Minnesota Veterans and their families received an historic investment from the 2023 Legislature, ensuring that the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) can continue to provide the highest quality programs and services to those who served our country. We are grateful for this support, detailed in our 2023 Veterans Legislation Session Summary. From expanding the Minnesota GI Bill to furthering efforts to end Veteran homelessness, from supporting our current operations to investing in the future renovation of the 120-year-old Hastings Veterans Home campus, the second annual Veterans Omnibus Bill ensured that Minnesota Veterans were a priority.

The State Legislature began its 2024 session on Monday, February 12 and the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) will once again be active at the State Capitol during the next few months. While last year’s legislative session focused on establishing the state budget for the next two fiscal years, this year’s session is likely to focus on building a public works infrastructure (bonding) bill, policy changes and a limited supplemental budget.

MDVA Legislative Director Ben Johnson and Legislative Liaison Cole Trace coordinate our efforts to connect with our Legislators, advocating for funding and legislation that will support Minnesota’s 294,000 Veterans. Our first opportunity will be February 26 when I will join other MDVA leaders to provide an update to the House Veterans Affairs committee. Our priorities for this session include five policy items and two bonding items.

Policy requests

• Streamline Minnesota Veterans Education Benefits within the State Soldiers Assistance Program and Veterans Education program, including increased educational assistance stipends and expanding Surviving Spouse and Dependent Education benefits eligibility to spouses and children of service-connected disabled Veterans at seventy percent (70%) or greater as rated by the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs (VA).
• Secure legislative authority to begin the process of developing a fifth State Veterans Cemetery in Northwestern Minnesota in alignment with the VA goal of providing 95% of Minnesota Veterans a burial option within 75 miles of their home.
• Create a statutory prohibition on receipt of state Veterans benefits by certain individuals who have been deemed by the VA to have forfeited their federal entitlements due to criminal convictions under 38 U.S. Code Chapter 61.
• A technical correction to clarify the Minnesota Veterans Homes leadership reporting structure, specifying the reporting of Minnesota Veterans Homes Administrators to the MDVA Deputy Commissioner for Veterans Healthcare.
• Addition of specific statutory language formalizing the establishment and operation of a MDVA central pharmacy for the provision of pharmaceuticals prescribed in accordance with Veterans Homes Resident care plans.

Bonding requests

• Invest $16 million to renovate Building 16 on the Minneapolis Veterans Home Campus, a second location for the Domiciliary Program
• Invest $13 million in asset preservation

And a reminder: we are hiring at MDVA locations across the state! Please consider joining our team or encouraging others to do so. Job openings are posted at /mdva/about/work-for-mdva/featured-jobs.jspMinnesotaVeteran.org/Careers.

If you need information or support on any Veteran issue, please visit our website, contact your County Veterans Service Officer, or contact LinkVet at 1-888-LinkVet.

Thank YOU for your service!