New bipartisan legislation will help address the backlog of veterans’ service records in Georgia and nationwide
The National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) currently has a backlog of nearly half a million record requests from veterans and their families
Service records are often required to access Federal veterans’ benefits and services
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff is launching a bipartisan push to help more veterans access their service records.
After hearing from veterans across Georgia struggling to access their service records, Sen. Ossoff introduced the bipartisan Access for Veterans to Records Act alongside Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD), Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN) to help eliminate the current backlog of veterans’ record requests at the National Personnel Records Center.
The bipartisan legislation will help more veterans and their families obtain their military records, which are often required to access critical care and benefits veterans earn through their service to the nation.
There are more than one million veterans in Georgia who can use the NPRC to gain access to their service records.
“Too many Georgia veterans are having to wait too long to access their service records. It can impact their access to health care and veterans’ benefits,” said Sen. Ossoff. “That’s why I’m leading this bipartisan bill to address the backlog.”
“Our men and women in uniform have sacrificed so much to protect our freedom,” said Sen. Rounds. “The current backlog is unacceptable and impedes veterans’ ability to access the services they have earned. This bill would work to reform the National Personnel Records Center so our veterans can acquire their records in a timely manner. I am pleased my colleagues on both sides of the aisle are coming together to pass this commonsense legislation.”
“Administrative challenges should never prevent veterans from accessing the critical care and benefits they deserve. Congress must take action – that’s why I’m helping introduce this bill to address the backlog of personnel records to ensure veterans can swiftly process their claims and access the benefits they have earned. By creating systems and infrastructure to streamline veterans’ ability to access records, we can better deliver on their benefits and needs, from health care and housing to jobs training and education,” said Sen. Shaheen. “I’ll keep fighting to ensure veterans can access the full range of benefits they’ve earned through their service to our nation.”
“My father was a B-17 tail gunner during World War II, and I never forgot the lesson he taught me: to honor every American who has served our country with dignity and respect. The best way to provide for our veterans is to guarantee them the absolute best care possible, and this includes straightforward and easy access to their veteran service records,” Sen. Braun said. “This is why I’m a proud cosponsor of the Access for Veterans to Records Act, a piece of bipartisan legislation will greatly improve access to medical and service records for veterans and their families – so many of which require critical care. This bill is the least we can do to thank the men and women who have stood on the front line defending our great nation.”
Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY-12) introduced the companion legislation in the U.S. House, which passed in July.
Sen. Ossoff continues to work on behalf of veterans in Georgia and across the nation. Last month, Sen. Ossoff celebrated the passage of the PACT Act, bipartisan legislation to expand health benefits for veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxic chemicals during their service.
In June, Sen. Ossoff also led a bipartisan group of Senators in an effort to strengthen health care access for more than 4.7 million veterans living in rural areas.
Click here to read the Access for Veterans to Records Act.
