retired or separated from military service due to a service-connected disability. S 691--A bill to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a national cemetery for veterans in southern Colorado region, and for other purposes.--Directs the VA Secretary to establish a national cemetery in El Paso County, Colorado. S 711--No Title--Require mental health screenings for members of the Armed Forces who are deployed in connection with a contingency operation. S 728--Veterans Insurance and Benefits Act of 2009--Directs the VA Secretary to grant level-premium term life insurance to veterans under age 65 with service-connected disabilities. Increases from $20,000 to $30,000 the maximum amount of supplemental insurance provided through the VA for totally disabled veterans. Removes a condition on the qualification of certain individuals for retroactive benefits from traumatic injury coverage under Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance. Increases the maximum loan guarantee amount under the veterans' mortgage life insurance program from $90,000 to $150,000, then to $200,000 after January 1, 2012. Establishes an annual cost-of-living adjustment for the temporary payment of dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC) to a veteran's surviving spouse with one or more children under the age of 18. Provides eligibility requirements for the payment of a special monthly pension based on disability for veterans who already qualify for a service pension based upon age. Increases amounts of DIC payable to surviving spouses and parents of deceased veterans. Increases, and authorizes the annual adjustment of, pension amounts payable to hospitalized veterans and certain children of veterans of a period of war. Authorizes and directs the Secretary to pay a: (1) supplemental benefit for the funeral and burial expenses of veterans, making such amount $900 with respect to a non-service-connected death and $2,100 with respect to a service-connected death; and (2) supplemental burial plot allowance for veterans eligible for the current allowance. Authorizes the provision of specially adapted housing assistance for disabled veterans whose disability is due to a severe burn injury. Authorizes the Secretary to pay a supplemental benefit, for assistance in the purchase of automobiles and other conveyances, for disabled veterans currently eligible for such assistance. S 746--A bill to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a national cemetery in the Sarpy County region to serve veterans in eastern Nebraska, western Iowa, and northwest Missouri.--Directs the VA Secretary to establish a national cemetery in the Sarpy County, Nebraska, region to serve the needs of veterans and their families in Nebraska, Iowa, and Missouri. S 820--Veterans Mobility Enhancement Act of 2009--Increases from $11,000 to $22,500 the amount authorized to be provided by the VA to certain disabled veterans for the purchase of an automobile and any necessary adaptive equipment. HR 775, S 535--Military Surviving Spouses Equity Act--To repeal the requirement for reduction of survivor annuities under the Survivor Benefit Plan to offset the receipt of veterans dependency and indemnity compensation. HR 1016, S 423--Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act of 2009--Requires, beginning with FY 2011, a two-fiscal-year discretionary new budget authority for the following accounts of the VA: (1) Medical Services; (2) Medical Support and Compliance; (3) Medical Facilities; (4) Information Technology; and (5) Medical and Prosthetic Research Requires the Comptroller General to conduct a study on the adequacy and accuracy of VA baseline model projections for health care expenditures. HR 3082, S 1407--Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act of 2010--Making appropriations for the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2010. HR 1037, 1098, 1168, 1172, 1821, 1879, 2180--Legislation of various bills--Enhance benefits and services to veterans and their families. Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Services-Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Services--Provide Vocational Rehabilitation assistance to veterans with disabilities incurred during military service. General Testimony--VA Claims Backlog. General Testimony--Assessing Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services (CARES) and the future of VA Health Infrastructure. General Testimony--Funding the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs of the future. Legislative Testimony (Senate Veterans Affairs Committee)--Testimony on the following benefits-related bills: S 263, 315, 347, 407, 475, 514, 691, 663, 728, 746, 820, 842, 847. Draft Legislation--Provide for the internment of unclaimed cremated remains of veterans. General Support Letter--Applaud Conference Committee for the Budget Resolution FY 2010 recommendation for $53.4 billion in discretionary funding (an increase of $5.6 billion above current funding level) for VA. Legislative Testimony (House Veterans Affairs Committee)--Testimony on the following health care-related bills: HR 2379, 2713, 2774, 2968, 2770, 2898, 1293, 1197, 1302, 1335, 1546, 2374, 2738. General Support Letter--Support for full appropriations of the authorized $10 million for the 2010 United States Paralympic Integrated Adaptive Sports Program. General Support Letter--Support for the request of utilization of Value Based insurance Design by Secretary of Veterans Affairs to reduce copayments charged to veterans for specified conditions.

H.R. 147, the "Homeless Veterans Assistance Fund" H.R. 228, the "Visual Improvement and Orientation and Mobility Professionals Education Assistance Program" H.R. 297, the "Veterans Rehabilitation and Employment Subsistence Allowance Improve Act of 2009" H.R. 446, the "Wounded Veteran Job Security Act" H.R. 784, a bill to require the VA to provide quarterly reports on vacancies in the mental health profession H.R. 785/S. 597, the "Women Veterans Health Care Improvement Act" H.R. 929, a bill to provide for job training skills relevant to the job market for qualified veterans H.R. 942, a bill to conduct a pilot project to allow veterans to use educational assistance to apply to training costs when purchasing a franchise H.R. 950, a bill to increase educational assistance for certain veterans H.R. 1016/S. 423, the "Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act" (Advance appropriations for VA Health Care) H.R. 1037, a bill to establish a pilot program that will expand the current scope of the work-study program H.R. 1088, the "Veterans Employment Rights Realignment Act of 2009" H.R. 1098, the "Veterans' Worker Retaining Act of 2009" H.R. 1168, the "Veterans' Retraining Act of 2009" H.R. 1171, the "Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program Reauthorization Act of 2009" H.R. 1172, a bill that directs the VA to include on its internet website a list of organizations that provide scholarships to veterans and their surviors H.R. 1197, the "Medal of Honor Health Care Equity Act of 2009" H.R. 1302, a bill to establish the position of Director of Physician Assistant Services at VA H.R. 1335/S821, a bill to eliminate co-payments for catastropically disabled veterans H.R. 1546, the "Caring for Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury Act of 2009" H.R. 1821, the "Equity for Injured Veterans Act of 2009" H.R. 1879, the "National Guard Employment Protection Act of 2009" H.R. 2180, a bill to waive housing loan fees for certain veterans with service-connected disabilities called to active service H.R. 2713, "Disabled Veterans Life Insurance Enhancement Act" H.R. 2379, the "Veterans Group Life Insurance Imporovements Act of 2009" H.R. 2734, the "Health Care for Family Caregivers Act of 2009" H.R. 2738, a bill to proved travel expenses for family caregivers accompanying veterans to medical treatment facilities H.R. 2774, the "Families of Veterans Financial Security Act of 2009" H.R. 2770, the "Veterans Nonprofit Research and Education Corporations Enhancement Act of 2009" H.R. 2879/S. 658, the "Rural Veterans Health Care Improvement Act of 2009" H.R. 2898, the "Wounded Warrior Caregiver Assistance Act" H.R. 2968, a bill to eliminate the required reduction in the amount of the accelerated death benefit payable to certain terminally-ill persons insured under SGLI an VGLI S. 226, a bill to desigante the Merril Lundman Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic S. 239, the "Veterans Health Equity Act of 2009" S. 246, the Veterans Health Care Quality Improvement Act" S. 252, the "Veterans Health Care Authorization Act of 2009" S. 263, the Servicemembers Access to Justice Act of 2009" S. 315, the Veterans Outreach Improve Act of 2009" S. 347 S. 362, a bill to improve collective bargaining rights and prcedures for VA employees S. 404, the "Veterans' Emergency Care Fairness Act of 2009" S. 407, the "Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2009" S. 475, the "Military Spouses Residency Relief Act" S. 498, a bill to authorize dental insurance for veterans and survivors and dependents S. 509, a bill to authorize a VA medical facility in Walla Walla Washington S. 514, the "Veterans Rehabilitation and Training Improvements Act of 2009" S. 543, the "Veteran and Servicemember Caregiver Support Act of 2009" S. 663, the "Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War II" S. 669, the "Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act" S. 691, to establish a national cemetery in Southern Colorado S. 699, the "Far South Texas Veterans Medical Center Act of 2009" S. 728, the "Veterans' Insurance and Benefits Enhancement Act of 2009" S. 734, the "Rural Veterans Health Care Access and Quality Act of 2009" S. 746, to establish a national cemetery in Sarpy County, Nebraska S. 772, the "Honor Act of 2009" S. 793, the "Department of Veterans Affairs Vision Scholars Act of 2009" S. 801, the "Family Caregiver Program Act of 2009" S. 820, the "Veterans Mobility Enhancement Act of 2009" S. 842 S. 847

Department of Veterans Affairs appropriations and its delivery of benefits and services to veterans, their dependents and survivors: HR 2898, HR 2879, HR 2770, HR 2734, HR 2583, HR 2419, HR 2389, HR 2342, HR 1818, HR 1546, HR 1388, HR 1377, HR 1335, HR 1302, HR 1293, HR 1211, HR 1204, HR 1203, HR 1197, HR 1171, HR 1088, HR 1017, HR 1016, HR 953, HR 816, HR 811, HR 775, HR 667, HR 658, HR 612, HR 593, HR 466, HR 456, HR 341, HR 333, HR 303, HR 297, HR 296, HR 295, HR 294, HR 293, H.RES. 261, HR 177, HR 114, HR 108, H.Con. Res 85, HR 32, S 944, S 847, S 821, S 820, S 801, S 728, S 642, S 597, S 423, S 404, S 277, S 252, S.Con.Res. 13

Client expense: $220,000 · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: Defense, Dept of (DOD), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Labor, Dept of (DOL), Office of Management & Budget (OMB), Office of Personnel Management (OPM), SENATE, Small Business Administration (SBA), U.S. Postal Service (USPS), Veterans Affairs, Dept of (VA), Veterans Employment & Training Service

Funding for affordable housing for low income families; appropriations for affordable housing programs and disaster relief for housing, including American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (neighborhood stabilization provisions) (HR1), Serve America Act (HR 1388), Section 4 appropriations, Shelter, Land and Urban Management Assistance Act (HR1702); GROWTH Act (HR1302, S2433), Millenium Challenge Corporation appropriations, Foreign Aid appropriations, Weatherization Assistance Program

Client expense: $80,000 · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: Corporation for Natl & Community Service, Energy, Dept of, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Housing & Urban Development, Dept of (HUD), SENATE, White House Office

H.Con.Res. 85/S.Con.Res. 13, FY 2010 Budget Resolution, in regard to increasing the Department of Veterans Affairs health care budget. S 423, bill to authorize advance appropriations for VA health care - provisions to reform the VA health care funding process and enhance Congress' ability to better predict and oversee health care spending. S 252, bill to amend Title 38, United States Code - provisions to increase the capacity of the Department of Veterans Affairs to recruit and retain nurses and other critical health-care professionals. S 597, Women's Veterans Health Improvement Act of 2008 - provisions to identify and address needs of women veterans and their families through research, training and certification programs, and participation on VA advisory committees. S 362, to amend Section 7422 of Title 38, which provides medical professionals with collective rights, including the right to resolve disputes with management over matters affecting working conditions through grievances, arbitrations and negotiations. S 362 would give VA registered nurses, psychiatrists, doctors, and dentists the same bargaining rights as their counterparts in military hospitals and prison facilities. S 246/HR 568, bill to amend Title 38, United States Code - provisions relating to improving the quality of care provided to veterans in the Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities and the recruitment of highly qualified doctors to hard to fill positions in these facilities. HR 1302 - provision to establish a full-time Director of Physician Assistant Services with the Department of Veterans Affairs. HR 1377, bill to amend Title 38, United States Code - provisions for expansion of veteran eligibility for reimbursement by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for emergency treatment furnished in a non-Department facility. S 658 - provisions to improve access to health care for rural veterans. Recommending an increase in the mileage rate and greater oversight of contract care program (such as Project HERO, VA's contract health care program already underway) to include collection of data comparing amount of travel required for visits to contract care facilities to amount of travel required to receive care at nearest VA facility; and its resulting impact on VA's capacity to provide services in-house.

Medicare Coverage of Services Provided by PAs (S.318); FY 10 L-HHS Appropriations; Bill to establish a full-time Director of PA Services at the VA (HR 1302); Federal Employees Compensation Act; FMCSA Regulations on Truck Driver Physicals; HHS Provider Conscience Rules; Pay Equity for PA Civilian Contractors at Army medical facilities; VA PA pay equity issues; Stimulus Package; Health Care Reform.

Client expense: $175,178 · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: Army, Dept of (Other), Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Defense, Dept of (DOD), Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS), Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), Labor, Dept of (DOL), Office of Management & Budget (OMB), President of the U.S., SENATE, Transportation, Dept of (DOT), Veterans Affairs, Dept of (VA), White House Office