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Business Meeting to Consider Pending Legislation

Senate Veterans Affairs Committee

March 18, 2026 (recording here)

BILLS CONSIDERED IN BUSINESS MEETING

• Committee Resolution – Lease Authorizations

• S. 342, the Purple Heart Veterans Education Act – Committee Print

• S. 410, the Love Lives On Act

• S. 649, the Guard/Reserve G.I. Bill Parity Act of 2026 – Committee Print

• S. 1116, the Ensuring Veterans’ Final Resting Place Act of 2026 – Committee Print

• S. 1657, the Review Every Veteran’s Claim Act

• S. 1665, the Obligations to Aberdeen’s Trusted Heroes (OATH) Act of 2026 –Committee Print

• S. 1726, the ASSIST Act of 2026 – Committee Print

• S. 1868, the Critical Access for Veterans Care Act – Committee Print

• S. 2061, the Molly R. Loomis Research for Descendants of Toxic Exposed Veterans Act of 2026 – Committee Print

• S. 2220, the Fighting for the Overlooked Recognition of Groups Operating in Toxic Test Environments in Nevada (FORGOTTEN) Veterans Act of 2026 – Committee Print

• S. 2264, the Advancing VA’s Emergency Response to (AVERT) Crises Act of 2026 – Committee Print

• S. 2309, the Veteran Burial Timeliness and Death Certificate Accountability Act – Committee Print

• S. 2328, the Military Learning for Credit Act of 2026 – Committee Print

• S. 2333, the Health Records Enhancement Act – Committee Print

• S. 2397, the Caring for our Veterans Health Act of 2026 – Committee Print

• S. 2683, the VSAFE Act of 2026 – Committee Print

• S. 2807, Restoring the Sanctity of Public Entombments, Cemeteries, and Tributes (RESPECT) Act of 2026 – Committee Print

• S. 2981, Veterans Prosthetics Advancement and Reform Act

• S. 3033, the Improving Access to Care for Rural Veterans Act – Committee Print

• S. 3119, the Fisher House Availability Act

• S. 3138, the Veterans SPORT Act – Committee Print

• S. 3303, the Leveraging Integrated Networks in Communities for Veterans Act – Committee Print

• S. 3758, the End Veterans Overdose Act – Committee Print

OTHER INFORMATION

At the conclusion of the business meeting, the Committee favorably reported all 24 bills to the full Senate.

OPENING STATEMENTS FROM THE COMMITTEE

• Chairman Jerry Moran opened the meeting by highlighting the bipartisan priorities before the Committee, including the Love Lives On Act. He spoke on the importance of supporting surviving spouses and of caring for all service members and their families. He acknowledged the costs associated with many of the bills and looked forward to identifying appropriate offsets at a later date.

• Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal also spoke on the bipartisan nature of the Committee and the bills under consideration, thanking all of his colleagues for their collaboration, particularly on the Molly R. Loomis Research for Descendants of Toxic Exposed Veterans Act of 2026. He reviewed the various benefits of the legislative initiatives before the Committee, then pointed to the necessity of passing the Major Richard Star Act.

SUMMARY OF KEY POINTS

• Chairman Moran moved to consider all of the bills en bloc. No one offered any comments. By voice vote, the bills were favorably advanced.

• Ranking Member Blumenthal noted that Senators Mazie Hirono and Bernie Sanders, who were not in attendance, had voted “no” on the Critical Access for Veterans Care Act (S. 1868).

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