Thursday, February 7 – Washington, DC – A February 13 hearing has been scheduled by the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs to establish the effectiveness of a series of federal programs aimed at assisting veterans. The hearing is expected to have a major influence on determining which programs should continue and which should sunset.

Mathew B. Tully, the founding partner of Tully Rinckey PLLC, has been invited to speak before the Committee. Tully’s testimony will evaluate how the Department of Labor handles Veterans’ Employment Opportunities Act and Uniformed Services Employment and Re-employment Rights Act claims. Tully is expected to criticize the Department of Labor’s referral program to the Office of Special Counsel and propose changes which would benefit veterans fighting for their rights under the Uniformed Services Employment and Re-employment Act.

“The current arrangement is broken. The bureaucracy of the referral system only complicates and lengthens the process of getting vets what they’re due,” said Tully. “Attorneys fees should be mandated under the Uniformed Services Employment and Re-employment Act so that private attorneys can give these cases the attention they need and deserve.”

The National Guardsman and Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran is often looked at as an expert regarding veterans’ rights issues. In October 2007, Tully testified in front of the US Senate Committee of Veterans’ Affairs regarding his recommendations for changes to USERRA. His firm, Tully Rinckey PLLC, is one of the few in the country dedicated to the protection and preservation of the rights of veterans and reservists.

The US House of Representatives Committee on Veterans’ Affairs recommends legislation expanding, curtailing, or fine-tuning laws relating to veterans’ benefits.

 For more information about the hearing and the importance of veterans’ rights, please contact Caitlin Merrill at 518-218-7100 or via email at cmerrill@tullylegal.com.

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Tully Rinckey PLLC is one of the fastest growing full-service law firms in the Capital Region and is dedicated to providing quality legal representation and customer service to individuals, families and businesses throughout New York’s Capital and Hudson Valley Regions. The team of attorneys, paralegals, and professionals helps clients in a wide range of practice areas. The firm maintains a website, www.tullylegal.com, with additional information about its attorneys, achievements, and news stories involving the firm’s work.