FEDERAL LEGISLATION

 Strengthening Federal Policy Through Unified Leadership

 


The Missouri Association of Veterans Organizations (MAVO) is a statewide coalition representing Missouri’s congressionally chartered veteran service organizations. MAVO provides a unified voice for Missouri’s veterans and works to ensure their needs, concerns, and priorities are clearly communicated to federal decision‑makers.


Partnership With Federal Elected Officials

MAVO works closely with Missouri’s federal elected officials to strengthen veteran policy, improve access to benefits, and ensure federal programs operate effectively for those who served. Through ongoing engagement, MAVO:

  • Provides Direct Insight From the Veteran Community
    MAVO gathers input from veterans across Missouri and delivers clear, data‑informed feedback to members of Congress. This helps federal lawmakers understand how national policies affect veterans at the local level.

  • Supports Informed Legislative Decision‑Making
    MAVO offers briefings, testimony, and subject‑matter expertise to federal elected officials as they consider legislation related to healthcare, benefits, mental health, education, and military families.

  • Facilitates Communication Between Veterans and Congress
    MAVO serves as a bridge, ensuring veterans’ concerns reach federal offices and that federal updates—such as VA reforms, program changes, or new benefits—are communicated back to Missouri communities accurately and efficiently.

  • Strengthens Oversight and Accountability
    By sharing real‑world experiences from veterans navigating federal systems, MAVO helps federal elected officials identify gaps, monitor implementation of federal programs, and advocate for improvements.

  • Promotes Collaborative Solutions
    MAVO works hand‑in‑hand with federal leaders to develop practical, bipartisan solutions that honor service, reduce barriers to care, and improve outcomes for veterans and their families.

 

A Shared Commitment to Missouri’s Veterans

MAVO’s partnership with federal elected officials reflects a shared responsibility to uphold the nation’s promise to its veterans. By aligning grassroots advocacy with federal leadership, MAVO ensures Missouri’s veterans have a strong, consistent voice in Washington and access to the full range of benefits they have earned.


US Senators

Josh Hawley - Homepage - Josh Hawley
 Eric Schmitt - Home - Senator Schmitt
 
US Representatives

Robert Onder - Representative Bob Onder  District 3 (South I-70)
 Mark Alford - Congressman Mark Alford - District 4 (North I-70)

1. Strategic framing on Federal Issues

Objective: We wanted to equip each member with a clear, credible snapshot of veterans' legislation in the 119th Congress, aligned with MAVO national priorities and ready for use with members of Congress, community partners, and the public.


Key message: Congress is considering a historic volume of veterans' legislation. MAVO supports reforms that improve access, fairness, and dignity for veterans and survivors—and opposes efforts that undermine VA as the primary provider of care or weaken earned benefits.

2. Top priority bills to highlight

Major Richard Star Act – Concurrent receipt

  • Bills: H.R. 2102 / S. 1032 – Major Richard Star Act.
  • What it does: Ends the offset that forces certain combat‑injured retirees to give up part of their earned DoD retirement when they receive VA disability compensation. 
  • Why it matters: Fixes a long‑standing injustice for tens of thousands of combat‑injured veterans who lose retirement pay simply because they were wounded in service. 
  • MAVO message: "Combat‑injured veterans should not have to forfeit retirement they earned just because they were hurt defending this country.”
 
 

Caring for Survivors Act – DIC and survivors

  • Bills: H.R. 2055 / S. 611 – Caring for Survivors Act of 2025.
  • Focus: Improves Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) and related survivors' benefits, addressing long‑standing inequities for surviving spouses and families. 
  • MAVO message: "When a veteran dies, the benefits should not die with them—survivors deserve fair, modern support.”
 
 

Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity

  • Bills: H.R. 1423 / S. 649 – Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act of 2025.
  • Focus: Ensures Guard and Reserve members receive GI Bill credit for all qualifying service, including training and certain activations, closing gaps between active and reserve components.
  • MAVO message: "Guard and Reserve service is real service—GI Bill benefits should reflect that.”

3. High‑impact issue clusters

A. Claims, appeals, and communication

Representative bills (House):


  • H.R. 1039 – Clear Communication for Veterans Claims Act
  • H.R. 1228 – Prioritizing Veterans’ Survivors Act
  • H.R. 1286 – Simplifying Forms for Veterans Claims Act
  • H.R. 1578 – Veterans Claims Education Act of 2025
  • H.R. 1741 – Veteran Appeals Transparency Act of 2025
  • H.R. 2137 – Review Every Veterans Claim Act of 2025
  • H.R. 3835 – Veterans Appeals Efficiency Act of 2025
  • H.R. 3983 – Veterans Claims Quality Improvement Act of 2025
 

Representative bills (Senate):


  • S. 1657 – Review Every Veteran’s Claim Act of 2025
  • S. 1992 – Veterans Appeals Efficiency Act of 2025
 

Theme: These bills collectively aim to simplify forms, improve notice and communication, increase transparency in appeals, and strengthen quality review—directly affecting how veterans experience the claims process.


MAVO talking point: "We support legislation that makes VA decisions clearer, faster, and fairer—no veteran should lose benefits because the system is confusing.”

B. Caregivers and family support

  • H.R. 2148 / S. 879 – Veteran Caregiver Reeducation, Reemployment, and Retirement Act
  • H.R. 3833 – Veterans’ Caregiver Appeals Modernization Act of 2025
 

Theme: Strengthens caregiver programs, improves appeals rights, and supports caregivers’ ability to work and retire with dignity while caring for disabled veterans.


MAVO talking point: "Caregivers are force multipliers for VA—supporting them is supporting veterans.”

C. Mental health, suicide prevention, MST, and toxic exposure

  • H.R. 2201 – Improving VA Training for Military Sexual Trauma Claims Act
  • H.R. 2623 – Innovative Therapies Centers of Excellence Act of 2025
  • H.R. 2878 – Daniel J. Harvey, Jr. and Adam Lambert Improving Servicemember Transition to Reduce Veteran Suicide Act
  • S. 585 – Servicemember to Veteran Health Care Connection Act of 2025
  • S. 793 – Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program reauthorization
  • S. 926 – Saving Our Veterans Lives Act of 2025
  • S. 2061 – Molly R. Loomis Research for Descendants of Toxic Exposed Veterans Act of 2025
  • S. 2220 – FORGOTTEN Veterans Act of 2025
 

Theme: Expands suicide prevention efforts, improves MST claims handling, advances brain health and innovative therapies, and deepens research and recognition for toxic exposure and its generational impact.


MAVO talking point: "We back serious, evidence‑based efforts to prevent veteran suicide, improve MST response, and address toxic exposure—no more forgotten veterans.”

D. Access to care, rural veterans, and transportation

  • H.R. 3951 – Rural Veterans’ Improved Access to Benefits Act of 2025
  • S. 784 – Rural Veterans Transportation to Care Act
  • S. 827 – Supporting Rural Veterans Access to Healthcare Services Act
  • S. 1868 – Critical Access for Veterans Care Act
  • S. 2397 – CARING for Our Veterans Health Act of 2025
 

Theme: Focus on rural access, transportation, and strengthening VA’s ability to deliver care where veterans live, consistent with VFW’s push to fix—not abandon—VA community care systems.


MAVO talking point: "Rural veterans shouldn’t have to choose between distance and care—Congress must fund access, not excuses.”

4. Bills affecting burials, memorials, and final honors

  • H.R. 647 / S. 1116 – Ensuring Veterans’ Final Resting Place Act of 2025
  • H.R. 2701 / S. 1318 – Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Act
  • H.R. 3726 / S. 2309 – Fisher House Availability Act / Veteran Burial Timeliness and Death Certificate Accountability Act
  • S. 3226 – Bring Our Heroes Home Act
 

Theme: Protects the dignity, timeliness, and integrity of veterans’ burials, honors, and remains, including religious heritage and accountability in burial processes.


MAVO talking point: "How we honor veterans in death reflects how we value them in life—these bills safeguard that promise.”

5. MAVO opposition:

H.R. 3132 – CHOICE for Veterans Act of 2025

  • Bill: H.R. 3132 – CHOICE for Veterans Act of 2025.
  • Status: "MAVO DOES NOT SUPPORT”.
  • Likely concern: Expansion of community care in ways that risk siphoning resources from VA, undermining VA as the primary coordinator and provider of veterans’ health care—consistent with MAVO's long‑standing concerns about over‑reliance on outsourced care.
 

MAVO talking point:
"We oppose efforts that hollow out VA by over‑expanding community care. Veterans deserve a strong, fully funded VA—not a patchwork of outsourced care.”

 
"You get what you FIGHT for ...
Not what you HOPE for ...”


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