Major Veteran Legislation Clears Congress

Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020 Education, Pandemic Assistance, and VR&E Overview:

Education

Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship – Expands the Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship to students pursuing careers in health care that require clinical training, allows the VA to use a priority system in years where the scholarship lacks funding, and stops students’ STEM eligibility counting against their 48-month cap on total education benefits.

Fry Scholarship Expansion – Allows children of certain deceased service members to qualify for the Fry Scholarship.

MGIB Election – Starting in two years, service members will choose whether they want to pay into the Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) after their first six months of service instead of in the first few days of service.

MGIB Sunset – Sunsets the MGIB starting in 2030.

In-state Tuition Expansion – Expands eligibility for in-state tuition to all GI Bill students, directs VA to create a website with a database to include any public schools’ in-state tuition requirements, and allows VA to disapprove any school that does not provide VA with certain information on these requirements.

Work Study Expansion – Allows students to perform outreach work in congressional offices as part of VA work study.

Yellow Ribbon Expansion – Expands the Yellow Ribbon Program to overseas schools.

Housing Allowance Cutoff for Active-Duty Students – Specifies that a service member must serve at least 30 days on active duty before their GI Bill housing allowance can be cut off based on their receipt of a housing allowance through the Department of Defense (DoD) for their active-duty service.

VA Education Benefit Dual and Monthly Certification – Creates a dual certification system for students to receive VA education benefits where schools would certify students’ enrollment at the beginning of the term, and then students would electronically verify their continued enrollment every month after that.

Post-9/11 GI Bill Dependent Transfer Expansion – Clarifies that foster children who live with a service member under court order for at least 12 months may qualify for transferred Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits and matches VA’s definition of dependent with DoD’s.

Expansion of Course Disapproval Circumstances – Expands the reasons why a course of education may be disapproved for Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits. Schools at risk of losing their accreditation can no longer shortcut the approval process by being “deemed approved.”

New Risk-based Survey – Requires VA to work with State Approving Agencies (SAAs) to create a new risk-based survey that provides oversight over all schools and requires VA and SAAs to create a searchable database to track all these risk-based surveys.

Federal Penalty Triggers VA Oversight – Requires that VA provide SAAs with any notice from another Federal agency that a penalty will be imposed on a school and requires the SAA to then conduct a risk-based survey and take additional action against the school if needed. SAAs would also have to provide notice to VA and other SAAs when they act against a school.

FSA Participation Requirement – Requires that schools participate in the Federal Student Aid program in order to receive VA education benefits but allows VA to waive this in certain circumstances.

Law School Accreditation – Requires law schools to receive special legal accreditation by a body like the American Bary Association in order to receive VA education benefits.

Disapproval related to Risk-based Surveys – Allows the VA to disapprove a course for VA education benefits if the school does not comply with their SAA’s risk-based survey.

Principles of Excellence Codified – Codifies the requirements of the Principles of Excellence Program (Executive Order 13607).

School Responsibility for Benefit Overpayment – Asserts that schools would be financially responsible for tuition and fee overpayments made by VA when the school fails to report certain course information related to student discontinuances, interruptions, and absences.

Limits on School Advertising, Sales, and Marketing – Subjects schools seeking VA education funds to the same limits on advertising, sales, and marketing that schools must comply with to qualify for Federal Student Aid. It also creates a tiered penalty system for schools that do not comply with the limits, a mechanism for schools to work with the SAAs and the VA to reestablish compliance, and an appeal process for schools.

Closed School Restoration of Benefits – Restores GI Bill entitlement to eligible student veterans whose school closed in the middle of a semester without the ability to transfer credits to another school.

For-profit Conversion Oversight – Requires schools converting from for-profit to non-profit status to undergo a risk-based survey every year for three years after conversion.

State Approving Agency (SAA) Outreach – Allows an SAA to conduct outreach activities to schools for training, in addition to their work to conduct risk-based surveys, which would still be their priority.

SAA Geographic Recognition Requirements – Requires that an SAA may not be recognized as an SAA for a university that is collocated with that State entity, to ensure there is no conflict of interest.

Pandemic Assistance, Education

Negative Effects Allow for Continued Benefits – Allows VA to continue paying educational assistance benefits during the COVID–19 emergency if the Secretary determines a student was negatively affected by the emergency. This is a broad, flexible authority aimed at covering any gaps in protection the rest of these education provisions do not.

Entitlement Protections for Closed Schools – Ensures that if a school closes due to COVID-19 that certain entitlement used by an individual at that school will not be charged against their overall entitlement amount.

Entitlement Protections for Withdrawals – Requires VA to view a student’s withdrawal from school due to covered reason during the COVID-19 pandemic as mitigating circumstances and not charge the student’s entitlement.

MGIB Eligibility Protections – Prevents a veteran’s MGIB eligibility from lapsing during the COVID-19 emergency period of 1 March 2020 until 21 December 2021.

Apprenticeship and OJT protections – Veterans who are enrolled in an OJT program or apprenticeship and unable to fulfill the 120-hour requirement due to COVID-19-related unemployment or inability to attend the program is not negatively impacted. This section would proportionally recognize the number of hours the individual was able to work, to receive payment from the VA.

Training Location Expansion – Allows students to attend “training establishments” in addition to “educational schools” during the COVID-19 pandemic. Training establishment’ is defined as an establishment providing apprenticeship or on-the-job training, among other things. (38 U.S.C. 3452(e))

Entitlement Charge Prohibition – Amends the Student Veteran Coronavirus Response Act of 2020 to ensure that a student’s entitlement and payment allowances are not charged in the event they are unable to continue their program.

Veterans Readiness and Employment (VR&E)

Eliminates the Time Limit on VR&E Benefits – Eliminates the 12-year time limit governing when disabled veterans must receive counseling, training, and VR&E benefits for those who separate from military service after January 1, 2013. This would align VR&E benefits with Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits, for which Congress previously eliminated a similar time limit.

VR&E Eligibility Protections – Prevents a veteran’s VR&E eligibility from lapsing during the COVID-19 emergency period of 1 March 2020 until 21 December 2021.

VR&E Restoration – Allows Veterans Readiness and Employment (VR&E) benefits to be restored if a veteran’s school closed.

Benefits, General

Minimum Debt Determination for Credit Reporting – Requires VA to determine the minimum amounts of debt which VA shall report to a consumer reporting agency.

Electronic Dependent Information Update – Requires VA to allow veterans to update dependent information via the eBenefits website.

New Definition of Vietnam Era – Defines the Vietnam era as beginning earlier, on November 1, 1955, instead of February 28, 1961.

Contractor Licensing Expansion Pilot Project – Creates a three-year pilot program to expand licensing requirements and portability requirements across state lines for certain contractor medical professionals to perform medical disability examinations for the VA. Requires VA to report to Congress and GAO to study the project.

Medal of Honor Special Pension Rate – Codifies the current rate of the Medal of Honor special pension at $1,388.68 per month and requires the Secretary to pay the pension to the surviving spouse of a Medal of Honor recipient.

Service-Disabled Veterans Insurance Reforms – Raises the maximum coverage under SDVI to $40,000. Stops veterans being denied coverage because of pre-existing conditions or service-connected disabilities and removes the time limit to apply. Veterans currently insured under SDVI have two years to opt-in to the new program.

Improved Traumatic Injury Protection – Modifies TSGLI to provide more protections for severely injured service members who submit claims. Codifies VA’s current TSGLI procedure guide to give an appellant more security. Allows for a reversal of favorable determination to a previous decision on finding of clear and convincing evidence to rebut that finding.

Disability Benefits Questionnaire Study – Requires VA to continue providing the Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ) online while they study and report on a potentially better way to administer the DBQ in a way that allows VA to weigh medical evidence equally regardless of whether provided by VA or a non-VA provider. If a better process is found, VA must implement it within two years of their report.

Minimum Amounts for Credit Reporting– Requires VA to set minimum amounts of debt that it will report to consumer reporting agencies when attempting to collect on a debt.

Dependent Updates via eBenefits – Requires that VA allow veterans to update dependent information via the eBenefits website or its successor website and ensures such change is effective within 60 days of the update.

Lowering Age for Dependency Indemnity Compensation – Lowers the age to 55 at which a remarried, surviving spouse may still receive dependency indemnity compensation benefits.

Uzbekistan Burn Pit Study– This section would require the VA to study cancer, diseases, or illness experienced by those who served at the Karshi-Khanabad (K2) Air Base in Uzbekistan between October 1, 2001, and September 30, 2005. Expands VA’s open burn pit registry to include burn pits located in Uzbekistan.

Report on Herbicide Service Connection – Requires GAO to brief and report on repealing the manifestation period for presumptions of service connection for certain diseases related to herbicide exposure.

Extension of VA Ability to Compare Income Info – Extends VA’s ability to compare income information provided by beneficiaries with income information from the Internal Revenue Service or the Treasury Department when deciding whether to approve applications for need-based benefits and services.

Pension Limits for Hospitalized and Institutionalized Veterans – Extends some limits on payments of pensions for Hospitalized and Institutionalized Veterans from September 30, 2028 to October 30, 2028.

VA Home Loan Expansion – Allows National Guard and Reserve service under Title 32 orders to count for VA Home Loan eligibility.

Reduces VA Home Loan funding fees for certain veterans affected by major disasters.

Extension of certain home loan fee rates from 2029 through 2030.

SAH Program Overpayment Collections – Allows VA to collect overpayments made in the Specially Adapted Housing program.

Burial Transportation Expansion – Expands transportation of deceased veterans to veterans’ cemeteries to include covered veterans’ cemeteries in which a deceased veteran is eligible to be buried and has received a VA grant.

Funding Increase for Funeral Benefits of NSCD Individuals – Increases veteran funeral benefits by grouping all veterans who die of a non-service-connected disability into one category of burial benefits, regardless of location of death.

Burial Receptacles Requirement Extension – Extends requirement for outer burial receptacles to cemeteries that are recipients of grants.

Authorization for Headstone Inscriptions – Authorizes VA to replace or furnish headstones to add inscriptions for deceased spouses and eligible dependent children, or if the spouse or eligible dependent child predeceases the veteran.

County Grants for Veterans Cemeteries – Authorizes the Veterans Cemetery Grants Program to make grants to counties for a veterans cemetery if there are no grant-funded state veterans cemeteries in that state, and that state did not apply for a grant in the previous year.

Funding Increase for Veterans’ Cemetery Maintenance – Increases the maximum annual amount VA may grant to states and tribal organizations for operating and maintaining veterans’ cemeteries to $10 million (currently $5 million).

Allows Alternative Markers for Cremated Individuals – Authorizes NCA to furnish an urn or a commemorative plaque, in lieu of a headstone or marker, to eligible individuals whose cremated remains are not interred in a cemetery.

Cemetery Grant Program Funds for Travel of State and Tribal Organization Employees – Allows Veterans Cemetery Grant Program funds to be used for travel expenses, and up to four weeks of lodging, for employees of grant-funded State and tribal organization veterans’ cemeteries. VA would be required to submit reports to Congress on use of this new authority two years and five years after enactment.

Healthcare

Veteran Directed Care Program – Fixes Veteran Directed Care Program provision in CARES Act to broaden the scope of VDP provider eligibility and allow temporary care transfer due to the pandemic.

Native American Veteran Copayment – Prohibits VA from requiring copayments from Native American and Urban Native American veterans.

State Veterans Homes Reporting – Requires State Veterans Homes (SVH) to report on COVID-19 cases within facilities to VA.

Native American Veterans and SVH – Includes Native American tribes as part of definition of eligible groups with regards to awarding grants for state veterans’ homes.

Women’s Transition Training – Extends VA’s Women’s Health Transition Training Pilot Program.

Newborn Care – Requires VA pay for emergency transportation of newborns.

SVH Eligibility – Allows VA waiver ability for veterans meeting certain eligibility requirements for per diem payments at SVHs.

Time to Hire Standards – Includes compliance with VA’s Time to Hire standards for hiring health care providers in quarterly report on staffing and vacancies.

Drug Dropoff – Requires medical facilities to have drop off locations for controlled substances medications.

Student Clinical Observations – Creates a one-year pilot program to provide students a clinical observation at the VA medical centers.

Appointment Scheduling – Requires VA to create a process for scheduling both internal and community provider appointments, also requires VA to certify employee training on the process.

Scheduling Audit – Requires VA to conduct an audit of facility-level appointment scheduling, the audit must be shared with Congress annually.

Community Care Staffing – Requires VA to review staffing and training needs of the community care program and requires VA to create goals for community care scheduling.

Position Grading – Requires VA to review if positions related to consultation and scheduling are graded correctly.

Pandemic Assistance, Other

COVID-19 Benefits Qualifying Period Defined – Defines ‘qualifying period’ for COVID-19 related benefits as either active duty or training duty under title 10/full-time National Guard duty issued on or after 13 March 2020 performed during a national emergency and within 3 years of the bill passing.

Service-Connected Disability and COVID-19 – Outlines the presumptions of service-connection disability for COVID-19 during a qualifying period of duty.

Homeless Assistance – Authorizes per diem payments during COVID-19 to ensure safety and survival for homeless veterans and formerly homeless veterans living in a facility that receives per diem grants, eliminates the matching funds requirement for VA capital grants for facilities providing transitional housing for homeless veterans during a public health emergency, and makes telehealth available during a covered public health emergency for VA case managers.

Assistance for Homeless Veterans

Legal Services – Allows VA to awards grants to organizations providing legal services for homeless veterans and veterans at risk for homelessness.

Women Veteran Gap Analysis – Requires VA to study existing programs that provide women veteran homeless assistance to identify continued areas of need.

Grant Funding – Increases the amount of grant funds awarded to organizations providing services to homeless veterans to 115% of the state veterans home domiciliary rate and allows for additional increases in on higher cost-of-living areas.

Transitional Referral Services – Removes the sunset date on the ability to provide referral and counseling programs for veterans at risk of homelessness as they transition from institutional living.

Extension of Tribal HUD-VA Case Management – Extends coordination of case management services for veterans receiving housing vouchers through Tribal Housing and Urban Development-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing programs.

Contract Extension for Homeless Vet Case Managers– Extends contracts for homeless veteran case managers to prevent gaps in services for homeless veterans during the pandemic.

HUD-VA Staffing Report – Requires a report to prevent critical gaps in staffing within the Department of Housing and Urban Development-VA supported housing program.

National Directory of New Hires – Provides access to the Federal directory of new hires (NDNH) for the Secretaries of Labor and VA.

Transition Assistance Program

VET TEC Eligibility and Funding – Allows transitioning service members to use the VET TEC Program within 180 days of their separation. Also increases annual funding for the program from $15M to $45M.

Off-base TAP Expansion – Reauthorizes the Transition Assistance Program’s (TAP) pilot program for off-base transition classes from two years to five years. Authorizes the employment workshop from the DoD TAP program to be provided at off-base locations for all veterans. Also expands off-base TAP classes to 50 locations in the domestic United States and expands DoL identification of the states with high unemployment from two to 20.

Transition Services Grants – Directs VA to make grants available for eligible organizations that specialize in providing transition services to members of the Armed Forces who are separated, retired, or discharged, as well as their spouses. Transition services include resume assistance, interview training, job recruitment training, and related services leading directly to successful transition as determined by VA.

TAP Study – This section requires VA, with SBA, DoL, DoD, and an appropriate entity with experience in adult education, to conduct a one-year independent assessment of the effectiveness of the Transition Assistance Program, including the effectiveness, appropriateness, and any challenges the program faces.

TAP Longitudinal Study – Requires VA, SBA, DoL, and DoD, to conduct a 5-year longitudinal study on three cohorts of individuals going through the Transition Assistance Program.

Women Veterans’ Healthcare

Office of Women’s Health at VHA – Creates an Office of Women’s Health within VHA headed by a Chief Officer. The office would oversee women’s health programs within VHA.

Retrofitting at VA Medical Centers – Requires VA to retrofit existing medical facilities to make them safer and easier for women veterans to get care. Also requires VA submit a plan for retrofitting facilities and authorizes $20 million to do so.

Environment of Care Standards – Establishes environment of care standards at all VA Medical Centers to ensure that facilities are inspected and improved to meet those standards.

Women Veterans Reintegration and Readjustment Counseling – Makes permanent the ability of women veterans to receive reintegration and readjustment counseling services in group retreat settings, and additionally provides opportunities to participate in counseling in retreat settings for those veterans, service members, and family members with their eligible veteran. Participation would be capped at 1,200 participants annually for the first five years.

Public-Private Partnerships for Legal Services for Women Veterans – Requires VA to enter into agreements with public or private entities, to provide legal services to women veterans to meet the following unmet needs of women veterans: (1) Child Support Issues, (2) Eviction Prevention and Foreclosure, (3) Discharge Upgrades, (4) Financial Guardianship, (5) Credit Counseling, and (6) Family Reconciliation Assistance.

GAO Report on VA SSVFF Program – Requires GAO to report on VA’s efforts to provide supportive services to women veterans through the Supportive Services for Veterans Families Program for homeless or at-risk veterans.

Child-care Pilot Programs – Makes permanent a pilot program to provide childcare to veterans receiving VA health care and gives VA five years to implement the provision of childcare at every VA medical center. Also creates a pilot program to provide childcare services at no fewer than 3 Vet Centers.

Women Veterans’ Prosthetics Availability and Report – Codifies that women veterans can access clinically appropriate prosthetic appliances through each VA medical facility. Also requires VA to report on the availability of prosthetics made for women veterans at VA, including variability across facilities.

Women Veterans Call Center Improvement – Requires the women veterans call center to respond to requests for assistance in accessing health care and benefits.

Infertility Services Study – Requires a study on infertility services furnished by the VA.

MST Treatment Available at All VA Healthcare Facilities – Clarifies that service members seeking access to care and counseling related to MST can seek this care at any VA healthcare facility, not limited to Vet Centers.

Women’s Health Provider Requirement for Every VA Facility – Requires VA to staff every VA facility with at least one full- or part-time women’s health primary care provider.

Women Veterans Healthcare Mini-Residency Program Funding – Authorizes an additional $1 million annually for the Women Veterans Healthcare Mini-Residency Program, providing training opportunities on women veterans care for primary care and emergency care clinicians.

Community Partners Training Module for Women Veterans – Requires VA to create a training module for community providers that is specific to women veterans.

Women Veteran Program Manager Program Review – Requires VA to conduct a study to determine if the Women Veteran Program Manager program is appropriately staffed, and whether it would be advisable to add an Ombudsman to this program at each medical center.

Women Veteran Coordinator Program Review – Requires VA to study the Veterans Benefits Administration Women Veteran Coordinator program, how well those positions are staffed, and provide a position description.

Women Peer Specialists Review and Staffing Plan – Directs VA to carry out a study on the number of women Peer Specialists. Also requires VA to create a staffing plan for women Peer Specialists.

Provides MST Counseling to Veterans of the NG and Reserves – Expands MST counseling at VA to veterans of the National Guard or Reserve. Also allows VA to treat physical health conditions arising from MST, not just mental health conditions.

Advisory Committee on Women Veteran to Study Intimate Partner Violence – Expands the Advisory Committee on Women Veterans’ mandate to include examining the effect of intimate partner violence on women veterans.

Anti-harassment and Sexual Assault Policies – Requires VA to create an anti-harassment and anti-sexual assault policy, designate points of contact throughout VA, including each facility, to receive reports of harassment, and create a working group to implement the policy.

Pilot Program for the Care of Intimate Partner Violence Survivors – Creates a pilot program to care for survivors of intimate partner violence.

Task Force and Study on Intimate Partner Violence Amongst Veterans – Requires a study on the prevalence of intimate partner violence amongst veterans and creates a task force to create a national program to address it.

Data Collection and Publishing for TAP, Other Programs – Requires VA to collect and analyze data for every program that serves veterans, including TAP, and publish the data while protecting veterans’ identities.

Women Veterans Barriers to Care Study – Requires VA to study the barriers women veterans face when accessing care and benefits from VA. Survey results and any recommendations would be submitted to Congress.

Parenting STAIR Study – Directs VA to conduct a feasibility and advisability study on providing Parenting STAIR at all VA Medical Centers.

MST Process Teams and Reporting Requirements – Requires VBA to have MST claims processed by specialized teams. Also requires reports from VA to track consistency of decisions on MST claims across regional offices, and other data.

Option to Choose Gender of Medical Providers for MST-associated Claims – Allows veterans filing a claim for a mental or physical health condition that resulted from a physical assault/battery/harassment of a sexual nature to choose the sex of the medical exam provider.

MST Claims – Requires VA to report the implementation of OIG recommendations from the report “Denied Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Claims Related to Military Sexual Trauma.”

Representation and Financial Exploitation Matters

VA Plan to Stop Financial Exploitation of Veterans – Directs VA to develop a plan to assess and address financial exploitation of veterans and submit such a plan to Congress not later than one year after enactment.

Training Update for Pension Processors – Directs the Secretary to update guidance and training for processors of claims for pensions at least once every three years and develop a method for identifying and tracking individuals who have received overpayments of pension. Also requires an annual report for each fiscal year after enactment.

Report on Improving Pension Payment Accuracy – Directs the Under Secretary of Benefits of the VA to conduct an evaluation of the feasibility and advisability of requiring pension claims processors to take additional action to ensure that payments of pension are provided to the correct recipients. Also requires report within 240 days of enactment.

Annual Report on VA’s Actions to Stop Financial Exploitation – Requires VA to submit a report to Senate and House Veterans’ Affairs Committees annually on efforts to address the financial exploitation of individuals receiving pension.

No Filing Fee Notice – Directs the Under Secretary for Benefits to ensure every paper or electronic document relating to the receipt of pension includes a notice that the Department does not charge any fee in connection with the filing of an application for such pension.

VA Outreach Plan to Those Vulnerable to Financial Exploitation – Requires the Under Secretary for Benefits to develop an outreach plan for educating vulnerable individuals about potential financial exploitation. Also requires a report to Congress not later than 180 days after enactment.

Other Matters

National testing protocol for volunteer drivers pilot program – Requires VA to develop and implement a national protocol for administering medical examinations to volunteer drivers as a pilot program, then roll out across entire network in phases once successful.

Advisory Committee on Tribal and Indian Affairs at VA – Establishes an Advisory Committee on Tribal and Indian Affairs to advise the VA Secretary on matters relating to Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and Native American veterans.

Veteran Preference in Contracting – Allows VA to give preference to companies that employ veterans, in awarding a VA contract for the procurement of goods or services.

USERRA Expansion for National Guard – Extends USERRA protections to National Guardsmen who serve at least 14 days on State Active-Duty orders or are called up to respond to a National Emergency by the President or are called up to a federal natural disaster emergency.

Fiduciary Misuse of Benefits Repayment – Requires VA to pay a beneficiary (or successor fiduciary) the amount of the misused benefit when any fiduciary has misused all or part of an individual’s benefit, except in cases of negligent failure. Removes stipulation that the fiduciary (1) not be an individual, or (2) serve at least 10 beneficiaries for VA to repay misused benefits.

Nonprofit Research Funds Limit Removed – Any amounts transferred to a nonprofit research corporation after September 30, 2016 shall be available without regard to fiscal year limitations.

GAO High-Risk List Report – Requires VA to report to Congress on how VA is addressing areas of concern in the GAO’s 2019 High-Risk List regarding acquisition management, managing risks, and improving health care.

VA Report on GAO Priority Recommendations – Requires VA to report to Congress on the implementation of the GAO’s priority recommendations for VA.

Compliance Monitoring for Subcontracting – Improves VA’s ability to monitor compliance with certain limitations on subcontracting.

Form 95 Employment Status Communication – Requires VA to provide notice to individuals filing standard form 95 as to the employment status of any individual named on the form.

CFO Act Report from VA – Requires VA to report to Congress with a complete plan that conforms with the CFO Act, within 180 days from enactment, and for the subsequent three years.

CFO Responsibility for Internal and Budget Controls – Requires the Chief Financial Officer certify their responsibility for the internal financial controls of the Department, and an attestation of sufficient collaboration with subordinate chief financial officers on financial projections.

CFO Requirement to Manage Subordinate Officers – Requires the Chief Financial Officer to participate in the interview and selection panels of all subordinate chief financial officers, give input into the performance plans, and performance evaluations of all subordinate chief financial officers.

Electronic Lease Termination – Allows a service member to electronically deliver a valid, enforceable notice of termination of their residential or car leases.

Extends Coast Guard Stop Movement SCRA Protections – Makes a technical correction to allow a member of the United States Coast Guard to have extended SCRA protections for leases due to a stop movement order.