VFW Legislative Victories

VFW played an instrumental role in virtually every significant piece of veterans’ legislation passed in the 20th century, as well as bills enacted in the 21st century.

Note: In each case, this is the year an act was passed or an institution established.

Media Contacts:

Joe Davis, Director, Communications, Publications & Public Affairs, 202-608-8357, [email protected]

Randi Law, VFW Communications Manager, 816-968-1104, [email protected]

1917 War Risk Insurance Act Amendments

1918 Vocational Rehabilitation Act (P.L. 178)

1919 Census Act Rider on Veterans Preference Discharge

Allowance

1920 Widows and Orphans Pension Act (Spanish-American War)

1921 Veterans Bureau Act

1923 Veterans Preference Point System

1924 House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs

World War Adjusted Compensation Act

1925 Senate Subcommittee on Veterans’ Affairs

1926 Spanish-American War benefits

New Johnson Act (WWI benefits)

1930 Veterans Administration (VA)

World War Service Disability Pension Act (P.L. 522)

1931 Bacharach Amendment (P.L. 743) allows borrowing on

WWI bonus certificates

1933 Wagner-Peyser Act: Veterans Employment Service

1934 Pension for widows of WWI vets

1936 VFW congressional charter signed by President Roosevelt

Bonus bonds ($2.4 billion) to WWI vets redeemable

1938 Armistice Day (Nov. 11) legal holiday

1940 National Service Life Insurance

Selective Service & Training Act

1943 Benefits to WWII veterans (P.L. 10)

Disabled Veterans Rehabilitation Act

1944 GI Bill of Rights (P.L. 346)

Veterans Preference Act

1946 Veteran Emergency Housing Act

1947 Bureau of Veterans Re-employment Rights (BVRR)

1950 Vocational Rehabilitation Act

1951 Servicemen’s Indemnity & Insurance

1952 Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (Korean War GI Bill)

1954 Veterans Compensation Act

November 11 declared as Veterans Day (P.L. 380)

1962 Veterans Benefits Act (Cold War GI Bill)

1966 Veterans Readjustment Benefits Act (P.L. 89-358)

(Vietnam War GI Bill)

1970 Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs

1972 Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act

1973 Federal court agrees veterans preference applies to state jobs

1974 Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act

(vocational rehabilitation)

1976 Veterans Education & Employment Assistance Act

1977 Post-Vietnam Era Veterans Educational Assistance Act

1978 Veterans preference preserved

Veterans & Survivors Pension Improvement Act

Veterans Day returned to Nov. 11

1979 Vietnam Veterans Outreach Program (creates Vet Centers)

1980 VFW calls for Agent Orange study

Veterans Rehabilitation & Education Amendments

1981 Former POW Benefits Act

Veterans Health Care, Training & Small Business Loan Act

1982 Veterans Employment and Training Service (VETS)

Vietnam Veterans Memorial dedicated

1983 Emergency Veterans Job-Training Act

1984 Montgomery GI Bill

Veterans Dioxin & Radiation Exposure Compensation

Standards Act (P.L. 98-542): Agent Orange & Atomic Exposure

1987 New GI Bill Continuation Act

1988 Radiation-Exposed Veterans Compensation Act

Department of Veterans Affairs Act

Veterans Judicial Review Act

1989 VA becomes a Cabinet department

Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims

1990 Agent Orange service-connection

1991 Agent Orange Act (P.L. 102-4)

Persian Gulf War Veterans Assistance Act (P.L. 102-25)

1992 Veterans Health-Care Act

1996 Veterans Health-Care Eligibility Reform Act

1999 Veterans Millennium Health-Care and Benefits Act

2003 Concurrent receipt for military retirees rated 50% disabled or more

2004 Full concurrent receipt for military retirees rated 100% disabled Traumatic Injury Insurance supplemental created

2005 Protestors banned from military funerals

Stolen Valor Act signed into law

2006 VFW calls for VA/military health care system review after Walter

Reed outpatient debacle

2008 Record VA discretionary budget approved

GI Bill for the 21st Century signed into law

2009 Advanced Appropriations for VA becomes law

2010 Family Caregiver Legislation signed into law

Ensured all VA and DOD health care programs met minimum

health care coverage standards

2011 VOW to Hire Heroes Act

VFW stopped TRICARE premiums from increasing annually

2012 Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune

Families Act

Extended USERRA protections to veterans working for TSA

2013 Reinstated military Tuition Assistance programs

New Stolen Valor Act signed into law

Stopped Creation of Distinguished Warfare Medal (Drone Medal)

2014 Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act of 2014

In-State Tuition for Post-9/11 GI Bill eligible veterans

Advance appropriations for VA Benefits

2015 Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans (SAV) Act

Eliminated 1% COLA reduction penalty on future military retirees

Created government match to military Thrift Savings Plan accounts

2016 Toxic Exposure Research Act to evaluate impact on descendants

Enhanced fertility treatment and adoption services

2017 Forever GI Bill gives veterans a lifetime to use GI Bill benefits

Streamlined claims appeals process

VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act

Global War on Terrorism memorial

Improved VA hiring and retention authorities

Veterans Choice Program improvements and expansion

Declassifying Toxic Exposure Documents

Prevented significant copayment increases for TRICARE

VFW Community Achievements

The VFW takes great pride in its history of service to its communities both stateside and abroad. Annually, VFW and Auxiliary members donate nearly nine million hours to

community service projects, relief efforts and local VA facilities each year.

Media Contacts:

Joe Davis, Director, Communications, Publications & Public Affairs, 202-608-8357, [email protected]

Randi Law, VFW Communications Manager, 816-968-1104, [email protected]

1915 Post 2100 helps sponsor a Boy Scout troop in Everett, Wash.

1916 First national VFW essay contest held.

1922 Buddy Poppy Program begins.

1923 VFW enters the war on drugs by printing a resolution calling

for an international conference.

1927 VFW donates $10,000 to Mississippi Valley flood victims.

1930 First VFW scholarship award ($300) goes to a Boy Scout.

1936 Boy Scout-VFW plan of cooperation is signed.

1938 VFW supports the National Foundation for Infantile

Paralysis.

1940 VFW Junior Rifle Clubs are formed with National Rifle

Association.

1942 VFW Aviator Cadet Program begins.

1950 A cooperative disaster-relief plan is developed with the Red

Cross.

1952 The Dunn family (Kansas flood victims) wins a $75,000 farm

in Washington courtesy of the VFW.

1953 VFW National Teen-er Baseball: First tournament is held in

Hershey Park, Pa.

1956 150,000 kids take part in the national VFW marble

competition.

1958 VFW becomes full partner with Voice of Democracy (VOD).

1959 Minnesota VFW/Ladies Auxiliary raise $325,000 for

dedication of the VFW Cancer Research Center at the Univ.

of Minn. (Minneapolis).

1961 VFW assumes primary sponsorship of VOD—within four

years 262,000 students participate.

1962 Lite-a-Bike program: a $300,000 project with 3-M Co. of St.

Paul, Minn., provides “Scotchlite” reflector tape—50,000

VFW members from 4,500 Posts participate.

1964 VFW/Ladies Auxiliary contribute nearly $100,000 to

earthquake victims in Anchorage, Alaska.

1970 Drive-to-Survive program begins.

1973 Drug Awareness program begins.

1978 Women admitted to VFW.

1979 VFW Political Action Committee forms.

1980 Minnesota VFW Posts sponsor the U.S. hockey team in the

Winter Olympics.

1983 VFW agrees to permit the Red Cross to use VFW facilities as

shelters and relief centers during national disasters and

emergencies.

1986 VFW donates $122,000 to the Statue of Liberty Restoration

Fund.

1990 VFW contributes $49,000 to California earthquake victims.

1992 VFW disburses $197,000 to relieve victims of Hurricane

Andrew and other disasters.

1993 Relief funds total $500,000.

1995 Youth Essay Contest (7th-8th grades) begins.

1997 Buddy Poppy celebrates 75th anniversary.

1998 VFW Posts raise $100,000 for the March of Dimes.

1999 VOD gives $2.5 million in scholarship monies to high school

students. VFW donates $50,000 and 25,000 reprints of its war

chronology to Vietnam Veterans Memorial’s Young American

Vietnam War Era Studies Project.

2000 VFW distributes 60,000 audio books to armed forces

worldwide through Operation Yarnspinner.

2002 VFW contributes $110,000 to diabetes research.

VFW equally distributes $120,000 among families of active-

duty personnel killed in the September 11, 2001, terrorist

attack on the Pentagon.

2003 VFW partners with USA Freedom Corps homefront initiative.

2004 VFW establishes relationships with the National Council for

Social Studies (NCCS) and National Association of

Secondary School Principals (NASSP).

2005 VFW disburses $560,000 to Gulf Coast veterans after

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

VFW distributes 5,000 copies of CD entitled, “Vietnam: A

Nation Remembers.”

VFW establishes VFW Military Scholarship program.

VFW expands Patriot’s Pen Essay Competition.

2007 VFW Radiothon raises nearly $100,000 for Unmet Needs.

2010 VFW donates over $648,000 toward construction of the

Vietnam Veterans Education Center.

VFW increases Voice of Democracy National Scholarships to

$150,000. VFW raises over $20,000 to assist service members

with family in Haiti following the January earthquake.

2011 VFW pledges $500,000 toward the construction of the

Veterans

Hall in the National Museum of the United States Army.

VFW provides over $145,000 in emergency financial relief to

military families living in tornado-stricken areas.

2012 VFW provides over $120,000 for Hurricane Sandy victims on

the East Coast.

2013 VFW provides $30,000 for the Moore, Okla. tornado victims

and over $30,000 for the flood victims in Colorado.

2015 VFW provides $10,000 to the Pacific Areas for typhoon relief.

2016 VFW provides $25,000 for flood relief in Louisiana.

2017 VFW provides $30,000 for Hurricane Matthew victims in

North Carolina, and more than $452,000 in aid for victims of

Hurricanes Irma, Harvey and Maria, and for victims of the

California wildfires.