Bill Overview
Title: A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish in the Department of Veterans Affairs an Advisory Committee on United States Outlying Areas and Freely Associated States, and for other purposes.
Description: This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish the Advisory Committee on United States Outlying Areas and Freely Associated States to provide advice and guidance to the VA on matters relating to veterans residing in American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau. Among other duties, the committee must advise the VA on how to improve its programs and services to better serve veterans living in the listed areas.
Sponsors: Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI]
Target Audience
Population: Veterans residing in U.S. Outlying Areas and Freely Associated States
Estimated Size: 30000
- The bill specifically targets veterans residing in U.S. territories and Freely Associated States.
- The affected areas include American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
- Additional impacted regions are the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau.
- The population of veterans in these regions is significantly smaller than within the continental United States.
Reasoning
- Considering the budgetary constraints, the policy's outreach and impact will initially be limited to advisory roles and potential small-scale improvements in VA services.
- This policy is focused on improving advisory services and understanding, which may not immediately translate to direct benefits but could pave the way for more substantial future impacts.
- Veterans in more densely populated areas within the continental U.S. might see little to no impact from this policy, as it is specifically tailored towards outlying areas.
- The rarity of affected veterans within the entire U.S. population implies that the average American veteran's situation will barely change, if at all.
- Over the long-term, there could be significant improvements in the quality of service in these areas if the advice leads to actionable changes.
- Veterans in U.S. territories might see medium to high impacts over time as programs are refined and adapted based on the committee's advice.
- Veterans in Freely Associated States will potentially benefit from enhanced advisory processes but may experience slower improvements due to logistical challenges.
Simulated Interviews
Former serviceman (Guam)
Age: 32 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I feel somewhat forgotten out here. We don’t get the same attention as veterans in the mainland.
- If this committee can bring more resources or better understanding of our needs, it could really help.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
VA healthcare worker (Puerto Rico)
Age: 54 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I've seen firsthand how hard it can be for veterans here to access all the benefits they need.
- This advisory committee could highlight issues we deal with regularly but that Washington might not see.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Part-time teacher (Federated States of Micronesia)
Age: 40 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 2/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Being geographically isolated, we miss out on a lot of the benefits veterans get on the mainland.
- There's hope that a better understanding of our situation might bring change.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 4 |
IT specialist (California)
Age: 28 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I believe the veterans in areas like Guam need more support.
- I personally won't be impacted, but hope this policy helps family back home.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Retired (U.S. Virgin Islands)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It’s difficult to get the support we need because of our location.
- This committee might be the first step in getting things moving.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Fishery worker (Northern Mariana Islands)
Age: 65 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I've been advocating for better veteran support for years.
- The advisory effort is a long overdue acknowledgment of our issues.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Nurse (Marshall Islands)
Age: 37 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 7.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Health services for veterans here need major improvement.
- Advisory work might help to address health-related gaps.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Carpenter (Rep. of Palau)
Age: 50 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 2/20
Statement of Opinion:
- We’re often overlooked when it comes to veteran issues.
- This committee might help raise awareness and resources.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Financial analyst (New York)
Age: 29 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's important that often-forgotten regions receive support.
- This bill doesn’t impact me directly, but it’s a step toward equality.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
Veterans' advocate (American Samoa)
Age: 48 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 2/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm optimistic that these advisory roles will bring attention to our isolated community.
- I’ve worked hard to get these issues heard, and this could be a real breakthrough.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 6 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $2000000 (Low: $1500000, High: $2500000)
Year 2: $2100000 (Low: $1600000, High: $2600000)
Year 3: $2200000 (Low: $1700000, High: $2700000)
Year 5: $2300000 (Low: $1800000, High: $2800000)
Year 10: $2400000 (Low: $1900000, High: $2900000)
Year 100: $3000000 (Low: $2500000, High: $3500000)
Key Considerations
- The veteran population in the affected areas is relatively small, limiting broader fiscal impacts.
- Committee-related costs will largely stem from logistical and administrative expenses.
- Enhanced service delivery could directly affect economic conditions in targeted regions.