Staying informed on current policies and bills impacting our veterans, first responders, and their families is a meaningful way a grateful community can support them.
Below you’ll find a summary of all current federal and South Carolina legislation related to warriors and their families. Bill status is current as of 2/17/26.
For your convenience, public contact information for your elected representatives is provided below:
Federal Legislation:
- Medal of Sacrifice Act: To Honor Fallen Law Enforcement, H.R.3497 – STATUS: Referred to Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
- Veterans’ Assuring Critical Care Expansions to Support Servicemembers (ACCESS) Act – STATUS: Introduced – Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs
- Allows veterans to get mental health care outside of the VA when the department cannot provide such care according to certain standards of availability, timeliness, and quality – through community care connections
- Create an online portal for tracking
- Allows veterans to have access to substance abuse and mental health care without prior approval from VA
- Precision Brain Health Research Act of 2025, S.800 – STATUS: Introduced – Committees: Senate – Veterans’ Affairs
- Research using identification and validation of brain and mental health biomarkers among veterans for repetitive low-level blast exposure, dementia, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder
- Partners with VA and DoD for research to reduce life-long illnesses and disorders stemmed from service
- Major Richard Star Act, H.R.2102 – STATUS: Introduced – Committees: House – Armed Services; Veterans’ Affairs
- Eliminates a dollar-for-dollar offset faced by servicemembers whose combat-related injuries force them to medically retire before the 20-year mark
- Allow eligible veterans to receive both full retirement pay and full disability compensation
- Veterans Equal Access Act, H.R.1384 – STATUS: Introduced – Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs
- Allows VA to authorize marjuana use for veterans within their state’s marjuana program
- Rural Transportation to Care for Veterans Act, H.R.1733 – STATUS: Introduced – Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs
- Expands and makes the transportation service of the VA to be permanent to allow for transportation to their appointments
- For veterans in rural and highly rural areas along with tribal support
- Housing Unhoused Disabled Veterans Act (HUDVA), H.R.965 – STATUS: Passed House – Committees: House – Financial Services | Senate – Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
- Assists with housing for disabled veterans with houses specifically built for their needs
- Retracts the income needed, allowing homeless disabled veterans to have equal access
- The Veterans Supporting Prosthetics and Recreational Therapy (SPORT) Act, H.R.9478 – STATUS: Introduced – Committees: House – Veteran Affairs
- Aims to include adaptive prostheses and terminal devices for sports and other recreational activities in the medical services to eligible veterans
- Extends VA benefits to fully cover prosthetics permanently
- Dental Care for Veterans Act, H.R.210 – STATUS: Introduced – Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs
- expands eligibility for veterans for dental care provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
- Disabled Veterans Housing Support Act, H.R.7480 – STATUS: Passed House – Committees: House – Financial Services | Senate – Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
- Excludes compensation received for a military service-connected disability from a veteran’s income when determining eligibility for assistance under the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program
- Aims to increase affordable housing for veterans
- Crisis Assistance and Resources in Emergencies CARE for First Responders Act, H.R.6415 – STATUS: Introduced Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Transportation and Infrastructure
- Aims to increase access to mental health, substance use, and counseling services for first responders
- The Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act, S.237 – STATUS: Introduced – Committees: Senate – Judiciary
- To extend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to provide public safety officer benefits for exposure-related cancers
- This legislation acknowledges the risks that firefighters, law enforcement officers, and emergency medical personnel face due to exposure to carcinogens in the line of duty.
- The act aims to provide financial support to the families of those who die or become permanently disabled from these job-related health issues.
South Carolina Legislation:
- H 3997 General Bill – STATUS: In committee in the House – Committee: Ways and Means
- Aims to reduce income taxes for first responders
- Property tax exemptions for first responders and for surviving spouses
- For state, county, and municipal
- H 3261 General Bill – STATUS: In committee in the House – Committee: Labor, Commerce, and Industry
- Allows first responders to be able to file for workers compensation for stress or mental injury without the need for physical injury
- H 4606 General Bill – STATUS: In committee in the House – Committee: Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs
- Aims to establish veteran housing priority zones and streamline zoning/permitting for veteran supporting housing initiatives
- Creates a veteran/landlord risk mitigation fun
- S 0868 General Bill – STATUS: In committee in the Senate – Committee: Family and Veterans’ Services
- Aims to have June 1st recognized as “Gold Shield Day” to honor first responders who have been killed in the line of duty and their surviving family
- S 0870 General Bill – STATUS: In committee in the Senate – Committee: Family and Veterans’ Services
- To List Requirements For Military Chaplains
- Ensure Privileged Communication Between Chaplains And Militia Members And Authorized Personnel
- Provide Disclosure Exceptions For Confidential Communications
