The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Injured and Amputee Veterans Bill of Rights (H.R. 5428) as part of a larger bill, H.R. 5953, the Women Veterans Bill of Rights, on Nov. 30, 2010. Congressman Filner, Chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, led the charge in placing this bill on the “suspension calendar,” leading to a favorable vote in the House.
The bill now goes to the U.S. Senate for consideration in the closing days of the 111th Congress. According to a press release from the National Association for the Advancement of Orthotics and Prosthetics (NAAOP), the hope is that the Senate will consider this bill under “unanimous consent” procedures, where, if no one objects, it automatically passes the Senate. However, there are many barriers that lie ahead, particularly with the contents of the Women Veterans Bill of Rights, and it is late in the Congressional calendar.
NAAOP is working hard to secure passage of this important legislation and encourages members and friends in the O&P community to contact their Senate offices and encourage passage in the Senate of the Injured and Amputee Veterans Bill of Rights, part of H.R. 5953 – the Women Veterans Bill of Rights.
