After nearly two weeks of waiting, the Minnesota House agreed to the Senate’s language of HF 3454, the Veterans and Military Affairs omnibus policy bill with a unanimous 131-0 vote. Recall that the Senate voted in favor 65-2 on April 18.

The language passed in HF 3454 includes the following Veterans provisions-

• Makes a technical correction in law that said Veterans Home administrators report directly to the MDVA commissioner. This was a mistake put into law after the Veterans Home Board was dissolved and became the Health Care division of MDVA.
• Authorizes in law the Central Pharmacy that MDVA already operates for the Veterans Homes throughout the state.
• Allows MDVA to lay the groundwork for a fourth State Veterans Cemetery in the Bemidji area.
• Provides flexibility to Health Care funding to use next fiscal year’s appropriation to cover expenses due to the delay in opening and receiving federal certification for the three new Veterans homes.
• Allows the grant for Metro Meals on Wheels to use this fiscal year’s funds next year.
• Gives county boards the authority to provide funds to Veterans Service Organizations (VSO) posts for Veterans Day activities. Previously, boards were only permitted to provide funds for Memorial Day. The funding cap was also eliminated.
• County Veterans Service Officers and VSO service officers are now permitted to receive discharge papers at no charge from county recorders.

There are other provisions included for the Department of Military Affairs and Minnesota National Guard.

The bill now heads to Governor Walz’s desk where it will likely be signed into law.

The legislature will continue its work until May 19. This is the last day bills can be passed, according to the State Constitution.