NELSON SUPPORTS VETERANS BENEFITS

Senate Passes Bill to Enhance Life Insurance Benefits for Disabled Veterans

April 24, 2008 - Today, Nebraska's Senator Ben Nelson announced that the Senate passed the Disabled Veterans Insurance Improvement Act of 2007 (S. 1315) aimed at improving and creating new disabled veterans' insurance benefits. He joined 95 of his colleagues in voting for the bill. The measure passed by a vote of 96-1.

"Our men and women in uniform are our first defense in ensuring that we are kept safe from our enemies," said Senator Nelson. "It is only right that we should make sure that they are taken care of once they return from service. This bill makes certain that their invaluable service to our country is recognized and compensated for."

Elements of this bill include:

A supplemental funeral and burial benefit totaling an additional $2,100 for death from service-connected disabilities; $900 additional for death from a non-service-connected disability
Creation of a new level-premium term life insurance program for service-disabled veterans less than 65 years old, totaling $50,000
Increasing Veterans’ Mortgage Life Insurance (VMLI) from $90,000 to $150,000 until 2012; thereafter it would increase to $200,000
A supplemental adaptive housing grant providing $10,000 as an additional benefit for those eligible for the current $50,000 grant; $2,000 additional for those eligible for the current $10,000
Expanding eligibility for certain adapted housing benefits to include active duty members with total and permanent disabilities
Allowing veterans to decline a pension without penalty if they receive federal or federally assisted benefits

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	Press Release	April 24, 2008
NELSON SUPPORTS VETERANS BENEFITS Senate Passes Bill to Enhance Life Insurance Benefits for Disabled Veterans April 24, 2008 - Today, Nebraska's Senator Ben Nelson announced that the Senate passed the Disabled Veterans Insurance Improvement Act of 2007 (S. 1315) aimed at improving and creating new disabled veterans' insurance benefits. He joined 95 of his colleagues in voting for the bill. The measure passed by a vote of 96-1. "Our men and women in uniform are our first defense in ensuring that we are kept safe from our enemies," said Senator Nelson. "It is only right that we should make sure that they are taken care of once they return from service. This bill makes certain that their invaluable service to our country is recognized and compensated for." Elements of this bill include: A supplemental funeral and burial benefit totaling an additional $2,100 for death from service-connected disabilities; $900 additional for death from a non-service-connected disability Creation of a new level-premium term life insurance program for service-disabled veterans less than 65 years old, totaling $50,000 Increasing Veterans’ Mortgage Life Insurance (VMLI) from $90,000 to $150,000 until 2012; thereafter it would increase to $200,000 A supplemental adaptive housing grant providing $10,000 as an additional benefit for those eligible for the current $50,000 grant; $2,000 additional for those eligible for the current $10,000 Expanding eligibility for certain adapted housing benefits to include active duty members with total and permanent disabilities Allowing veterans to decline a pension without penalty if they receive federal or federally assisted benefits ###