(U.S. Senate) – Yesterday, the Senate unanimously passed 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—ensuring a smooth continuation of their hard-earned benefits and support. The legislation now heads to the U.S. House of Representatives for consideration.  

“Veterans and their families deserve absolute certainty when it comes to accessing the care and benefits they earned serving our country,” said Tester. “That’s why I’m proud to have led the effort to ensure there’s no lapse in the delivery of essential VA services and programs to our nation’s veterans, and I urge my House colleagues to send this legislative package to the President’s desk as soon as possible.”

Tester’s Fiscal Year 2024 VA Extenders Legislation paves the way for the reauthorization of 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.