WASHINGTON, D.C. – The President today signed bipartisan legislation into law expanding COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to veterans and their families under the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), following efforts from House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee leaders, Ranking Member Mike Bost (R-IL), Chairman Mark Takano (D-CA), Chairman Jon Tester (D-MT), and Ranking Member Jerry Moran (R-KS).
“I hope every veteran and their loved ones will get vaccinated against COVID-19,” said Bost. “This bill will give them, their spouses, and their caregivers that chance. I am proud of the work Chairman Takano, Chairman Tester, Ranking Member Moran, and I did to get it across the finish line and am grateful the President signed it into law today. This gets us one step closer to normal and is a light at the end of the tunnel for millions of veterans and their families.”
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The SAVE LIVES Act expands VA’s authority to provide vaccines to:
- Veterans who are not eligible for enrollment in VA’s health care system, including veterans without compensable service-connected disabilities and veterans who have incomes above a certain threshold;
- Caregivers of veterans who are enrolled in various VA home-based and long-term care programs;
- Spouses of veterans; and
- CHAMPVA recipients (spouses of permanently and totally disabled veterans or of veterans who have died from service-connected disabilities).
