Washington,
D.C. – A bill authored by U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, Mike Johanns (R-NE), and
Patty Murray (D-WA) calling on Veterans Affairs (VA) to develop a modern,
one-stop, user-friendly Web site for veterans is being considered today in the
Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. The Veterans One Source Act of 2010, S.
3355, urges the VA to develop a site that provides comprehensive information
and advice for veterans, and it encourages the VA to think creatively in
developing interactive web interfaces to facilitate online communication.
“Veterans
of all ages deserve a state-of-the-art, modern Web site that serves as a
one-stop resource for anything a veteran would ever need,” Klobuchar said. “The
private sector, the Department of Defense and other federal agencies have
already incorporated new, interactive technology into their web services.
It’s time the Department of Veterans Affairs provided our veterans with the
quality of online services they need to effectively transition back to civilian
life.”
“I
am proud to cosponsor this commonsense legislation to streamline access to
services for our veterans,” Johanns said. “A broad range of
services are available to our veterans that span several Federal agencies, and
this legislation will provide a one-stop-shop to ensure veterans know what’s
available to them. After serving our country, our veterans should not
have to navigate a maze of several confusing and frustrating Federal
bureaucracies just to access the benefits they have earned.”
“The
last thing our veterans need when they return home is added frustration caused
by a confusing VA website” Murray said. “We need to be doing everything we
can to make our vets’ transition home as seamless as possible and improving the
VA’s online services is just a small way to make big difference. A more user-friendly system will make it
easier for our veterans to access the services they need in a faster more
efficient way.”
The
Web site would cover all issues of concern to veterans, their families and
caregivers, including health and education benefits, employment opportunities,
veteran-specific discounts, child care locators, and other services for
families. The Web site would also incorporate new virtual tools such as
animated virtual guides to help veterans navigate the available resources.
Various
veterans’ organizations have endorsed the legislation, including Iraq and
Afghanistan Veterans of America, the Association of Veterans County Service
Officers, the Military Officers Association of America, and the Student
Veterans Association.
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