WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan was at the White House today as President Joe Biden signed into law her bipartisan bill, the Hire Veteran Health Heroes Act of 2021, which she introduced with Senator Mike Braun (R-IN). This legislation directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to create a program to recruit military medical personnel who have less than one year left in their service to work in federal health care occupations at the VA.

"We promise our veterans that we will be there for them, and today, here at the White House, we took a small step forward in helping keep that promise. I was proud to work with Senator Braun on this important legislation because we must always ensure that veterans have the support and resources that they need to succeed, and a critical way to do that is by expanding employment opportunities for our nation's heroes and strengthening their health care," said Senator Hassan. "Our veterans continue to serve even after they transition to civilian life and I am pleased to help service members find meaningful employment that allows them to continue their mission to support the safety and health of their fellow Americans."

"The men and women who serve our nation deserve access to the best resources that will help them succeed as they transition to civilian life," Senator Braun said. "I was proud to lead this bipartisan effort with Senator Hassan that will create a program to actively hire veterans and transitioning service members who have the skills critically needed in federal health care departments. Now that this legislation has been signed into law, we are one step closer to fulfilling our obligation to those who have served."

Additionally, the President signed into law the Colonel John M. McHugh Tuition Fairness for Survivors Act, legislation cosponsored by Senator Hassan to expand in-state tuition eligibility for the families of veterans who died while on active duty or from a service-connected disability. Survivors may also qualify if a veteran is permanently and totally disabled due to a service-connected disability.

Senator Hassan is working across the aisle to help ensure that veterans, service members, and their families have the support that they need to thrive. The Senator recently introduced bipartisan legislation with Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) to help reduce the disparity in out-of-pocket costs for military uniforms for women service members, who often pay more for uniform items than their male counterparts. Furthermore, Senators Hassan and Marco Rubio (R-FL) led successful bipartisan efforts to push the Department of Education to ensure that more service members can utilize the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Additionally, President Biden recently signed into law a bipartisan bill cosponsored by Senator Hassan to automatically provide cost-of-living increases to Veterans Affairs benefits for certain veterans with disabilities and dependent survivors.

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