WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Representatives Young Kim (CA-39) and Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08) announced the introduction of the Veterans and Family Information Act (H.R. 2093) to improve non-English language accessibility for veterans, their families and caregivers.
This bipartisan bill would direct the Department of Veterans Affairs to make versions of all of its fact sheets available in the ten most commonly spoken languages other than English in the United States, including Spanish and Tagalog. Approximately 2.4 million veterans are either foreign-born or children of immigrants.
“We must ensure all veterans who served in our nation’s uniform are aware of and able to receive the resources and care they have earned. Unfortunately, many veterans and their caretakers whose first languages are not English have to rely on others for assistance in understanding VA benefits,” said Kim. “The 39th District of California is home to more than 27,000 veterans from diverse backgrounds who faithfully served in the U.S. military. I’m proud to introduce H.R. 2093 to expand VA resources to nine languages so our U.S. veterans of all backgrounds can have equal access to benefits. I thank Rep. Jeffries for joining me in this bipartisan effort and will continue to support those who have served in CA-39 and across the nation.”
“We must fully support our veterans regardless of the language they speak. Providing veterans and their caregivers information without the burden or delay of translation will empower them to best access the benefits earned through their service,” said Jeffries. “I am proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation with my colleague, Congresswoman Young Kim.”
The bill would also direct the Department of Veterans Affairs to establish a website that links to all the fact sheets of the Veterans Benefits Administration, Veterans Health Administration and the National Cemetery Administration.
