REPORT OF BVA 61ST NATIONAL CONVENTION BYLAWS AND RESOLUTIONS COMMITTEE

Resolutions 1-06 through 4-06
Resolutions 5-06 through 8-06
Resolutions 9-06 through 11-06
Resolutions 12-06 through 17-06
Resolutions 18-06 through 23-06
Resolutions 24-06 through 27-06
Resolutions 28-06 through 32-06
Resolutions 33-06 through 36-06
Resolutions 37-06 through 41-06
Resolutions 42-06 through 44-06
Resolutions 45-06 through 47-06

RESOLUTION 37-06

Puerto Rico Regional Group

WHEREAS, the volume of service-connected claims filed by veterans under Title 38 USC 1151 has increased dramatically, AND

WHEREAS, these veterans have been denied many benefits accorded to other service-connected veterans, AND

WHEREAS, the lack of these benefits has created economic and personal hardship in many of their families, THEREFORE BE IT,

RESOLVED, that the Blinded Veterans Association assembled in Buffalo, NY on this 19th day of August, 2006, initiate an investigation concerning this matter and furthermore to submit a bill urging the U.S. Congress to amend this law, AND BE IT FURTHER

RESOLVED, that the following change be made to 38 USC 1151. Benefits for persons disabled by treatment or vocational rehabilitation:

a. Compensation under this chapter, dependency and indemnity compensation under chapter 13 of this title, AND ALL ANCILLARY BENEFITS UNDER THIS TITLE shall be awarded for a qualifying additional disability or a qualifying death of a veteran in the same manner as if such additional disability or death were service-connected. For purposes of this section, a disability or death is a qualifying additional disability or qualifying death if the disability or death was not the result of the veterans willful misconduct. 

RESOLUTION 38-06

WHEREAS, fundamental to the comprehensive rehabilitation of veterans who are severely visually impaired or blind is the development of wholesome and healthy attitudes about blindness, the acquisition of adaptive skills to overcome the handicap of blindness and reintegration into the family and community, AND

WHEREAS, the Department of Veterans Affairs ((VA) pioneered the comprehensive residential Blind Rehabilitation Center (BRC) approach to the delivery of such comprehensive services to facilitate adjustment to and acceptance of sudden and traumatic loss of vision, AND

WHEREAS, the VA BRC model has evolved to include the comprehensive rehabilitation of veterans whose visual impairment and blindness may be associated with aging, AND

WHEREAS, the VA is Internationally recognized as the premier provider of comprehensive blind rehabilitation services, AND

WHEREAS, non VA blind rehabilitation programs have recently begun to seek referral of visually impaired and blinded veterans away from VA Blind Rehabilitation Services (BRS) in an effort to obtain VA contract funding, AND

WHEREAS, America’s visually impaired and blinded veterans have earned the right to have access to the highest quality blind rehabilitation services available, AND

WHEREAS, only in rare instances would referral to a non VA BRC be appropriate, THEREFORE BE IT

RESOLVED, that the Blinded Veterans Association, in convention assembled in Buffalo, New York on this 19th day of August 2006, that visually impaired and blinded veterans only be referred to VA BRCs for comprehensive residential blind rehabilitation services, AND BE IT FURTHER

RESOLVED, that should it ever be necessary to refer a visually impaired or blinded veteran to a non VA BRC, that Non VA BRC should be accredited by either (NAC) the National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped or CARF, the Commission For Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, and that employ Blind Rehabilitation Specialists Certified by the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals (ACVREP).

RESOLUTION 39-06

WHEREAS, currently there is a substantial shortage of University trained blind rehabilitation professionals across the country, AND

WHEREAS, the 10 existing VA BRCs are having difficulty filling vacancies as they occur, AND

WHEREAS, the VA CARES initiative identified the need for two additional BRCs, AND

WHEREAS, a third VAMC has plans to establish a new BRC, AND

WHEREAS, university preparatory programs have been cut back for lack of funding, AND 

WHEREAS, the Visual Impairment Advisory Board (VIAB) appointed by the Under Secretary for Health, recommended and applied for the Technical Career Field (TCF) program, a tool to enhance recruitment, AND

WHEREAS, the TCF program is a special program developed by VA to provide opportunities for employees from other disciplines to apply for “hard to recruit” professions, AND

WHEREAS, the TCF application, as recommended by the VIAB, has been approved, AND

WHEREAS, funding will have to be made available to support the ten interns approved for BRS under the TCF program, THEREFORE BE IT

RESOLVED, that the Blinded Veterans Association, in convention assembled in Buffalo, New York on this 19th day of August 2006, strongly urge the Veterans Health Administration and the VACO Recruitment & Retention Resource to insure that the 10 TCF Intern positions approved for BRS are fully funded.

RESOLUTION 40-06

WHEREAS, VA is currently experiencing difficulty in recruiting and retaining blind rehabilitation specialists, AND

WHEREAS, there is a national shortage of qualified blind rehabilitation specialists, AND

WHEREAS, VA has developed effective recruitment and retention programs for other scarce disciplines, AND

WHEREAS, VA has designated blind rehabilitation specialists as “HARD TO RECRUIT”, AND

WHEREAS, BRS succession planning has been established as a high priority in their Strategic Plan, AND

WHEREAS, two effective tools to enhance Workforce recruitment and Succession Planning have been established by VA: The Employee Incentive Scholarship (EIS) Program, and the Education Debt Reduction  (EDR) Program, THEREFORE BE IT

RESOLVED, that VA encourage Networks and local facilities to provide funding for the BRS programs essential to BRS Workforce Recruitment and Succession Planning, BE IT FURTHER

RESOLVED, that the Blinded Veterans Association, in convention assembled in Buffalo, New York on this 19th day of August 2006, strongly urge VA to approve BRS prospective and current employees for the EIS program as well as the EDR program, AND FURTHER BE IT

RESOLVED, that VA encourage networks and local facilities to provide funding for the EIS and EDR Programs critical for BRS Workforce Recruitment and Succession Planning.     

RESOLUTION 41-06

WHEREAS, Legislation potentially harmful to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and benefits, and programs for veterans has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives; HR 5766 (The Government Efficiency Act 2006 and HR. 3282 (The Abolishment of Obsolete Agencies and Federal Sunset Act of 2006, AND

WHEREAS, the provisions in these two bills would establish Federal Review Commissions composed of members not elected by the American people, AND

WHEREAS, HR 5766 would empower the appointed Commission to undermine the authorizing and re-authorizing authority of Committees of Congress by recommending radical changes or outright elimination of benefits and programs authorized by Congress, AND

 WHEREAS, recommendations from the Commission would receive expedited treatment moving directly to the House or Senate floor without time for members to review, comment on or amend any such recommendations, AND

WHEREAS, Congress would be abdicating its responsibility to carry out its responsibilities to authorize, fund and provide oversight on all Federal Departments and Agencies to non elected Commissioners, AND

WHEREAS, the Federal Review Commission and Federal Sunset Commissions established under this legislation clearly abandons any pretence of Transparency and Accountability, AND

WHEREAS, it is blatantly obvious this legislative attempts to achieve goals patently unattainable within the Constitutional democratic process, THEREFORE BE IT

RESOLVED, the Blinded Veterans Association, in convention assembled in Buffalo, New York on this 19th day of August 2006 strongly urges all members of Congress to vehemently oppose passage of HR 5766 and HR 3282.

Resolutions 42-06 through 44-06 >