Pentagon bracing for three-month slowdown on major defense equipment

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, The U.S. Defense Department expects to see a three-month delay of its Major Defense Acquisition Program portfolio.

To read more, click here.

Here are the new exemptions to the military's coronavirus travel ban

Yesterday, Defense Secretary Mark Esper released a memo detailing the DoD's extended stop-movement order. The order is an extension of the March 12^th stop-movement order and it will now be extended through June.

To read more, click here.

New House bill would grant Gold Star families access to commissary, base recreation

Gold Star families could be seeing a huge change in on-base benefits through a House bill that would grant families access to the commissary, base exchange and other privileges if the bill is passed.

To read more, click here.

	AFSA on the Hill

	AFSA Military and Government Team Monitoring COVID-19 Developments Closely Our team is continuing to monitor developments from DOD, TRICARE, the VA, and state/federal governmental entities to disseminate noteworthy information to our members. In communications with leading officials from DOD, we can report that there are now more than 54,800 DOD personnel supporting COVID relief. As of the date of this submission, the VA has administered nearly 40,000 tests COVID-19 tests nationwide. As of April 15, 4,468 veterans have tested positive for the virus. Tragically, 272 veterans have passed too soon. The VA has also announced that it will strategically begin to implement its national mission in regions where veterans have been adequately taken care of. The VA has made 1,500 beds available for FEMA and has provided care for dozens of non-Veteran patients. The Congress is also scheduled to reconvene shortly to discuss a possible "phase 4" to their COVID-19 response plan. As more details arise, our team will continue to keep you in the loop on the measures being taken by these various entities to protect the lives of the citizens of this country. AFSA Virtual Meeting With Members of Toxic Exposure Coalition (TEAM) Today, AFSA's Policy Advisor, Matthew Schwartzman, attending a virtual meeting with ally's in the fight to improve the quality of life for those who tragically suffer from poor health conditions associated with exposure to toxic substances. Our group is working with many MSO's and VSO's on legislation that would pursue a multitude of different avenues to see that service members impacted by toxic exposure can get the care they need and that their healthcare providers have the necessary resources to adequately provide the proper care that is required. With elections coming up this November, and the unanticipated spread of COVID-19, it is impossible to say how much progress will be made with this issue during this Congressional cycle. However, as more information comes to light, our team will continue to keep you informed. AFSA Scheduled to Attend Virtual Meeting With Leading Defense Health Agency (DHA) Officials Tomorrow, our legislative team will be attending a virtual meeting with leading DHA officials to potentially discuss a multitude of topics; including, but not limited to: The current status of delivered care at MTF's nationwide TRICARE Cash Refunds The status of the proposed reduction of 18,000 medical billets Our team is avidly aware of the many uncertainties that have arisen due to changes in MTF healthcare delivery policies as a response to local, state, and federal social distancing regulations. Our team is monitoring these developments very closely and will be sure to report on the findings uncovered from this pivotal meeting.

Legislative Action Center

Congressional Communique

Listed below are a number of pieces of legislation our team is vigilantly monitoring for movement, updates, etc.:

H.R.6322: Cited as the Student Veteran Coronavirus Response Act of 2020, this bill addresses education programs and assistance for veterans during the covered period from March 1-December 21, 2020. Specifically, the bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to continue paying work-study allowances during emergency periods.

The VA is also authorized to continue paying educational assistance and subsistence allowances for a specified amount of time for programs of education that are suspended due to an emergency situation.

H.R.6482: Cited as the Protecting our Pharmaceutical Supply Chain from China Act of 2020, this bill would require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to maintain a list of the country of origin of all drugs marketed in the United States, and would ban the use of Federal funds for the purchase of drugs manufactured in China.

H.R.6259: Cited as the Veteran Access to Direct Primary Care Act, this bill requires the VA to implement a five-year pilot program to provide eligible veterans with the option to receive primary care services from a non-VA health care provider under a direct primary care service arrangement through the use of a veteran health savings account. Eligible veterans are those enrolled in the VA health care system.

H.R.6168: Cited as the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2020, this bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to increase, as of December 1, 2020, the rates of veterans' disability compensation, additional compensation for dependents, the clothing allowance for certain disabled veterans, and dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children. The percentage increase in benefits shall be the same as the cost-of-living increase for Social Security recipients.

Visit our Action Center!

Our Legislative Action Center is now equipped with strategically placed advocacy plans on the top issues of today! To play a pivotal role in passing the most comprehensive women Veterans' healthcare plan of this Congressional cycle or let your representative know how MTF downsizing may impact you and your family, please visit https://www.votervoice.net/AFSA/home and share with your family, friends, and loved ones.

AFSA Membership Information

2020 Professional Airmen's Conference Registration LIVE

The AFSA Professional Airmen's Conference features participants from Military Educational Centers, supporting Military Branches and Joint Services Trainers, as well as motivational and inspirational speakers and program.

The Conference features general training sessions, professional development forums, formal banquets, the Convention InfoExpo, and Transition/Hiring Events.

For more information on the PAC, please click here.

To register, please click here!

AFSA Scholarship Information

The AFSA Scholarship Program began in 1968 with one $1,000 scholarship. Today, AFSA has awarded more than 617 scholarships totaling more than $920,100 in scholastic financial aid.

IMPORTANT UPDATE: Due to the current global events, we are extending our Scholarship Application Open Season to Friday, April 24, 2020. Completed application packages with all required documents must be sent no later than April 24, 2020.

For more information, please go to https://www.hqafsa.org/scholarships.html.

	And that's the way it is...

	In sum, despite the continued spread of COVID-19, our legislative team continues to work uninterrupted and remains laser-focused on protecting the quality of life of our service members past and present and their families. Our team is currently working on summaries for the 3-phased COVID-19 relief package, the FY2021 NDAA, and is monitoring VA, DOD, and DHA's response to COVID-19 very very closely. For up-to-date information about the evolving Military Health System policies during this unprecedented time, please click here or e-mail our Policy Advisor, Matthew Schwartzman at mschwartzman@hqafsa.org. The Military Health System has also established a primary information resource for MHS beneficiaries which can be viewed here. And that's the way it is for Tuesday, April 21, 2020. Stay tuned for our next M&G-B, where we will continue to keep you in the loop on all things pertinent to the coronavirus, veterans, active-duty members, guard and reservists, and military family members. For the time being, if you have any other additional legislative or departmental questions, please contact mschwartzman@hqafsa.org for more information. Stay happy, and stay healthy!