LEGISLATIVE RESOURCES
Here are some hyperlinks to useful resources to contact your elected officials.
MOAA’s Top 5 Priorities for 2026
1. Shutdown Fairness Act (S. 3168)
What it does: Allows the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security to continue paying servicemembers during any future funding lapse
Who it supports: Currently serving, including National Guard and Reserve members.
MOAA’s take: The best solution remains a timely appropriations process. The bills does NOT include members of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps or the NOAA Commissioned Corps; MOAA continues to advocate for their inclusion.
How you can help: Click here and send a letter to your lawmakers now.
2. Improve and Enhance the Work Opportunity Tax Credit Act (H.R. 6231 | S. 3265)
What it does: Modernizes the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC), a nonrefundable tax credit employers can take for hiring target group members during the employee’s first year on the job, by increasing the amount of the credit and adding military spouses as a target group The program is intended to reduce the unemployment rate of “job seekers who have consistently faced barriers to employment” by incentivizing employers with a tax credit, according to the Labor Department.
Who it supports: Unemployed veterans and military spouses.
MOAA’s take: MOAA has long championed this program, and the addition of military spouses. Continuing to offer this tax credit to employers while enhancing the program will ensure the veteran unemployment rate remains low. Expanding this benefit to military spouses improves financial stability for the currently serving military family, increasing military readiness and retention rates.
How you can help: Click here and send a letter to your lawmakers now.
3. Governing Unaccredited Representatives Defrauding (GUARD) VA Benefits Act (H.R. 1732)
What it does: Reinstates criminal penalties for unaccredited claim representatives who charge unauthorized fees while assisting veterans with filing a claim for VA disability compensation benefits.
Who it supports: Veterans and retirees.
MOAA’s take: Veterans deserve trusted, ethical, and accountable support when filing disability claims – support that protects their privacy, respects their service, and preserves their earned compensation. The goal is not to limit veterans’ ability to seek help, but to guarantee that when they do, the assistance comes from accredited professionals bound by high ethical and professional standards … and that our veterans will not be forced to surrender a portion of the benefits they earned in service to the nation.
How you can help: Keep following MOAA advocacy news. A call to action is coming soon.
4. Military CARE Act (H.R. 6796)
What it does: Requires the Pentagon to establish a digital system designed to improve access to care at military treatment facilities (MTFs) by providing beneficiaries with a standardized platform to report barriers to MTF care and creating a data record that does not exist today to give Defense Health Agency leadership and Congress the insights needed to address systemic access challenges.
Who it supports: All TRICARE beneficiaries, but especially military families.
MOAA’s take: We advocated aggressively for this priority in 2025 as part of our spring Advocacy in Action campaign. Military families must have a more effective option for reporting access problems — an option that also increases transparency to beneficiary challenges and leads to greater accountability and oversight of the MHS.
How you can help: Click here and send a letter to your lawmakers now.
5. Veteran Caregiver Reeducation, Reemployment, and Retirement Act (H.R. 2148 | S. 879)
What it does: Expands health care coverage and career transition support for caregivers, and would require a study designed to provide caregivers with a path toward financial security in retirement.
Who it supports: Millions of caregivers.
MOAA’s take: “Just as our veterans answered the call to serve our nation, their caregivers also answered the call to step up and serve them,” said Lt. Gen. Brian T. Kelly, USAF (Ret), MOAA’s president and CEO. “These dedicated individuals put their own futures on hold — sacrificing financial security, career advancement, and personal well-being — to fulfill the nation's promise to take care of our veterans and provide the care veterans deserve.
How you can help: Click here and send a letter to your lawmakers now.
Legislative Update May 2026
Ohio
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SB 179 (Sen. Terry Johnson): Requires jails and courts to verify whether a person being imprisoned is a veteran. The goal is to help connect incarcerated veterans with veterans’ services, benefits, and support programs. It has passed the Senate and is currently in the House committee process.
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SB 218 (Sen. Kristina Roegner): Exempts family childcare providers certified by a branch of the U.S. armed forces from Ohio’s state childcare licensing requirements. This is mainly intended to reduce duplication for military-certified providers. It is currently in Senate committee.
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HB 530 (Reps. Jodi Salvo & Darnell Brewer): Creates the Long-term Care Workforce Study Commission, which would study staffing shortages and workforce issues in nursing homes and other long-term care settings, then make recommendations for solutions. It is currently in House committee.
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HB 297 (Reps. Kevin Ritter & Johnathan Newman): Increases the amount of county funds that may be provided to veterans, military, and civic organizations for Memorial Day expenses, such as ceremonies, flags, and related events. It has passed the House and is awaiting Senate action.
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SB 92 (Patton): Would authorize a full property tax exemption for the primary residence of totally disabled veterans and their surviving spouses, eliminating property tax liability on the homestead rather than providing only a partial exemption. The bill is currently pending in the Senate Ways and Means Committee.
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HB 22 (Lorenz and Thomas): Would authorize a full homestead property tax exemption for surviving spouses of service members killed in the line of duty, providing meaningful long-term financial relief to military families and Gold Star spouses.
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HB 40 (Richardson and Dovilla): Would increase the enhanced homestead property tax exemption available to certain disabled veterans, expanding existing tax relief for eligible homeowners with service-connected disabilities.
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HB 708 (Willis): Regulates businesses that charge fees to obtain copies of deeds and military discharge records and establishes rules for individuals or companies that provide paid consulting services for veterans benefits claims.
National
MOAA's annual advocacy event brought members from across the nation to Washington, D.C., to meet with lawmakers as part of our ongoing work to advance our legislative agenda. This year’s event focused on four priorities:
Major Richard Star Act
Combat-injured servicemembers who are medically retired before reaching 20 years of service lose some or all of their earned retirement pay because it is offset by VA disability compensation. The Major Richard Star Act (H.R. 2102 | S. 1032) would correct this long-standing injustice for these wounded warriors.
Shutdown Fairness Act
Recent funding lapses have left approximately 41,000 Coast Guard servicemembers performing their duties without certainty of timely pay. This is the third shutdown within the last year. The Shutdown Fairness Act (S. 3168) would provide a permanent fix, ensuring members of the armed forces continue to receive pay and benefits during funding lapses while Congress resolves broader appropriations matters.
GUARD VA Benefits Act
Unaccredited companies are charging veterans thousands of dollars to assist with VA disability claims, a service which is legally available for free through accredited representatives. Weak enforcement mechanisms have allowed bad actors to exploit veterans navigating the VA claims process. The GUARD VA Benefits Act (H.R. 1732) would restore penalties for unauthorized fees and strengthen oversight.
Military CARE Act
The Military CARE Act (H.R. 6796) would establish a centralized digital platform allowing TRICARE beneficiaries to report access-to-care problems, route concerns to the appropriate patient advocate, and provide the Defense Health Agency and Congress with aggregated data to address widespread challenges.
You can help today by:
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Signing up for MOAA’s Legislative Action Center at https://moaa.quorum.us/ to send prepared messages to your elected officials and receive priority alerts when it is time to act.
Calling your lawmakers directly via MOAA’s Capitol Hotline at (866) 272-MOAA (6622) to express your support for MOAA’s legislative priorities.