Veterans of the Secret War in Laos

At the conclusion of the 2026 Legislative Session, the Minnesota Legislature passed the Veterans and Military Affairs Omnibus Bill. Governor Walz then signed it into law.

MN Laws Chapter 96 finalized state statute relating to the Veterans of the Secret War in Laos who served with Special Guerrilla Units (SGU) or other irregular forces. The new sections of law establish the eligibility determination process for Veteran of the Secret War in Laos and makes these Veterans eligible for specific State Veterans benefits after verification.

Verified SGU or Irregular Forces Veterans with certificates of eligibility issued by the department are eligible for a limited number of State benefits, as follows:

  • Veteran designation on Minnesota drivers’ license and Minnesota ID cards
  • Honor Guards from Congressionally Chartered Veteran Service Organizations can be reimbursed by MDVA for providing services at the funeral of a deceased Veteran
  • Burial privileges at State Veterans Cemeteries if verified by the US Department of Veterans Affairs as eligible for burial.
  • Permanent grave markers purchased by MDVA and made available through County Veterans Service Offices or Veterans Service Organizations
  • Veterans Preference provides Veteran job applicants a limited preference in hiring and promotion for public employment jobs; permissive preference is available to non-public jobs.
  • Copies of vital records provided without charge to any Veteran, surviving spouse of next of kin

Be advised that only SGU or Irregular Forces Veterans whose service has been verified and have received a Certificate of Eligibility from MDVA will be eligible for the benefits listed in Minn.Stat.197.448.

Criteria for Eligibility

The first criteria are for those naturalized under the Federal Hmong Veterans’ Naturalization Act of 2000. To determine qualification, a Veteran must pre-file for burial with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemetery Administration by providing a copy of their U.S. Certificate of Naturalization with Registration “A” number which will be used to retrieve naturalization records from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service so that the Federal VA can make its determination. Going through the pre-filing process does not exclude Veterans from being buried in private cemeteries. If a Veteran of the Secret War in Laos is determined to be eligible under these criteria, they are eligible for the benefits starting August 1, 2025.

For SGU Veterans who don’t qualify under the above criteria:

Starting July 1, 2026, an applicant must submit a completed application for pre-need determination of eligibility (VA Form 40-10007) for burial in a VA national cemetery. Assistance in filling out this form is available from County Veteran Services Officers and the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs.

  • VA Form 40-10007
  • Application & Process (English) - coming soon
    • Application & Process (Lao) - coming soon
    • Application & Process (Hmong) - coming soon
    • Application & Process (Cambodian) - coming soon
    • Application & Process (Vietnamese) - coming soon
  • Example of Documents from NCA

After the VA makes a determination on the application, the applicant must submit the determination to the commissioner. If the VA determines that an applicant is eligible to receive benefits, applicants must submit that form to the Minnesota Department of Veterans affairs via email or in person at the Veterans Service Building. Once received the applicant will be issued a certificate of eligibility from the Commissioner.

MDVA Commissioner Special Consideration Process

If the VA determines that an applicant is not eligible, the applicant may request special consideration from the commissioner.

  • Special Consideration Form - coming soon

An applicant seeking special consideration under this subdivision must submit the following to the commissioner:

  • Documentation from the VA regarding the determination of ineligibility; and
  • At least two different forms of documentation supporting the applicant's claim of veteran status, which may include:
    • original service-related documents
    • an affidavit from a commissioned officer, noncommissioned officer, or other member of the applicant's chain of command who has direct knowledge of the applicant's service
    • two affidavits from individuals who served with the applicant in a special guerrilla unit or irregular force and who have personal knowledge of the applicant's service.
  • Other appropriate and relevant proof of the applicant's service as determined by the commissioner, including but not limited to:
    • Photographs taken during the applicant's service in Laos
    • Newspaper articles featuring or citing the applicant's service in a special guerrilla unit or irregular force;
    • Certificates of membership from a veteran's organization such as the Lao-Hmong American Coalition; Lao Veterans of America; SGU Veterans and Families of USA, Inc.; and Royal Lao Armed Forces and SGU.
    • Congressional recognition certificates
    • Certificates of Training
    • Letters of commendation
    • An affidavit from a case officer or former case officer in the United States intelligence services.

Once submitted, the commissioner will review an application for special consideration.

The commissioner may request additional information from an applicant to validate the contents of an application for special consideration. If the commissioner determines that an applicant is eligible to receive benefits the commissioner will issue a certificate of eligibility to the applicant for the benefits and privileges to the applicant.

If an application for special consideration is denied by the commissioner, an applicant may request a contested case hearing to challenge the commissioner's denial by filing a request with the commissioner within 60 days of the date of the denial notice. The request must state specific reasons for contesting the denial. A contested case hearing on a timely and properly filed request must be conducted according to the procedures in Minnesota Statute sections 14.57 to 14.62.

The deadline to submit an application for eligibility is December 31, 2030.

SGU Task Force

A Task Force began work in September 2025 to provide a recommendation to the Minnesota Legislature to develop criteria and protocols for MDVA to verify the status for the Veterans of the Secret War in Laos. The recommendation report was submitted to the Legislature on February 10, 2026. It can be found below:

Recordings and meeting minutes from each meeting are available below.

Please note that meeting materials submitted at the request of individual members of the Task Force or presented during meetings of the Veterans of the Special Guerrilla Unit and Irregular Forces in Laos Advisory Task Force, including submissions from Task Force members, presenters, and interested groups reflect the views of the individual authors and do not represent the official position of the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs or the State of Minnesota.