A House bill for increasing benefits to a half-million severely disabled veterans and widowed spouses of service members who died in the line of duty advanced out of committee.

VA Secretary Doug Collins says VA’s project to streamline administration aims to drive efficiency while expanding access to private doctors and nurses outside the VA.

Senators examined legislation that supports disabled veterans in adaptive sports, including elite athletes who advance to global competition at the Paralympics.

The suicide rate for veterans with a recent diagnosis of traumatic brain injury was 94% higher than those without a diagnosis; the rate among homeless veterans was 146% higher when compared to veterans with housing.

The case involves a veteran who left the Marine Corps in 2013 with an other-than-honorable discharge and was later denied disability benefits because of his discharge status.

VA officials said website updates have resulted in 16 million claims getting processed in the past five years, delivering $43 billion in tuition assistance and other benefits.

A House Veterans’ Affairs subcommittee examined a proposal to remove financial penalties on widowed spouses who remarry. More than 95% of eligible spouses opt not to remarry to avoid losing their dependency compensation.

The Veterans Hearing Aid Improvement Act would establish a two-year pilot program at a few VA facilities to provide eligible veterans with hearing aids without a prescription or follow-up fittings with an audiologist.

Data from the annual report helps the VA make decisions on prevention programs to fund and informs its long-term strategy for reducing veterans suicides. The agency said it was pushing back the report’s release date to February.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal suggested an extra $6 billion Congress provided for veterans care was used to “push out essential providers rather than sustain them.” VA Secretary Doug Collins denied staff were compelled to resign.