Community Rep. Buchanan's 'VA Cards for Vets' Bill Signed by President Obama

WASHINGTON — On Monday, President Obama signed a bill sponsored by Rep. Vern Buchanan that will give all applying veterans their own ID cards from the VA so they may have convenient and immediate proof of service when asked.

The Veterans Identification Card Act (H.R. 91), which was passed by both houses of Congress this month, will now take effect on September 18.

Currently, only veterans who have either completed the service time requirement for retirement, or were given a medical-related discharge, have their own VA identification cards; other vets are required to carry Department of Defense discharge papers as proof of service

While some VA officials did not endorse the legislation—in June, Rajiv Jain, Assistant Deputy USH for Patient Care Services, testified before the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs that vets in most states can already get their statuses marked on their drivers' licenses, and questioned the need for a new card program—the bill was endorsed by several veterans groups. AMVETS Executive Director Stewart Hickey said, "This will make things much more convenient for American vets," and compared having to carry around discharge papers to having to carry a birth certificate.

When the bill was introduced earlier this year, Buchanan noted that the discharge forms that many veterans have to carry around have sensitive personal information, including their Social Security numbers. The bill picked up 82 co-sponsors in the process, and passed both the Senate and House of Representatives without dissent.

In a statement, Buchanan said that vets "will now be able to prove their military service without the added risk of identity theft. It’s the least we can do for the brave men and women in uniform who put it all on the line for us."