Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Julia Brownley (D-Westlake Village) introduced the Every Veteran Counts Act, which would require the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to conduct an updated national survey of veterans.
“The veteran population is ever changing and, by conducting national surveys, we can ensure that Congress, VA, and other stakeholders understand this evolving veteran population, so we can better identify their needs and effectively address them,” said Congresswoman Brownley. “It has been nearly a decade since the last veteran survey was conducted, and it is time for us to obtain the updated information on this population. I look forward to working with my colleagues to see this bill signed into law.”
Background
To date, VA has conducted six national surveys of veterans. These are conducted approximately every decade, with the last survey, which identified veteran demographics (age, gender, race, education level, residence, etc.), changing trends in the veteran population, and utilization and awareness of VA benefits and services, being completed in 2010. These surveys help VA in planning its future programs and services for veterans.
The Every Veteran Count Acts would require VA to conduct a national survey of veterans to build off of the previous study to show any changes or trends in the veteran population and better identify the needs of veterans so that we can effectively tailor policies to this population.
Issues: 116th Congress, Veterans' Affairs