Military Officer - July 2006 - (Page 38) washingtonscene VA Data Theft: What You Can Do ■ Check out the VA Web [CONTINUED FROM PAGE 36] site, www.va.gov/opa, to obtain information and get answers to frequently asked questions about what actions veterans can take. The VA also has a toll-free hot line at (800) FED-INFO (333-4636). Nicholson expressed his own anger about the situation and vowed “decisive action” after an investigation by the VA Inspector General. “We still hope this was a common theft and that no use of this data will be made,” Nicholson said. The VA has placed notices on its Web site at www .va.gov/opa, including a letter of apology from Nicholson, information about what actions veterans can take, and a list of answers to frequently asked questions. The VA also has a toll-free hot line at (800) FED-INFO (333-4636). In the meantime, MOAA has endorsed the Veterans’ Identity Protection Act of 2006, introduced in the Senate as S. 2970 (Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass.) and in the House as H.R. 5455 (Rep. John Salazar, DColo.). This legislation would provide one year of free credit monitoring to veterans whose personal information was stolen in the recent theft, with one free credit report each year for the following two years. To urge your legislators to support these bills, visit http://capwiz.com/moaa/is sues/bills. Click on S. 2970 and H.R. 5455 under “Veterans’ and Other Issues.” In the interest of leaving no stone unturned, MOAA President Vice Adm. Norb Ryan Jr., USN-Ret., directed a renewed review of MOAA’s internal practices to ensure our membership data is protected from disclosure or intrusion. Last year, a House-generated provision changed the law to provide full concurrent receipt by Oct. 1, 2009 (versus 2013), for disabled retirees deemed “unemployable” by the VA. This year, House sources indicated they could not generate any further advance under the tight House rules that control “mandatory” spending programs such as military retired pay. The version of the defense bill approved by the Senate Armed Services Committee also contained no new concurrent receipt provision for the same reason. That means any further advance this year will have to come through an amendment to the defense bill once it comes up for action on the Senate floor. MOAA is working with concurrent receipt champion Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on two possible amendments. One would provide full concurrent receipt immediately for the “unemployable” retirees. The other would expand eligibility for combatrelated special compensation to members whose combat wounds forced them to retire from service prior to attaining 20 years of service. Under current law, such members have no relief at all from the disability offset to retired pay. MOAA Staff Transitions Key lobbyist moves up; departments swap talent. Concurrent Receipt Update Further progress depends on Senate floor amendment(s). C T 40 MILITARY OFFICER J U LY 2 0 0 6 he House-passed version of the FY 2007 Defense Authorization Bill contained no provisions to address remaining inequities in the compensation of disabled military retirees. ol. Lee Lange, USMC-Ret., deputy director of MOAA’s Government Relations Department since 2001, is moving to MOAA’s Council and Chapter Affairs Department to assume duties as director after the first of the year. As MOAA’s principal lobbyist on survivor and tax issues, Lange played a key role in winning elimination of the age-62 Survivor Benefit Plan annuity reduction and http://www.va.gov/opa http://www.va.gov/opa http://www.va.gov/opa http://capwiz.com/moaa/issues/bills http://capwiz.com/moaa/issues/bills
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