Congressman Vargas Unveils GIVE Legislation for Veteran Service Office Improvements
EL CENTRO, CA (November 7, 2019) – Today, Representative Juan Vargas (CA-51) hosted a press conference to announce his plan to introduce the Grants for Improvement of Veteran Establishments (GIVE) Act. The bill will direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a grant program to provide funds to veterans’ services organizations (VSO) to bring their facilities into compliance with the accessibility requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990.
VSOs strive to connect veterans and their families with the benefits they earned for serving our country. However, many VSO struggle to accommodate disabled veterans because they don’t have the necessary funds to make their facilities ADA compliant.
“Our veterans have given so much by serving our country and protecting our freedom, it is time to give back to them,” said Rep. Vargas. “This is why I’m introducing the GIVE Act. Living with disabilities should not prevent our veterans from accessing the benefits they deserve.”
For an office to be eligible, they must be recognized as an official VSO by the Department of Veterans Affairs, outside of Veteran Affairs facilities. The funds may only be used for costs associated with remodeling a pre-existing operational facility to become ADA compliant.
Vargas represents California’s 51st Congressional District which includes the southern portion of San Diego County, all of Imperial County and California’s entire U.S.-Mexico border. Vargas was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2012 and is currently serving his fourth term in Congress. He serves on the House Financial Services Committee.
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