** See Below to Apply for IAVA’s March Storm The Hill!! **

IAVA celebrated a huge win this week with the unanimous passage of the Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act (S. 785) by the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs (SVAC). The bipartisan, IAVA-backed legislation by SVAC Ranking Member Jon Tester (D-MT) and Chairman Jerry Moran (R-KS) aims to improve veterans’ access to mental health care and combat the suicide crisis. You can read IAVA’s press release here. Later that evening, IAVA was invited to attend a reception hosted by Chairman Moran, VA Secretary Wilkie, and SVAC members. It was great to be able to thank Chairman Moran for making this legislation a priority.




IAVA CEO Jeremy Butler and VP Tom Porter thanked new SVAC Chairman Jerry Moran (R-KS) for passing the Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act from his committee this week.

Jeremy and Tom also met with House Veteran Affairs Committee Chairman Mark Takano (D-CA) to share our priorities for 2020, including the veteran suicide crisis, toxic exposures, and women veterans. Meetings between our team and Capitol Hill leaders help us to create stronger relationships and to drive home what our members are calling for. We look forward to continuing the work we do with the Chairman.

House VA Committee Chairman Takano with IAVA CEO Jeremy Butler

On Friday, Ryan Britch, Government Affairs Associate, represented IAVA at the VSO Community Care Network briefing at VA Headquarters, ensuring that the interests of post-9/11 veterans were represented. Attendees were briefed on the deployment timeline of the Community Care program of the separate care networks. Additional topics covered were the credentialing and training procedures that Community Care providers will undergo before they can start providing healthcare to veterans. Providers must undergo opioid safety training and will have access to military competency training courses. These courses will familiarize them with military sexual trauma, traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress, and other military topics.

Applications for our spring Storm the Hill (STH) are now open! Storm the Hill is an event that brings our members to Capitol Hill to help us advocate on behalf of veterans and servicemembers. Spring Storm the Hill coincides with our CEO, Jeremy Butler’s testimony before both the House and Senate Veterans Affairs committees. We will also be releasing our 10th annual survey data that week so this STH will be one of our biggest to date. If you would like to apply and be part of our advocacy on Capitol Hill, click here and fill out the application.

IAVA Board Member and Summer 2019 Storm The Hill Participant, Kristen Rouse, Deputy Director at New York State Division of Veterans’​ Services.