House Passes Wenstrup-led bills to help veterans, expand employee access to health care, support adopting families 

Washington, D.C. – Today, the House passed H.R. 1432, the VSO Equal Tax Treatment Act or the VETT Act, and H.R. 3800, the Chronic Disease Flexible Coverage Act, legislation sponsored by Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH). In addition, the House passed language from Rep. Wenstrup's the Foster Care Adoption Oversight and Support Act in H.R. 9076, the Protecting America’s Children by Strengthening Families Act.

H.R. 1432 – The VSO Equal Tax Treatment Act or the VETT Act is a bipartisan and bicameral bill that would update a provision in the Federal tax code that currently prevents Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs) from accepting tax-deductible donations unless they maintain a membership of at least 90 percent wartime veterans. Current rules exclude veterans who joined and served after the Vietnam War and prior to the Persian Gulf War in 1991 from being considered “wartime” veterans. The VETT Act will permit all Congressionally-chartered VSOs to receive tax-deductible donations regardless of wartime membership. Federal tax policy should encourage Americans to donate to these invaluable institutions that support our nation’s veterans.

H.R. 3800 – The Chronic Disease Flexible Coverage Act expands choice, increases flexibility and reduces burdens in providing health care for employees. In particular, it will codify chronic disease management flexibilities to encourage employers to offer high-value health care services. This legislation would help employers provide expanded '"first dollar coverage" and allow employers the option to cover 14 chronic care management medical services including beta-blockers, glucometers, and cholesterol-lowering medications.

H.R. 9076 – The Protecting America's Children by Strengthening Families Act would reauthorize and modernize title IV-B of the Social Security Act to strengthen child welfare services and expand the availability of prevention services to better meet the needs of vulnerable families. A provision of this bill includes language from Rep. Wenstrup’s the Foster Care Adoption Oversight and Support Act, that would gather data to assess the effectiveness of post-adoption services and resources provided to families, in order to identify gaps in accessible services, inform strategic investments, and improve outcomes for adopted children and their families.

"I am proud that the House passed this legislation today that would help our veterans, employee access to health care, and adopting families, and I hope my colleagues in the Senate move these bipartisan bills swiftly to the President's desk to sign," said Rep. Brad Wenstrup, D.P.M.