Washington, D.C.  — The U.S. House of Representatives unanimously approved H.R. 91, the Veterans Identification Card Act 2015 this past week and the bill is now on its way to the President’s desk to be signed into law. The legislation will help minimize the threat of identity theft and make it easier for veterans to prove their military service.

“It is important that we do all we can to ensure that our veterans are recognized for their service to our nation and this bill will make sure that they will always be able to provide proof of that service," Congresswoman Aumua Amata said.

Currently, the only way for a veteran who did not serve for at least 20 years, or is not receiving health services from the VA, to legally prove that they served in the military is through their DD-214 form, which is issued to every service member upon their exit from the military.

While not only impractical to carry around, the DD-214 form also contains sensitive information such as the veteran’s social security number that could put them at risk of identity theft. H.R. 91 will help alleviate this issue, by allowing any veteran to request an ID card from the VA.  The ID card will be a recognized legal document that would provide proof of service in our nation’s armed forces.