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Veterans Affairs News 
Top News
- VA chipping away at oldest disability claims in backlog
- What's the latest on phased retirement?
- New mobile tools gives agencies ‘giant innovation permission slip'
- Congress pressures agencies to speed up office consolidations
- Furlough Friday: Multiple agencies took advantage of holiday weekend
- Data breach puts DHS employees at risk of ID theft
- IRS replaces official in Tea Party controversy
- Commerce nominee sails through hearing
- Obama nominates Archuleta as next OPM director
- FedRAMP achieves another cloud security milestone
- Tangherlini to be nominated as permanent GSA chief
- House GOP panel moves on deep budget cuts
- OMB reworking financial system requirements
- Federal retirement funds temporarily tapped
- Friday federal headlines - May 24, 2013
Report finds mixed progress on plain language
A new report details mixed progress on a law requiring agencies to write using plain language when dealing with the public. The Center for Plain Language awarded the Agriculture Department an "A" for its efforts, the highest score of 12 large agencies and departments it surveyed. The Veterans Affairs Department, however, earned an "F" for its mostly incomplete progress.
Obama memo bolsters protections for vets reentering workforce
President Barack Obama issued a memorandum Thursday calling on agencies to comply with protections laid out in The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 when hiring returning veterans.
Lawmakers tell VA 'no more hollow promises' to fix the claims backlog
The Department of Veterans Affairs has made strides toward increasing the number of disability claims it can process every year. But new claims from veterans are growing even faster than ever. House legislators are frustrated by the VA's lack of progress over the years.
VA redoubles effort to combat homelessness
The Veterans Affairs Department is giving $100 million in grants to help community organizations support at-risk veterans so they have stable housing. Leaders of the homeless veteran initiative at the VA and Department of Housing and Urban Development are among the Service to America Medal finalists for their work on the problem.
2012 Causey Awards Winner - Mary Santiago
Mary Santiago, director of VA's Veteran Employment Services Office, was nominated for her work with the VA for Vets program.
VA tackles claims backlog with new priority approach
The agency will organize incoming claims into one of three categories based on the difficulty in solving them as part of an effort to increase efficiency. The Veterans Benefits Administration also is seeking other ways to reduce the number of backlogged cases such as new training for employees, said VA's Allison Hickey, the undersecretary for benefits.
5 vet aid groups to benefit from new fundraising
Three families are starting an effort to raise $30 million for troops and veterans through a new organization called Veteran Support Fund. It will be a portal for distributing money to five groups already working to help America's military community.
Didn't send your kid to war? Maybe you can send $$
If you have military-age children who have not served in this decade's wars, then you owe a debt _ meaning money _ to those who did.
VA stops downgrading its low-wage health care support staff
After protesters marched to the White House, VA's Human Resources Management Office issued a letter calling for a "temporary stand down on changes to lower grade actions."
Thousands of veterans sign up for job education
Officials at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs say there has been an enormous response to a new skills-based program that pays for up to a year of education toward an associate degree or a non- college-degree or certificate.
What's ahead for small business?
Tom Johnson, publisher of Set-Aside Alert talks about the challenges facing contractors.
July 2, 2012(Encore presentation August 20, 2012)
DoD, VA joint e-health record ahead of schedule
The development of a shared records system between the departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs is making progress thanks to several pilots. VA-DoD is taking the lessons learned from the tests and applying them to future pilots.
VA wants to change vet-owned business re-verification from 1 to 2 years
The Veterans Affairs Department wants to change the frequency of reverifying veteran-owned businesses from once a year to once every two years, according to an interim final rule published in the Federal Register.
Bill sets timeframe for VA to contact data breach victims
Veterans Affairs would have to contact victims of data breaches within 10 days under a bill approved by a House subcommittee.
Investigation by states shuts down GIBill.com
Under a settlement announced Wednesday by 20 states' attorneys general, the Department of Veterans Affairs will take control of a website that consumer fraud investigators say has been used to mislead military members into making poor use of their GI Bill benefits.
VA looking to technology to reduce suicide risks
Among active-duty troops, there has been an uptick in suicides this year _ about one a day, compared with one every 36 hours in previous years, The Associated Press reported earlier this month.
Federal job hunt made easier for outgoing military members
Service members expected to be discharged can apply for federal jobs without a certificate of release or discharge from active duty.
Report encourages cooperation to increase veteran hiring
Employing veterans is good business for companies. A recent Center for a New American Security report examines why and offers recommendations on what agencies can do to help make the hiring process easier.
DoD, VA, Education toughen rules against predatory colleges
Agencies are working toward implementing an executive order designed to crack down on "fly- by-night" colleges that target military members' education benefits
Veteran-owned businesses question fairness of VA's contractor verification
The process to ensure veterans are receiving contracts from the VA is actually shutting out some veteran business owners. But the VA says it inherited a large responsibility quickly and has since made great strides in improving its verification program.
