The National Association for the Advancement of Orthotics and Prosthetics (NAAOP) has issued a statement regarding the Injured and Amputee Veterans Bill of Rights. The statement appears below in edited form:
The U.S. Senate adjourned on December 22, marking the end of the 111th Congress. Left on the table without action was H.R. 5428, the Injured and Amputee Veterans Bill of Rights. After passage of this bill earlier this month by the House of Representatives, NAAOP embarked upon a major effort to get the Senate to pass the bill. Many other O&P organizations and individuals assisted NAAOP in this effort. But time ran out before concerns raised by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) could be resolved.
There is bipartisan support in the House and Senate for addressing the problems this bill seeks to address, and NAAOP has secured commitments from key members of Congress and their staff to continue working on this issue in the 112th Congress. The chief sponsor of the bill, Congressman Bob Filner (D-CA), will no longer be chairman of the House VA Committee, but he will remain as the ranking minority member of the committee. The Republican staff on the VA Committee has expressed interest in continuing to find a way to address the needs of injured and amputee veterans in the next Congress, which begins January 6, 2011.
NAAOP would like to take this opportunity to thank the many individuals and organizations in the O&P community, including the Amputee Coalition of America (ACA), the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists (the Academy), the American Orthotic & Prosthetics Association (AOPA), the American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics & Pedorthics (ABC), the Board of Certification/Accreditation, International (BOC), and many members of the O&P community. NAAOP would also like to offer a special thanks to Hanger Prosthetics & Orthotics for its strong support through this process.
NAAOP will continue to keep its membership informed of developments as they occur. For more information, visit www.naaop.org or e-mail info@naaop.org
