Proposed Legislation Would Forgive VA Debt of Those KIA

Survivors of service members who die in combat while owing money to the Department of Veterans Affairs would not have to repay the government, under a measure now pending before the Senate. Present law requires the VA to contact survivors of those killed in action and notify them of such debts, as well as their responsibility to settle them. The VA secretary, however, does have the discretion to waive such debts. Under the proposed measure, sponsored by Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, all such debts would be waived automatically. According to Hutchison, the VA has attempted to collect more than $56,000 in debts owed by 22 deceased service members. Most of the debts involve GI Bill college education loans.