Budzinski Bills to Support Veterans Advance in House Committee

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) announced that three of her bills, the Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship Opportunity Act, the VA Mental Health Outreach and Engagement Act, and the Health Professionals Scholarship Program Improvement Act, advanced out of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee (HVAC).

“I’m excited to announce that three of my bipartisan bills to support veterans have passed out of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee,” said Congresswoman Budzinski. “Our veterans should be given every tool they need to succeed in civilian life – and these pieces of legislation are designed to do just that by helping veterans advance their skills, get connected with good-paying jobs, access the best quality health care, and navigate mental health resources at the VA. I look forward to continuing to work across the aisle to get these bills signed into law.”

The bills now move to the full House of Representatives for consideration.

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The bipartisan Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship Opportunity Act, introduced by Rep. Budzinski and Rep. Abe Hamedeh (AZ-08) is a bipartisan bill to help veterans pursue degrees in science, health care, and technology. The legislation would modify the requirements of the Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship to make the program accessible to more veterans.

The bipartisan VA Mental Health Outreach and Engagement Act, introduced with Rep. Chuck Edwards (NC-11), would expand the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) outreach to veterans about mental health services. By requiring VA to conduct proactive outreach to veterans with mental health-related service-connected disabilities, the bill would reduce barriers for veterans in navigating the VA system and accessing mental health care. The VA Mental Health Outreach and Engagement Act is endorsed by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and USAA.

The bipartisan Health Professionals Scholarship Improvement Act, introduced by Rep. Abe Hamadeh (AZ-08) with Rep. Budzinski, would address staffing shortages at the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) by streamlining the pathway for participants in VA’s Health Professionals Scholarship Program (HPSP) into full-time roles at VHA.

Congresswoman Budzinski serves as the Ranking Member of the HVAC Technology Modernization Subcommittee.

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