REPORT OF BVA 60TH NATIONAL CONVENTION BYLAWS AND RESOLUTIONS COMMITTEE

Resolutions 1-05 through 3-05
Resolutions 4-05 through 6-05
Resolutions 7-05 through 10-05
Resolutions 11-05 through 13-05
Resolutions 14-05 through 17-05
Resolutions 18-05 through 21-05
Resolutions 22-05 through 23-05
Resolutions 24-05 through 27-05
Resolutions 28-05 through 29-05
Resolutions 30-05 through 32-05
Resolutions 33-05 through 35-05
Resolutions 36-05 through 38-05
Resolutions 39-05 through 41-05
Resolutions 42-05 through 43-05
Resolutions 44-05 through 45-05

RESOLUTION 33-05

WHEREAS, the Department of Veterans Affairs has very limited capacity to provide Outpatient Blind Rehabilitation Services AND

WHEREAS, the Visual Impairment Advisory Board (VIAB) has recommended to the Under Secretary for Health (USH) that VA provide a full continuum of Vision Rehabilitation Care, AND

WHEREAS, the USH and the National Leadership Board (NLB) have approved the provision of a full Continuum of Vision Rehab Care, AND

WHEREAS, the General Accountability Office (GAO) has also recommended the establishment of a full continuum of vision rehab care for America’s visually impaired and blinded veterans, AND

WHEREAS, one of the most integral components of a full continuum of Vision Rehab Service is the Blind Rehabilitation Outpatient Specialist (BROS) position, AND

Whereas, legislation has been introduced in Congress that would authorize VA to establish BROS positions at all VA Medical Facilities that have over 150 blinded veterans on the roles of their Visual Impairment Service Teams (VIST), THEREFORE BE IT 

RESOLVED, the Blinded Veterans Association, in convention assembled in Miami Beach Florida, on this 20^th day of August, 2005, support passage of S.1190 (The blind Veterans Continuum Of Care Act of 2005 and it companion in the U.S. House of Representative H.R.3579, FURTHER BE IT 

RESOLVED, BVA work to ensure sufficient funding is earmarked to support these new positions.

RESOLUTION 34-05

WHEREAS, U.S. Military Operations in Afghanistan (OEF) and Iraq (OIF) have resulted in numerous casualties, AND

WHEREAS, approximately thirty-five service members have been blinded in these operations, AND

WHEREAS, the Department of Defense & the Department of Veterans Affairs are committed to assuring a Seemless Transition from the DOD to VA, AND

WHEREAS, service members blinded in OEF & OIF are not being identified to VA by DOD in a timely manner, AND

WHEREAS, these severely injured and blinded service members are not receiving the information and support from the VA designed to facilitate acceptance of and adjustment to loss of vision, AND 

WHEREAS, the blinded Veterans Association (BVA) the only Federally Chartered Veterans Service Organization (VSO) exclusively dedicated to assisting blinded veterans and their families, is not being effectively utilized by DOD & VA to facilitate the Seemless Transition, THEREFORE BE IT 

RESOLVED, that the Blinded Veterans Association in Convention Assembled in Miami Beach, Florida on this 20^th day of August, 2005, urge the DOD and VA to develop a more effective method of identifying severely visually impaired and blinded service members returning from OEF and OIF insuring these severely disabled service members receive the most appropriate information and support available, AND FURTHER BE IT 

RESOLVED, The Blinded Veterans Association be notified and directly involved in the “Seemless Transition” process.

RESOLUTION 35-05

WHEREAS, the Congress of the United States adopted legislation providing a “Free Mailing Privilege” for the Blind and Physically handicapped, AND 

WHEREAS, the U.S. Postal Service has rendered decisions prohibiting the Blinded Veterans Association’s use of the Free Matter For the Blind mailing privilege to mail National Convention pre-registration packages, AND

WHEREAS, this prohibition has resulted in unreasonable increased costs AND 

WHEREAS, the BVA believes the Postal Service has to narrowly interpreted the intent of Congress regarding the use of the “Free Matter” mailing privilege, THEREFORE BE IT 

RESOLVED, that the Blinded Veterans Association in Convention Assembled in Miami Beach Florida on this 20^th day of August, 2005, join with other organizations of and for the blind to petition Congress to clarify Congressional intent with respect to the Free Matter Mailing Privilege, AND FURTHER BE IT 

RESOLVED, if necessary, seek an amendment to the U. S. Postal Service Regulations relaxing the Postal Services interpretation of the “Free Matter” privilege particularly with respect to “Advertising”.

Resolutions 36-05 through 38-05 >