New bipartisan legislation will help address the backlog of veterans’ service records 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 Mike Braun is joining a bipartisan push to help more veterans access their service records.
Sen. Braun joined Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia introducing the bipartisan Access for Veterans to Records Act alongside Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) 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.
“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.”
“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.”
Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY-12) introduced the companion legislation in the U.S. House, which passed in July.
Click here to read the Access for Veterans to Records Act.
