SIGNED INTO LAW: Senators Hassan and Braun’s Bipartisan Bill to Support Veterans’ Children Born with Spina Bifida

WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden has signed into law a bipartisan bill introduced by Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH), a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, and Mike Braun (R-IN) to strengthen the VA Spina Bifida Program to benefit the children of Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange.

Many Vietnam veterans were exposed to the chemical Agent Orange during their service. Children born to those exposed to Agent Orange have a higher risk of spina bifida. Of the estimated 1,500 veterans’ kids suffering from spina bifida in the U.S., fewer than half of those are enrolled in the VA Spina Bifida program. Under Senator Hassan and Braun’s bill, the VA will proactively reach out to potential beneficiaries to make sure that they are getting the benefits that they are eligible for. Those benefits will also now last for the life of the child and will not be affected by the death of their parent.

“Agent Orange not only had a devastating impact on service members exposed to it, but also posed medical risks to their children,” said Senator Hassan. “We must make sure that this generation gets necessary medical care, and our new bipartisan law will help ensure that more veterans’ children get the care and benefits that they need and deserve. I will continue working to get veterans and their families the support that they need to thrive.”

“This law will ensure that the children of Vietnam veterans born with spina bifida due to a parent’s exposure to Agent Orange will get the care and benefits they deserve for the rest of their lives. I’m proud to have led this valuable bipartisan bill into law and look forward to helping these veterans’ kids,” said Senator Braun.

The new bipartisan law is part of Senator Hassan’s ongoing efforts to support veterans. Senator Hassan helped develop and pass into law the PACT Act, which fundamentally reforms and improves how veterans exposed to toxic substances receive health care and benefits from the VA. The President previously signed into law Senator Hassan’s bipartisan Hire Veteran Health Heroes Act of 2021 to direct the VA to create a program to recruit military medical personnel who have less than one year left in their service to work at the VA. Last fall, President Biden also signed into law bipartisan legislation introduced by Senator Hassan to strengthen the Solid Start program, through which VA employees contact every veteran three times by phone in the first year after veterans leave active duty service to check in and help connect these new veterans to VA programs and benefits. Additionally, Senator Hassan’s bipartisan bill directing the VA to designate one week per year as “Buddy Check Week” to organize outreach events and educate veterans on how to conduct peer wellness checks was signed into law last year, and it will be held October 16^th to 20^th for the first time this year.

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