Dr. James Allen Disabled Veterans Equity Act

The Dr. James Allen Disabled Veterans Equity Act would expand eligibility for special disability compensation for veterans who suffer from vision loss in both eyes. Under current law, a veteran must be legally blind in both eyes to receive this specific benefit if the injury to one eye was service-related and the injury to the other was not. This bill would lower that threshold, allowing veterans to qualify for compensation if they have at least a 10 percent impairment in their service-connected eye and any level of impairment in the other eye.

The practical impact of this legislation is to provide financial support to veterans who experience significant vision loss but do not meet the strict criteria for total blindness. By recognizing partial impairment in paired organs, the bill aims to ensure that veterans whose overall sight is diminished by a combination of military service and later life circumstances receive equitable disability benefits.