The 2024 half of the 93rd Minnesota Legislative session began at noon on Monday, Feb. 12 when both chambers gaveled in to begin the work for this year. After passing a state budget last year, the focus will be on crafting a public infrastructure (bonding) bill and policy items.

MDVA has two bonding requests. The first is to upgrade the building that houses the domiciliary program at the Minnesota Veterans Home – Minneapolis. This would cover 35% of the project with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs contributing the rest. The other is for asset preservation to maintain existing facilities throughout the state.

For policy items, the agency is seeking five changes that are mostly technical in nature. They are as follows-

• 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.

Only one Veterans related bill was heard in committee for the week. Sen. Jeff Howe’s (Rockford) SF 3328 was heard in Judiciary and Public Safety. It requires reporting for justice involved Veterans that are going through Veterans court or other court diversion programs. The bill was laid over for future consideration.

Finally, one notable change occurred in the Senate leading up to the start of session. Sen. Kari Dziedzic (Northeast Minneapolis) stepped down as majority leader after a recurrence of cancer. She was replaced by Sen. Erin Murphy (St. Paul) who had chaired the State and Local Government and Veterans committee. Dziedzic will take over that committee.