By Pacific Island Times News Staff
Delegate James Moylan, Guam's representative to the U.S. Congress, on Wednesday proposed that the cost of shipping adaptive vehicles for Guam veterans be shouldered by the Department of Veterans Affairs as part of the federal Automobile Adaptive Equipment program.
The program provides adaptive equipment to allow a disabled veteran to safely operate and get in and out of the vehicle. DVA provides a one-time payment of $22,355.72 to each eligible veteran to cover the equipment purchase.
While Guam veterans may be qualified for the program, Moylan noted that such vehicles are not available on island. As a result, Guam veterans have to pay for the shipping costs.
Moylan’s proposed measure would place the responsibility of the shipping costs under the Office of Veterans Affairs to make it easier for the qualified veteran to receive the adaptive vehicle for their personal usage.
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“Our office continues to identify and seek solutions to refine existing statutes which would ensure island residents can benefit from federal programs. The ‘Deliver for Veterans’ Act is one such option, and we will work toward the enactment of the legislation, which would assist many disabled veterans in Guam obtain reliable transportation," Moylan said.
“This is just a start in terms of securing additional benefits for our veterans, and more importantly, in seeking equity. We are optimistic in the potential of where this measure is heading since it does not increase the annual costs appropriated for the federal program," he added.
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