This week, the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus announced its endorsement of the Rural Veterans Transportation to Care Act, which would help rural veterans get transportation to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare facilities.
The bipartisan legislation was introduced by Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03), alongside Reps. Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06) and Gabe Vasquez (NM-02).
The legislation would expand eligibility for the VA’s Highly Rural Transportation Grant (HRTG) Program, which provides grant funding for Veteran Service Organizations and State Veterans Service Agencies to provide transportation at no cost to veterans.
The VA’s HRTG Program is currently only available to counties with fewer than 7 people per square mile. With updated 2020 Census data, there are only eligible counties in 13 states.
Due to this updated data, Skamania County lost eligibility for this critical program, just barely exceeding the threshold for qualification at 7.15 persons per square mile. Skamania County veterans have relied on this service since 2014, and the van made approximately 300 trips and transported between 40 and 60 veterans in 2022 alone to critical care that is increasingly rare in rural communities.
In September, Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez testified in support of the legislation before the House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Health. Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez also visited Pacific Transit’s Veterans Connect program, which provides no-cost transportation for Pacific County veterans to their medical appointments.
The Department of Veterans Affairs has expressed support of the provisions outlined in this bill, after Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez urged VA Secretary McDonough to address transportation gaps for rural veterans.
“As a Representative to the U.S. House, it’s my responsibility to fight to ensure our nation’s heroes are well-supported after returning home and can access the benefits they’ve earned and deserve. As veterans across Southwest Washington face dramatic reductions in lifesaving services, I’m working to make sure the federal government is living up to its word,” said Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez. “This bipartisan legislation won’t only restore critical health care transportation services for Skamania County veterans, but it will also newly expand eligibility across Southwest Washington and to rural communities across the country. I’ll continue to call on the VA to uphold its promise to our rural veterans – and the endorsement of the Problem Solvers Caucus is an important step toward ensuring our veterans have the care necessary to lead full, healthy lives.”
“When our veterans return home, they deserve access to high-quality and convenient care, regardless of where they live,” said Rep. Ciscomani. “This bipartisan legislation expands access to VA grants to facilitate transportation of veterans that live in rural areas to a health facility so they can receive care in a timely and efficient way. As a nation we have a solemn duty to care for those who fought to defend our country and the freedoms and values we closely cherish. This legislation is an important step to fulfill that duty, and I am proud it received endorsement by the Problem Solvers Caucus.”
“When our veterans return home, they should never have to worry about if they can get the care they need and have earned. I’m glad the Problem Solvers Caucus came together to endorse the bipartisan Rural Veterans Transportation to Care Act, to expand eligibility so our veterans can get transportation to healthcare without hurting their pockets to do so,” said Rep. Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), Problem Solvers Caucus Co-Chair. ”These are not red or blue issues – they are red, white, and blue issues. We must always get the backs of those who’ve so bravely had ours.”
“The current guidelines under the VA’s HRTG Program are insufficient and fail to serve the pressing transportation needs of many veterans seeking healthcare,” said Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), Problem Solvers Caucus Co-Chair. “We have a responsibility to ensure that our heroes can fully access the benefits that they have earned. I am proud of our Caucus for championing this bipartisan legislation, which expands and improves this vital program, making it easier for our veterans to get the healthcare services they deserve.
“Western North Carolina’s distances and mountain roads can make it challenging for our veterans to obtain the medical care they need,” said Rep. Chuck Edwards (NC-11). “The Rural Veterans Transportation to Care Act would modernize the VA’s grant program to help more veterans in rural areas access free transportation to VA or VA-authorized health care facilities. Our veterans gave us their all, and it is only right that Congress help them obtain the health care they deserve.”
This bipartisan bill would improve how VA measures rurality, helping more veterans living in rural areas get transportation to VA or VA-authorized health care facilities. As a result, Skamania County would again become eligible, and rural veterans in Cowlitz, Wahkiakum, Pacific, Lewis, Thurston, and Clark Counties would become newly eligible.
The Rural Veterans Transportation to Care Act:
The full text of the legislation can be found here.