BOGOTA BOROUGH, N.J. (Bergen County) — U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer announced three new bipartisan bills Friday, Nov. 13, aimed at expanding disability benefits for veterans diagnosed with certain illnesses after leaving military service.
Gottheimer, D-5th District, made the announcement during a Veterans Day roundtable at Bogota VFW Post 5561, where he met with North Jersey veterans and representatives from veterans service organizations to discuss benefits, health care and other challenges facing former service members.
The legislation, introduced with U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., would address eligibility requirements for veterans with sarcoidosis, certain neurological conditions and other chronic illnesses.
“Nothing is more important in this job than my responsibility to always have the backs of those who have stepped forward to protect us — to bravely get our backs. That’s why I’m proud to have worked across the aisle to improve veterans’ benefits and care, and to continue that work to find common ground to ensure you receive the benefits you deserve,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5).
According to information released by Gottheimer’s office, New Jersey is home to nearly 300,000 veterans, including approximately 38,400 in Bergen, Passaic and Sussex counties. Those figures include 22,085 veterans in Bergen County, 10,616 in Passaic County and 5,683 in Sussex County.
More than 65,000 New Jersey veterans receive disability compensation through the Department of Veterans Affairs, while nearly 74,000 veterans in the state received VA health care in 2023.
Three bills target disability benefit eligibility
The first proposal, the Sarcoidosis After Service Recognition and Coverage Act, or SARC Act, would expand eligibility for veterans diagnosed with sarcoidosis, an inflammatory disease that can affect multiple organs.
Under current VA rules, sarcoidosis is generally presumed to be connected to military service if it becomes at least 10% disabling within one year of separation, unless the veteran qualifies under other provisions, including the PACT Act.
The proposed legislation would eliminate that one-year limitation, allowing eligible veterans whose sarcoidosis becomes at least 10% disabling later in life to qualify for disability benefits.
“We are immensely grateful to Representative Josh Gottheimer for introducing this bill on behalf of the as many as 32,000 veterans who have been diagnosed with sarcoidosis or are still navigating their path to their sarcoidosis diagnosis. The Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research (FSR) enthusiastically endorses this bill,” said FSR’s President and CEO, Mary McGowan. “For far too long veterans with sarcoidosis have struggled to be seen, understood, and treated – the introduction of this bill ushers in a new era that acknowledges these veterans’ sacrifice and provides them hope for the future.”
Saul Kuciauskas, vice president of the Life & Breath Foundation, also expressed support for the proposal, citing the challenges patients face in obtaining a diagnosis.
“Sarcoidosis is one of the most difficult diseases to diagnose. Patients often visit four or more physicians and wait three to five years from their first symptoms to a diagnosis, long after the VA’s one-year window has closed. Veterans who served our country should never lose the benefits they earned because their disease took longer to diagnose. The Life & Breath Foundation for Sarcoidosis proudly endorses Congressman Gottheimer’s bill and thanks him for standing up for veterans living with sarcoidosis,” said Saul Kuciauskas, Vice President of the Life & Breath Foundation.
The second proposal, the Linking Identified Neurological Conditions to Known PTSD Act, or LINK Act, would establish a presumed connection between service-related post-traumatic stress disorder and certain neurological diseases.
Under the legislation, eligible veterans with service-connected PTSD who later develop dementia or Parkinson’s disease could qualify for VA disability benefits based on the presumed relationship between those conditions.
The third proposal, the Protecting Vets From Chronic Illness Act, would require the VA to review its list of 41 chronic diseases presumed to be connected to military service.
According to Gottheimer’s office, the list has not been updated since 1988. The legislation would require the department to recommend potential additions and consider extending eligibility deadlines for conditions that become disabling after veterans leave the military.
House passes separate veterans benefits legislation
During the roundtable, Gottheimer also highlighted the House’s passage this week of the bipartisan Major Richard Star Act, which seeks to expand retirement and disability compensation for combat-injured veterans.
The legislation would allow eligible veterans who were medically retired because of combat-related injuries to receive both their military retirement pay and VA disability compensation without reductions. Approximately 59,000 veterans could benefit from the proposed changes, according to Gottheimer’s office.
Gottheimer also cited previous legislative efforts involving veterans’ health care, suicide prevention, disability assistance and access to VA services.
Those efforts include provisions in the PACT Act addressing the mental health effects of toxic exposure and legislation to improve the VA’s ability to hire post-9/11 veterans.
In July, the House passed Gottheimer’s bipartisan legislation to rename the VA clinic in Newton, Sussex County, in honor of Anthony “Tony” J. Gallopo, a local veteran who advocated for the facility’s establishment.
Gottheimer has also introduced the Data-Driven Suicide Prevention and Outreach Act, which would use artificial intelligence to help identify suicide risk factors among veterans; the Veterans STAND Act, aimed at expanding assistive technology for veterans with spinal cord injuries; and the VETS Act, which would establish resident advocates at VA residential facilities and state veterans’ homes.
The three newly announced disability benefits bills would require congressional approval before becoming law.
