I hope everyone enjoyed the last weeks of summer and the holiday weekend. 

Congress reconvenes today with a daunting amount of work to accomplish.  Your help is needed to ensure that title VI of S. 252, legislation developed by NAVREF and supported by VA to update and clarify NPC authorities, makes it to the Senate floor for a vote.

Note:  Because VA testified in favor of this legislation during the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs hearing in April, NPCs may actively support enactment. 

Please send faxes to your two senators asking them to 1) bring S. 252 to the Senate floor for a vote; and 2) vote in favor. 

Background:   On July 27, the House passed the H.R. 2770, the Veterans Research and Education Corporations Enhancement Act of 2009.  Unfortunately, the Senate counterpart, title VI of S. 252, has hit a bottleneck in the Senate legislative process.  In addition to the section pertaining to NPCs, S. 252 addresses a number of non-controversial issues related to veterans’ health care including VA department personnel, women veterans and homeless veterans outreach, mental health care, and safety in and around VA facilities.  NAVREF takes no position on the other titles in this bill; we simply believe the entire bill deserves Senate consideration and a vote.

A one-page summary of title VI of S. 252 is posted at:  http://www.navref.org/library/Statute_2009/Tab_1-One_Pager-S_252_and_HR_2722.pdf.  Comprehensive information may be found at: http://www.navref.org/library/NPC_Statute_Revisions.htm.

Action Needed:  Please fax letters to your senators before close of business on Monday, September 14.  To identify your senators and their fax numbers, go to http://www.congress.org/congressorg/directory/congdir.tt?command=congdir.  Enter your ZIP code and click “Go.”  Click on the name of each of your senators.  Just above the picture that will appear, will be a “Contact” tab.  Click it on and scroll down to the senator’s Washington, DC, fax number. 

Sample Letter:  A sample letter is provided below.  Please edit and personalize this letter as indicated.  Add more details about your NPC and the research program at your VA facility if you wish.

Print your letters and fax them to each of your senators.  No cover page is needed.  

Then please fax your letters to NAVREF – fax 301-656-5008 - or email a PDF to bwest@navref.org.  We will bundle all the letters to share with the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs to convey the high level of interest in Senate action on title VI of S. 252.

Again, please send your faxes no later than Monday, September 14.  If you have questions, please contact the NAVREF office at 301-656-5005 or bwest@navref.org.

Sample Letter (print your letters on NPC or personal – not VA – letterhead; send them using a non-VA fax machine): 

Date

The Honorable First and Last Name

United States Senate

Washington, DC  20510

Subject:  S. 252, the Veterans Health Care Authorization Act of 2009; Title VI, Nonprofit Research and Education Corporations

Dear Senator Last Name:

I am a constituent writing to urge you to bring to the Senate floor and to vote to pass S. 252, the Veterans Health Care Authorization Act of 2009.  This non-controversial bill addresses a number of important issues related to veterans’ health care including VA department personnel, quality management, women veterans and homeless veterans outreach, research, mental health care, and safety in and around VA facilities. 

Within S. 252, title VI, Nonprofit Research and Education Corporations, is extremely important to the research and education corporation affiliated with the Name of VAMC or HCS in City, State, and to your constituents who conduct research at this facility.  This section of S. 252 would update and clarify 38 U.S.C. §§7361-7366, the statute first enacted in 1988 to allow VA medical centers to establish nonprofit research and education corporations (NPCs).  Each year, the NPC at the Name of VAMC or HCS makes a significant contribution to research at this facility and provides employment for highly qualified research personnel.  These dedicated individuals work toward advances in treatments for medical conditions prevalent among our veterans and enhance their care.

Title VI of S. 252 would allow the 84 VA-affiliated nonprofit research and education corporations across the nation to meet their full potential in supporting VA research and education, which ultimately results in improved treatments and high quality care for veterans, while ensuring VA and congressional confidence in management.  The clauses that would allow two or more VA medical centers to form “multi-medical center research corporations” are the central feature of title VI.  By voluntarily sharing one VA-affiliated nonprofit among two or more VA medical centers, small VA research programs could join with other facilities to support one corporation, thereby ensuring sufficient resources for management.  For additional information, please go to http://www.navref.org/library/NPC_Statute_Revisions.htm

Again, I encourage you to urge the Senate leadership to bring S. 252 to the Senate floor for consideration and a vote at the earliest possible opportunity.  Thank you. 

Sincerely,

Signature

Name

Phone, Email
City, State  ZIP