Legislative Update

020197Populates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307The legislature completed its session for 2026 on Monday, May 18. As laid out in the last update, the Senate combined language from five Veterans bills into HF 3522, making it the Veterans and Military Affairs Omnibus bill for 2026. This marks the fifth consecutive year with a Veterans omnibus bill, starting in 2022.Legislative Update – May 18, 2026engState268309Legislative Update – May 18, 20262026-05-18-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-749158" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2026-05-18T13:00:00ZThe legislature completed its session for 2026 on Monday, May 18. As laid out in the last update, the Senate combined language from five Veterans bills into HF 3522, making it the Veterans and Military Affairs Omnibus bill for 2026. This marks the fifth consecutive year with a Veterans omnibus bill, starting in 2022.1066The legislature completed its session for 2026 on Monday, May 18. As laid out in the last update, the Senate combined language from five Veterans bills into HF 3522, making it the Veterans and Military Affairs Omnibus bill for 2026. This marks the fifth consecutive year with a Veterans omnibus bill, starting in 2022. The omnibus bill has five Veterans components: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Allows MDVA to temporarily close Veterans Homes in the unlikely event that a facility receives an involuntary termination notice from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) or other federal reviewers.</li> <li>Modifies eligibility in State Veterans Cemeteries to allow National Guard members, their spouses and dependent children to be buried beginning on January 1, 2027.</li> <li>Creates standards for legislatively directed competitive and direct grants issued by MDVA.</li> <li>Enacts the recommendations made by the Veterans of the Special Guerrilla Units and Irregular Forces in Laos Task Force.</li> <li>Establishes the Minnesota Commanders’ Task Force into state statute.</li> </ul> The House passed the bill as amended by the Senate on Tuesday, May 12. The vote was 134-0. Governor Walz then signed the bill into law on Thursday, May 14. In the closing hours of session on Sunday, May 17, the legislature agreed to a bonding bill that included funds for MDVA infrastructure projects throughout the state. The bill, HF 719 contained $15 million for asset preservation to fix, upgrade and renovate critical needs at State Veterans Homes and State Veterans Cemeteries. The legislature also authorized MDVA to use previously passed funding for critical renovations of the Domiciliary facilities in Hastings and Minneapolis. The governor is expected to sign the bonding bill later this week. One other Veterans provision that was passed into law was the language from Senator Jordan Rasmusson’s SF 3603 and Rep. Bjorn Olson’s HF 3685, establishing statewide criterion to provide high school diplomas to Veterans from the Korean War and Vietnam War eras if they enlisted prior to completing their education. Unless there is a need for a special session, the legislature won’t return until January 2027. All 201 seats in the House and the Senate are on the ballot this November.7491582026-05-18T13:41:28ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307There was a significant amount of movement on the floors of the House of Representatives and Senate last week as the legislature looks to wrap up Veterans-related bills ahead of the May 18 adjournment date. To start the week, the House took up five Veterans bills on Monday, May 4. They were all passed unanimously and sent to the Senate.Legislative Update – May 11, 2026engState268309Legislative Update – May 11, 20262026-05-11-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-746697" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2026-05-11T13:00:00ZThere was a significant amount of movement on the floors of the House of Representatives and Senate last week as the legislature looks to wrap up Veterans-related bills ahead of the May 18 adjournment date. To start the week, the House took up five Veterans bills on Monday, May 4. They were all passed unanimously and sent to the Senate.1066There was a significant amount of movement on the floors of the House of Representatives and Senate last week as the legislature looks to wrap up Veterans-related bills ahead of the May 18 adjournment date. To start the week, the House took up five Veterans bills on Monday, May 4. They were all passed unanimously and sent to the Senate. The bills heard were as follows: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>HF 3522 (Duran) Allows MDVA to temporarily close Veterans Homes in the unlikely event that a facility receives an involuntary termination notice from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) or other federal reviewers.</li> <li>HF 3532 (Olson) Modifies eligibility in State Veterans Cemeteries to allow National Guard members, their spouses and dependent children to be buried.</li> <li>HF 3584 (Bliss) Creates standards for legislatively directed competitive and direct grants issued by MDVA.</li> <li>HF 3919 (Cha) Enacts the recommendations made by the Veterans of the Special Guerrilla Units and Irregular Forces in Laos Task Force.</li> <li>HF 4492 (Bliss) Establishes the Minnesota Commanders’ Task Force into state statute.</li> </ul> Rep. Bjorn Olson presented the bills authored by Rep. Matt Bliss who was participating remotely that day. On Thursday, the Senate took up the companion to HF 3522. The Senators then voted to add the language from the bills listed and additional language for the Department of Military Affairs as an amendment into HF 3522 to create a Veterans and Military Affairs omnibus bill. The full bill then passed 67-0. The House must agree to this language before session ends.7466972026-05-11T13:06:41ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307With only weeks remaining for this year’s legislative session, the work is winding down. Only one Veterans-related bill was heard in a committee last week. Rep. Bjorn Olson’s HF 3532 was heard in the House Ways and Means committee. This bill would allow National Guard members who don’t qualify as a Veteran the chance to be buried in a State Veterans Cemetery. The committee approved the bill and sent it to the House floor.Legislative Update – May 4, 2026engState268309Legislative Update – May 4, 20262026-05-04-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-745494" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2026-05-04T13:00:00ZWith only weeks remaining for this year’s legislative session, the work is winding down. Only one Veterans-related bill was heard in a committee last week. Rep. Bjorn Olson’s HF 3532 was heard in the House Ways and Means committee. This bill would allow National Guard members who don’t qualify as a Veteran the chance to be buried in a State Veterans Cemetery. The committee approved the bill and sent it to the House floor.1066With only weeks remaining for this year’s legislative session, the work is winding down. Only one Veterans-related bill was heard in a committee last week. Rep. Bjorn Olson’s HF 3532 was heard in the House Ways and Means committee. This bill would allow National Guard members who don’t qualify as a Veteran the chance to be buried in a State Veterans Cemetery. The committee approved the bill and sent it to the House floor. The House is expected to take up five Veterans-related bills for a full floor vote on Monday, May 4. The bills are as follows: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>HF 3522 (Duran) Allows MDVA to temporarily close Veterans Homes in the unlikely event that a facility receives an involuntary termination notice from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) or other federal reviewers.</li> <li style="list-style: none"> </li> <li>HF 3532 (Olson) Modifies eligibility in State Veterans Cemeteries to allow National Guard members, their spouses and dependent children to be buried.</li> <li style="list-style: none"> </li> <li>HF 3584 (Bliss) Creates standards for legislatively directed competitive and direct grants issued by MDVA.</li> <li style="list-style: none"> </li> <li>HF 3919 (Cha) Enacts the recommendations made by the Veterans of the Special Guerrilla Units and Irregular Forces in Laos Task Force.</li> <li style="list-style: none"> </li> <li>HF 4492 (Bliss) Establishes the Minnesota Commanders’ Task Force into state statute.</li> </ul> The Senate still needs to act on companions to HFs 3522, 3584 and 4492, which could happen this week.7454942026-05-04T13:40:59ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307Last week as hundreds of Veterans and their closest supporters rallied at the Capitol for Veterans Day on the Hill, two bills were signed into law, another passed the Senate and one more reached the Governor’s desk. The two Veterans bills signed into law by Governor Walz make important updates to Veterans Higher Education-related sections of law in state statute. The other is MDVA’s Housekeeping and Federal conformity bill. It reclassifies the agency Chief of Staff position as the Deputy Commissioner for Administration, aligns federal forfeited benefits with state benefits and repeals outdated statutes.Legislative Update – April 27, 2026engState268309Legislative Update – April 27, 20262026-04-27-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-744125" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2026-04-27T13:13:28ZLast week as hundreds of Veterans and their closest supporters rallied at the Capitol for Veterans Day on the Hill, two bills were signed into law, another passed the Senate and one more reached the Governor’s desk. The two Veterans bills signed into law by Governor Walz make important updates to Veterans Higher Education-related sections of law in state statute. The other is MDVA’s Housekeeping and Federal conformity bill. It reclassifies the agency Chief of Staff position as the Deputy Commissioner for Administration, aligns federal forfeited benefits with state benefits and repeals outdated statutes.1066Last week as hundreds of Veterans and their closest supporters rallied at the Capitol for Veterans Day on the Hill, two bills were signed into law, another passed the Senate and one more reached the Governor’s desk. The two Veterans bills signed into law by Governor Walz make important updates to Veterans Higher Education-related sections of law in state statute. The other is MDVA’s Housekeeping and Federal conformity bill. It reclassifies the agency Chief of Staff position as the Deputy Commissioner for Administration, aligns federal forfeited benefits with state benefits and repeals outdated statutes. The third bill awaiting the governor’s signature would allow the Commissioner of MDVA to direct non-monetary agency resources toward Veterans' priorities including food insecurity, homelessness and suicide prevention. The Senate passed a supplemental budget bill for Veterans and Military Affairs with a vote of 58-8. The bill includes the language of the SGU and Irregular Forces Task Force Recommendation and allows National Guard retirees who don’t qualify as Veterans the opportunity to be buried in State Veterans Cemeteries. More bills are expected to receive full votes in the House and the Senate this week.7441252026-04-27T13:14:13ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307Three Veterans-related bills are headed to Governor Walz’s desk after unanimous passage in the Minnesota House and Senate. All three are MDVA initiatives. The first bill passed by both bodies was HF 3741 authored by Rep. Josiah Hill and Sen. Judy Seeberger. This bill seeks to make important updates to Veterans Higher Education-related sections of law in state statute. The House passed the bill 134-0 on March 23 and it passed the Senate 66-0 on Tuesday, April 14.Legislative Update – April 20, 2026engState268309Legislative Update – April 20, 20262026-04-20-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-742315" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2026-04-20T13:00:00ZThree Veterans-related bills are headed to Governor Walz’s desk after unanimous passage in the Minnesota House and Senate. All three are MDVA initiatives. The first bill passed by both bodies was HF 3741 authored by Rep. Josiah Hill and Sen. Judy Seeberger. This bill seeks to make important updates to Veterans Higher Education-related sections of law in state statute. The House passed the bill 134-0 on March 23 and it passed the Senate 66-0 on Tuesday, April 14.1066Three Veterans-related bills are headed to Governor Walz’s desk after unanimous passage in the Minnesota House and Senate. All three are MDVA initiatives. The first bill passed by both bodies was HF 3741 authored by Rep. Josiah Hill and Sen. Judy Seeberger. This bill seeks to make important updates to Veterans Higher Education-related sections of law in state statute. The House passed the bill 134-0 on March 23 and it passed the Senate 66-0 on Tuesday, April 14. Next, HF 3544 is MDVA’s Housekeeping and Federal conformity bill authored by Rep. Aaron Repinski and Sen. Rob Kupec. It will reclassify the agency Chief of Staff position as the Deputy Commissioner for Administration, align federal forfeited benefits with state benefits and repeal outdated statutes. The House passed the bill 133-0 on Monday, April 13. The Senate followed with a 66-0 vote on Thursday, April 16. The last bill sent to the governor was HF 3467. Rep. Kari Rehrauer and Sen. Heather Gustafson are the bill authors. This MDVA initiative would allow the Commissioner of MDVA to direct non-monetary agency resources toward Veterans' priorities including food insecurity, homelessness and suicide prevention. The House passed the bill 133-0 on Monday, April 13. The Senate followed with a 65-0 vote on Thursday, April 16. The governor will likely sign all three bills into law the week of April 20. The Senate Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband and Rural Development committee met on Monday, April 13. It approved and re-referred three bills that were heard in the Subcommittee on Veterans last week. <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>SF 4807 is Chair Putnam’s supplemental budget bill for Veterans and Military Affairs; it was sent to Finance.</li> <li>SF 4560 is also authored by Chair Putnam and establishes the Commanders’ Task Force into state statute. It was sent to the Rules committee so it can receive a waiver for future consideration.</li> <li>SF 3603 is Sen. Jordan Rasmusson’s bill to create a statewide policy allowing Korean and Vietnam era Veterans to request a high school diploma if they joined the armed services prior to graduating.</li> </ul> The House Veterans and Military Affairs committee held its final meeting this session on Wednesday, April 15 and heard three bills; all were laid over. <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>HF 4588 would establish a task force to improve Veterans access to mental health services in rural areas. It is authored by Rep. Andrew Myers.</li> <li>HF 3685 is authored by Rep. Bjorn Olson. This is the House companion to SF 3603 (noted above).</li> <li>HF 4577 was presented by Reps. Max Rymer and Andy Smith. The bill would establish a psilocybin therapeutic use program managed by the Office of Cannabis Management. Psilocybin is a substance found in certain species of mushrooms and is considered a psychedelic drug.</li> </ul> This week, the Senate Finance committee will consider SF 4807 and SF 4075. The latter is Sen. Susan Pha’s bill to enact the recommendations from the Veterans of the Secret War in Laos Task Force. The House Ways and Means committee will also meet to consider the House companion to SF 4075, which is HF 3919.7423152026-04-20T11:30:15ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307Last week, the Minnesota Legislature returned from its Passover and Easter break. Veterans-related work solely occurred in the Senate Subcommittee on Veterans. The subcommittee met on Wednesday, April 8 and heard four pieces of Veterans legislation.Legislative Update – April 13, 2026engState268309Legislative Update – April 13, 20262026-04-13-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-740237" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2026-04-13T13:00:00ZLast week, the Minnesota Legislature returned from its Passover and Easter break. Veterans-related work solely occurred in the Senate Subcommittee on Veterans. The subcommittee met on Wednesday, April 8 and heard four pieces of Veterans legislation.1066Last week, the Minnesota Legislature returned from its Passover and Easter break. Veterans-related work solely occurred in the Senate Subcommittee on Veterans. The subcommittee met on Wednesday, April 8 and heard four pieces of Veterans legislation. SF 4172 authored by Sen. Jeff Howe was heard first. It expands eligibility at State Veterans Cemeteries for National Guard members who don’t meet the federal and state definitions of Veteran. It also allows for the establishment of a fee structure for those burials. The next bill came from Chair Aric Putnam. SF 4026 establishes standards for competitive grants issued by MDVA. Those two bills were amended into SF 4807 which sets a baseline pay for commissioned officers and enlisted members of the Minnesota National Guard. The bill will now serve as a Veterans and Military Affairs omnibus supplemental budget bill containing the provisions of those three bills. SF 3603 from Sen. Jordan Rasmusson was the next bill heard. It would provide statewide guidelines for Veterans to receive their high school diploma if they joined the armed forces prior to completing high school. This would only apply to Veterans of the Korean Conflict and Vietnam War. The final bill was also from Sen. Putnam. SF 4560 establishes the Commanders’ Task Force into state statute. All bills were approved by the subcommittee and sent to the full Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband and Rural Development committee and will be considered on Monday, April 13. The Minnesota House has scheduled two Veterans bills for floor votes on April 13. HF 3467 (Rehrauer) provides authority for MDVA to use non-monetary resources on initiatives with Veterans organizations. HF 3544 (Repinski) is the MDVA housekeeping and federal conformity bill. Finally, the House Veterans and Military Affairs Division is expected to meet on Wednesday, April 15.7402372026-04-13T13:31:47ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307The first Veterans-related bill cleared a vote of a full legislative chamber while a few others were heard in committees last week ahead of the legislature’s first round of deadlines. On Monday, March 23, the Minnesota House took up HF 3741 authored by Rep. Josiah Hill for a vote on the floor. This bill seeks to make important updates to Veterans Higher Education-related sections of law in Chapter 197. It passed unanimously 134-0. The companion bill in the Senate is awaiting a floor vote.Legislative Update - March 30, 2026engState268309Legislative Update - March 30, 20262026-03-30-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-736505" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2026-03-30T13:00:00ZThe first Veterans-related bill cleared a vote of a full legislative chamber while a few others were heard in committees last week ahead of the legislature’s first round of deadlines. On Monday, March 23, the Minnesota House took up HF 3741 authored by Rep. Josiah Hill for a vote on the floor. This bill seeks to make important updates to Veterans Higher Education-related sections of law in Chapter 197. It passed unanimously 134-0. The companion bill in the Senate is awaiting a floor vote.1066The first Veterans-related bill cleared a vote of a full legislative chamber while a few others were heard in committees last week ahead of the legislature’s first round of deadlines. On Monday, March 23, the Minnesota House took up HF 3741 authored by Rep. Josiah Hill for a vote on the floor. This bill seeks to make important updates to Veterans Higher Education-related sections of law in Chapter 197. It passed unanimously 134-0. The companion bill in the Senate is awaiting a floor vote. The House Veterans and Military Affairs Division met on Wednesday, March 25 and heard three Veterans-related bills. Rep. Bjorn Olson presented HF 3532 which expands burial eligibility at State Veterans Cemeteries to former members of the National Guard and the Reserves that don’t qualify as a Veteran, as well as spouses and unmarried children under the age of 23. The bill was approved and sent to the House floor. The next bill was HF 4492 authored by Rep. Matt Bliss. It establishes the Commanders’ Task Force into state statute. Upon committee approval, it was sent to the House floor. Rep. Kari Rehrauer presented HF 4171 as the final bill on the division’s agenda. The bill waives municipal fees related to residential improvement for disabled Veterans seeking to make their home more accessible because of service-connected injuries. The division approved the bill and re-referred it to the Elections and Local Government committee. The final bill heard last week was Sen Susan Pha’s SF 4075 in the Senate Transportation committee. This bill would extend limited benefits for Veterans of the Secret War in Laos as well as establishing an eligibility application process. The Transportation committee heard the bill because one of the benefits proposed is providing drivers’ licenses with a “SGU VET” indicator. The committee approved the bill and referred it to the Finance committee, which will be the bill’s final committee stop. The first and second deadline was on Friday, March 27. If a bill that doesn’t have an appropriation wasn’t approved by committees before then, it likely won’t continue through the legislative process. Finally, the legislature is taking a break this week for Easter and Passover and will return on Tuesday, April 7.7365052026-04-13T13:31:47ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307Both Veterans committees did not meet last week, so there were significantly fewer Veterans-related bills heard at the legislature compared to 15 during the previous week. The first bill was heard on Wednesday, March 18 in the Senate Education Policy committee. SF 3603 would establish statewide criterion to provide high school diplomas to Veterans from the Korean War and Vietnam War eras if they enlisted prior to completing their education. Sen. Jordan Rasmusson from Fergus Falls presented his bill with testimony from MDVA. The committee approved the bill and re-referred it to the Agriculture and Veterans committee.Legislative Update - March 23, 2026engState268309Legislative Update - March 23, 20262026-03-23-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-734630" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2026-03-23T13:00:00ZBoth Veterans committees did not meet last week, so there were significantly fewer Veterans-related bills heard at the legislature compared to 15 during the previous week. The first bill was heard on Wednesday, March 18 in the Senate Education Policy committee. SF 3603 would establish statewide criterion to provide high school diplomas to Veterans from the Korean War and Vietnam War eras if they enlisted prior to completing their education. Sen. Jordan Rasmusson from Fergus Falls presented his bill with testimony from MDVA. The committee approved the bill and re-referred it to the Agriculture and Veterans committee.1066Both Veterans committees did not meet last week, so there were significantly fewer Veterans-related bills heard at the legislature compared to 15 during the previous week. The first bill was heard on Wednesday, March 18 in the Senate Education Policy committee. SF 3603 would establish statewide criterion to provide high school diplomas to Veterans from the Korean War and Vietnam War eras if they enlisted prior to completing their education. Sen. Jordan Rasmusson from Fergus Falls presented his bill with testimony from MDVA. The committee approved the bill and re-referred it to the Agriculture and Veterans committee. The other bill heard this week was in the Senate State and Local Government committee, which met on Thursday, March 19. The panel heard Sen. Susan Pha’s (Brooklyn Park) SF 4075 that extends limited benefits to Veterans of the Secret War in Laos and establishes an eligibility application process. The bill was approved and sent to the Transportation committee. This week, the House Veterans and Military Affairs Division is scheduled to meet on Wednesday morning, March 25 with three bills and a presentation on the agenda. The first and second legislative deadlines are also this week, which will take a lot of bills out of consideration if they weren’t already approved by necessary committees in the House and Senate.7346302026-03-23T13:31:10ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307There were 15 Veterans bills heard this last throughout six legislative committees, with the first and second deadlines less than two weeks away. The first bill was heard on Monday, March 9 in the House Transportation committee. Rep. Ethan Cha presented HF 3919 which continues the work of last session’s bill that extended limited benefits to Veterans of the Secret War in Laos. This bill establishes an eligibility application process and makes recommended changes from the Veterans of Special Guerrilla Units and Irregular Forces in Laos Task Force.Legislative Update - March 16, 2026engState268309Legislative Update - March 16, 20262026-03-16-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-731909" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2026-03-16T13:00:00ZThere were 15 Veterans bills heard this last throughout six legislative committees, with the first and second deadlines less than two weeks away. The first bill was heard on Monday, March 9 in the House Transportation committee. Rep. Ethan Cha presented HF 3919 which continues the work of last session’s bill that extended limited benefits to Veterans of the Secret War in Laos. This bill establishes an eligibility application process and makes recommended changes from the Veterans of Special Guerrilla Units and Irregular Forces in Laos Task Force.1066There were 15 Veterans bills heard this last throughout six legislative committees, with the first and second deadlines less than two weeks away. The first bill was heard on Monday, March 9 in the House Transportation committee. Rep. Ethan Cha presented HF 3919 which continues the work of last session’s bill that extended limited benefits to Veterans of the Secret War in Laos. This bill establishes an eligibility application process and makes recommended changes from the Veterans of Special Guerrilla Units and Irregular Forces in Laos Task Force. The Senate Subcommittee on Veterans heard three bills as well on Monday, March 9. The first was the companion bill to HF 3919, SF 4075 authored by Sen. Susan Pha.. The subcommittee approved the bill for action from the whole Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband and Rural Development committee. The next bill heard in the subcommittee was SF 3956 from Sen. Heather Gustafson. A department proposal, it allows MDVA to collaborate using non-monetary resources with organizations working on Veteran initiatives. The bill was approved and sent to the full committee for action. The final bill heard in the subcommittee, SF 4056, came from Sen. Mary Kunesh. The bill would add Veterans and currently serving military to the Minnesota Human Rights Act. Like the other two bills, it was approved and sent to the full committee. On Tuesday, March 10, MDVA presented its bonding recommendations to the Capital Investment committees in the House and the Senate. Requests include $23.7 million in asset preservation for the agency’s infrastructure and using previously appropriated funds to renovate buildings that house the domiciliary programs in Hastings and Minneapolis. The House Veterans and Military Affairs committee met for its weekly meeting on Wednesday, March 11. Three bills were heard along with a presentation from MDVA regarding the Veteran Suicide Prevention Report. HF 3727 from Rep. Bjorn Olson was heard first. This bill increases the amount for the Disabled Veteran Homestead Market Exclusion which hasn’t been raised in 18 years since the benefit was first established. The committee approved the bill and re-referred it to the committee on Taxes. The next bill, HF 3684, was authored by co-chair Rep. Matt Bliss. It would create standards for use of competitive grants issued by MDVA. The committee approved the bill and sent it to the House floor. HF 3467 by Rep. Kari Rehrauer was the last bill heard in the House Veterans and Military Affairs committee. It’s the companion to SF 3956. The bill was approved and sent to the House floor. The House Health Finance and Policy committee heard Rep. Aaron Repinski’s bill, HF 3544, on Wednesday, March 11, as well. This bill is MDVA’s Housekeeping and Federal conformity bill. It seeks to reclassify the agency Chief of Staff position as the Deputy Commissioner for Administration, align federal forfeited benefits with state benefits and repeal outdated statutes. The committee approved the bill and sent it to the House floor. To close out Wednesday, March 11, the full Senate committee on Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband and Rural Development met. It quickly approved the following bills and sent them to the next stop: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>SF 4075 (Pha) re-referred to the Transportation committee</li> <li>SF 2957 (Seeberger) sent to the Senate floor</li> <li>SF 3956 (Gustafson) sent to the Senate floor</li> <li>SF 3955 (Kupec) sent to the Senate floor</li> <li>SF 4072 (Kupec) sent to the Senate floor</li> <li>SF 4056 (Kunesh) re-referred to the Judiciary and Public Safety committee</li> </ul> The last bill heard this week was on Thursday, March 12 in the House Judiciary and Civil Law Committee. Rep. Bliss authored HF 3540, which is the companion to SF 4056, and adds Veterans and Military status to the Minnesota Human Rights Act. After some discussion, the bill was laid over for future consideration. This week, both the Senate Subcommittee on Veterans and the House Veterans and Military Affairs committee are not expected to meet.7319092026-03-16T13:16:22ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307Both Veterans committees in the Senate and House met this past week as work ramps up this session. On Wednesday morning, March 3, the House Veterans and Military Affairs Division heard a presentation from Meals on Wheels relating to their Veteran-specific efforts as well as three bills.Legislative Update - March 9, 2026engState268309Legislative Update - March 9, 20262026-03-09-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-729633" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2026-03-09T13:00:00ZBoth Veterans committees in the Senate and House met this past week as work ramps up this session. On Wednesday morning, March 3, the House Veterans and Military Affairs Division heard a presentation from Meals on Wheels relating to their Veteran-specific efforts as well as three bills.1066Both Veterans committees in the Senate and House met this past week as work ramps up this session. On Wednesday morning, March 3, the House Veterans and Military Affairs Division heard a presentation from Meals on Wheels relating to their Veteran-specific efforts as well as three bills. The first bill, HF3919, came from Rep. Cha. It includes the statutory updates and recommendations from the Special Guerrilla Unit (SGU) Task Force. The committee heard testimony from MDVA as well as members of the task force as it debated the bill. It was passed by the committee on to the House Transportation Committee and will have another hearing on Monday afternoon, March 9. The second bill, HF3467, came from Rep. Rehrauer. This is a department policy bill that, if enacted, would allow the Commissioner of MDVA to direct non-monetary agency resources toward Veterans' initiatives. It was laid over and will be taken up at the Wednesday, March 11 hearing where an amendment to the bill will be added. The third bill, HF3741, came from Rep. Hill. This is a department policy bill that makes important updates to Veterans Higher Education-related sections of law in Chapter 197. It was passed to the General Register on a unanimous voice vote. The Senate Subcommittee on Veterans met on Wednesday afternoon March 3 and heard all four of the department’s policy bills. The first bill, SF3956, came from Sen. Gustafson. It is the companion to HF3467. It was amended in committee and laid over and will be taken up at the Monday, March 9 hearing where an additional amendment to the bill will be added. The next bill, SF3955, came from Sen. Kupec. This bill would allow MDVA to temporarily close a Veterans Home in very limited circumstances if given an involuntary closure notice by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The bill was amended in committee with an amendment brought by Sen. Howe, approved and sent to the full Agriculture Committee. The committee then heard another bill from Sen. Kupec. SF4072 is MDVA’s Housekeeping and Federal conformity bill. It seeks to reclassify the agency Chief of Staff position as the Deputy Commissioner for Administration, align federal forfeited benefits with state benefits and repeal outdated statutes. After some debate, the bill was approved and sent to the full Agriculture Committee. Lastly, the committee heard SF3957. This is a bill from Sen. Seeberger and is the companion bill to HF374. After some debate, the bill was approved and sent to the full Agriculture Committee. This week the Senate Veterans Sub-Committee meets Monday, March 9 and the House Veterans and Military Affairs Committee meets Wednesday, March 11.7296332026-03-09T13:27:07ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307Both Veterans committees in the Senate and House met last week as work ramps up this session. The Senate Subcommittee on Veterans met Monday afternoon. While no bills were heard, the committee heard three presentations. The Minnesota Military and Veterans Museum provided an update on construction progress ahead of its opening later this year. Then MDVA presented its report on a Veteran Suicide Prevention Plan. Finally, the Minnesota Association of County Veterans Service Officers provided an overview of the organization. Legislative Update - March 2, 2026engState268309Legislative Update - March 2, 20262026-03-02-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-728335" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2026-03-02T16:06:20ZBoth Veterans committees in the Senate and House met last week as work ramps up this session. The Senate Subcommittee on Veterans met Monday afternoon. While no bills were heard, the committee heard three presentations. The Minnesota Military and Veterans Museum provided an update on construction progress ahead of its opening later this year. Then MDVA presented its report on a Veteran Suicide Prevention Plan. Finally, the Minnesota Association of County Veterans Service Officers provided an overview of the organization. 1066Both Veterans committees in the Senate and House met last week as work ramps up this session. The Senate Subcommittee on Veterans met Monday afternoon. While no bills were heard, the committee heard three presentations. The Minnesota Military and Veterans Museum provided an update on construction progress ahead of its opening later this year. Then MDVA presented its report on a Veteran Suicide Prevention Plan. Finally, the Minnesota Association of County Veterans Service Officers provided an overview of the organization. On Wednesday morning the House Veterans and Military Affairs Division heard a presentation from the Commanders’ Task Force, as well as three bills. The first bill that was heard came from Rep. Matt Bliss (Pennington), co-chair of the committee. His bill HF 3540 would add Veterans or military status to the Minnesota Human Rights Act. It was approved and sent to the Judiciary and Civil Law committee. Rep. Bidal Duran (Bemidji) presented HF 3522. This is a department policy bill that would allow MDVA to temporarily close a Veterans Home in very limited circumstances if given an involuntary closure notice by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The bill was approved and sent to the House floor. The last bill heard was Rep. Aaron Repinski’s (Winona) HF 3544. This is MDVA’s Housekeeping and Federal conformity bill. It seeks to reclassify the agency Chief of Staff position as the Deputy Commissioner for Administration, align federal forfeited benefits with state benefits and repeal outdated statutes. The bill was approved and sent to the Health Finance and Policy committee. Veterans committees in the House and Senate are both expected to meet at their respective times this Wednesday, March 4.7283352026-03-02T16:07:08ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307The Minnesota Legislature returned for the second half of the 94th biennium this week. The work will continue until mid-May. There are five new members elected to the House and Senate since the conclusion of the 2025 sessionLegislative Update - Feb. 23, 2026engState268309Legislative Update - Feb. 23, 20262026-02-23-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-726233" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2026-02-23T15:00:00ZThe Minnesota Legislature returned for the second half of the 94th biennium this week. The work will continue until mid-May. There are five new members elected to the House and Senate since the conclusion of the 2025 session1066The Minnesota Legislature returned for the second half of the 94th biennium this week. The work will continue until mid-May. There are five new members elected to the House and Senate since the conclusion of the 2025 session. Those members are as follows: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Senator Amanda Hemmingsen-Jaeger (Woodbury) was elected following the resignation of Nicole Mitchell. She is a former House member who was the co-vice chair of the Veterans and Military Affairs Division.</li> <li>Senator Michael Holstrom (Buffalo) succeeds Bruce Anderson who passed away last June. He will serve on the Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband and Rural Development committee.</li> <li>Rep. Shelley Buck (Maplewood) succeeded Hemmingsen-Jaeger after she prevailed in a November special election.</li> <li>Rep. Xp Lee (Brooklyn Park) was elected to the seat held by former Speaker Melissa Hortman who was assassinated last summer. He will sit on the Veterans and Military Affairs Division.</li> <li>Rep. Meg Luger-Nicolai (St. Paul) succeeds Kaohly Her who resigned her seat after being elected mayor of St. Paul.</li> </ul> The House Veterans and Military Affairs Division met on Wednesday morning and heard two presentations. MDVA presented an update and findings of the Veterans of Special Guerilla Units and Irregular Forces Advisory Task Force. The Minnesota Military and Veterans Museum was also on hand to share progress on its new building that will open later this year. The Senate Subcommittee on Veterans will meet this coming Monday and hear updates from MDVA on the Veteran suicide prevention plan, from the Minnesota Military and Veterans Museum and from the Minnesota Association of County Veterans Service Officers. Finally, Senator Jeff Howe will replace Bruce Anderson as the ranking member on the Senate Subcommittee on Veterans.7262332026-03-02T16:14:02ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307The Governor and legislative leaders agreed to joint budget targets on Thursday, May 15. As noted in past updates, this was needed in order to get conference committees moving, including SF 1959, the Veterans and Military Affairs omnibus bill.Legislative Update – May 19, 2025engState268309Legislative Update – May 19, 20252025-05-19-weely-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-684711" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2025-05-19T18:00:00ZThe Governor and legislative leaders agreed to joint budget targets on Thursday, May 15. As noted in past updates, this was needed in order to get conference committees moving, including SF 1959, the Veterans and Military Affairs omnibus bill.1066The Governor and legislative leaders agreed to joint budget targets on Thursday, May 15. As noted in past updates, this was needed in order to get conference committees moving, including SF 1959, the Veterans and Military Affairs omnibus bill. With targets in place, the SF 1959 conference committee met on Friday morning and agreed to a conference committee report for the full legislature to take up on the floors of the House and Senate. The targets allowed the conference committee to fully fund MDVA’s budget request that was made at the beginning of session, rather than the cuts to homelessness prevention programs and other inadequate funding levels proposed in the House version. There are many provisions in the bill, but particularly this funding will allow MDVA to continue ramping up staffing levels at the three new Veterans homes, as well as maintain those levels at the existing homes. It will continue Minnesota’s progress to become the next state to put a functional end to Veterans homelessness. There is more dedicated funding to increase awareness and prevent Veterans suicide in the state, while directing MDVA to provide a comprehensive plan to the legislature on this issue next session. There is also funding to address food insecurity through grants to Metro Meals on Wheels and the Lutheran Social Services CORE program. On Saturday afternoon, the Senate took up the Conference Committee Report for SF 1959. After some debate the final vote was 45-19. The House would take it up a few hours later and pass the agreed upon language unanimously, 130-0. It will now be sent to Governor Walz for his signature in the coming days.6847112025-05-19T18:55:10ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307The Conference Committee for SF 1959, the Veterans and Military Affairs omnibus bill met for the first time on Thursday, May 8. The agenda featured a walkthrough of the side-by-side documents comparing the two versions of the bill.Legislative Update – May 12, 2025engState268309Legislative Update – May 12, 20252025-05-12-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-683578" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2025-05-12T15:00:40ZThe Conference Committee for SF 1959, the Veterans and Military Affairs omnibus bill met for the first time on Thursday, May 8. The agenda featured a walkthrough of the side-by-side documents comparing the two versions of the bill.1066The Conference Committee for SF 1959, the Veterans and Military Affairs omnibus bill met for the first time on Thursday, May 8. The agenda featured a walkthrough of the side-by-side documents comparing the two versions of the bill. Following the walkthrough, the committee recessed but never returned. All conference committees are awaiting joint budget targets from legislative leadership and the governor. The committee is expected to meet next week, but a hearing has not been scheduled. The SF 2077 (Environment and Natural Resources budget bill) conference committee began its work on Friday. The Senate version contains a provision to provide disabled Veterans hunting and fishing licenses at a greatly reduced fee of $5, while still allowing the Department of Natural Resources to collect an excise tax from the federal government. This has been a priority for the Commanders’ Task Force for about a decade. This is the farthest this idea has made it in the legislative process.6835782025-05-12T15:02:03ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307Last week’s work on Veterans issues focused solely on the Minnesota House taking up SF 1959, the Veterans and Military Affairs omnibus bill. Though the bill is labeled as a Senate File, the House substituted its version (originally HF 2444) for discussion and eventual passage. When the conference committee convenes, it will be referred as the SF 1959 Conference Committee.Legislative Update – May 5, 2025engState268309Legislative Update – May 5, 20252025-05-05-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-682862" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2025-05-05T15:00:00ZLast week’s work on Veterans issues focused solely on the Minnesota House taking up SF 1959, the Veterans and Military Affairs omnibus bill. Though the bill is labeled as a Senate File, the House substituted its version (originally HF 2444) for discussion and eventual passage. When the conference committee convenes, it will be referred as the SF 1959 Conference Committee.1066Last week’s work on Veterans issues focused solely on the Minnesota House taking up SF 1959, the Veterans and Military Affairs omnibus bill. Though the bill is labeled as a Senate File, the House substituted its version (originally HF 2444) for discussion and eventual passage. When the conference committee convenes, it will be referred as the SF 1959 Conference Committee. Debate included amendments to add language requiring accreditation for those working on Veterans benefits claims, the amendments were struck down. Discussion on the overall bill included praise for the inclusion of a task force to allow Secret Guerilla Units from the Vietnam War to receive benefits and recognition for their service. Also mentioned was the reduction in funding for Veteran Homelessness prevention programs. In the end, the bill passed 126-6. The conferees have been named for the SF 1959 Conference Committee. House members include co-chairs Reps. Matt Bliss and Jay Xiong, DFL Vice-Chair Rep. Amanda Hemmingsen-Jaeger and Rep. Bidal Duran. Senate members include Chair Aric Putnam, Subcommittee on Veterans Ranking Member Bruce Anderson and Sen. Heather Gustafson. An initial meeting has yet to be scheduled. Those around the Capitol are waiting for an agreement on joint budget targets between legislative leadership and the governor. Leaders have been meeting throughout the week attempting to close the gap. Another item still to be unveiled is a tax bill that could have changes for Veterans including the Disabled Veteran Homestead Market Value Exclusion and property tax changes for Veteran Service Organization posts.6828622025-05-05T15:46:43ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307The legislature returned from its break for Easter and Passover and continued working on budget bills. Both versions of the Veterans Omnibus Budget bill were heard in the House and the Senate. On Monday, the House Ways and Means committee took up HF 2444 with Rep. Matt Bliss (Pennington) presenting the bill to the committee members. Some members took issue with the cuts to the homeless prevention measures that MDVA implements and reduced funding for the Veterans Homes. As well as the lack of inclusion for the accreditation requirement for those working on initial claims for Veterans. No amendments were considered.Legislative Update – April 28, 2025engState268309Legislative Update – April 28, 20252025-04-28-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-681877" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2025-04-28T14:00:00ZThe legislature returned from its break for Easter and Passover and continued working on budget bills. Both versions of the Veterans Omnibus Budget bill were heard in the House and the Senate. On Monday, the House Ways and Means committee took up HF 2444 with Rep. Matt Bliss (Pennington) presenting the bill to the committee members. Some members took issue with the cuts to the homeless prevention measures that MDVA implements and reduced funding for the Veterans Homes. As well as the lack of inclusion for the accreditation requirement for those working on initial claims for Veterans. No amendments were considered.1066The legislature returned from its break for Easter and Passover and continued working on budget bills. Both versions of the Veterans Omnibus Budget bill were heard in the House and the Senate. On Monday, the House Ways and Means committee took up HF 2444 with Rep. Matt Bliss (Pennington) presenting the bill to the committee members. Some members took issue with the cuts to the homeless prevention measures that MDVA implements and reduced funding for the Veterans Homes. As well as the lack of inclusion for the accreditation requirement for those working on initial claims for Veterans. No amendments were considered. The committee still approved the bill and later in the week sent it to the House floor. The full House of Representatives will take the bill up on Tuesday, April 29. The Senate passed Sen. Aric Putnam’s SF 1959 on Wednesday with a unanimous vote after he amended the bill to take out the same accreditation requirement. Once the House passes the budget bill on Tuesday, a conference committee will need to be established with an equal number of members from the House and Senate. It will be tasked with working out the difference between the two versions using joint budget targets that are currently being negotiated between leaders of both the House and Senate and the governor. Work must be concluded by May 19, a date set by the Minnesota Constitution.6818772025-04-28T16:51:19ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307The legislature reached its final committee deadline on Friday, April 11 with most committees passing out budget proposals for the next two fiscal years. The House Veterans and Military Affairs Division passed out its budget proposal on Wednesday, while the Senate version was approved by the Finance Committee and sent to the Senate Floor.Legislative Update – April 14, 2025engState268309Legislative Update – April 14, 20252025-04-14-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-678764" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2025-04-14T15:30:00ZThe legislature reached its final committee deadline on Friday, April 11 with most committees passing out budget proposals for the next two fiscal years. The House Veterans and Military Affairs Division passed out its budget proposal on Wednesday, while the Senate version was approved by the Finance Committee and sent to the Senate Floor.1066The legislature reached its final committee deadline on Friday, April 11 with most committees passing out budget proposals for the next two fiscal years. The House Veterans and Military Affairs Division passed out its budget proposal on Wednesday, while the Senate version was approved by the Finance Committee and sent to the Senate Floor. The House proposal, HF2444 co-authored by division co-chairs Reps. Bliss and Xiong was unveiled on April 7. Overall, the bill underfunds the agency’s recommended request by 12% or about $16.1 million. The Programs & Services division was 16.5% below the recommendation, including elimination of funding for initiatives to end Veteran homelessness. On the Healthcare side, the proposal was also 12% below MDVA’s request. This underfunding will lead to less staffing at the three newest Veterans Homes in Bemidji, Montevideo and Preston. Less staffing will hurt the ability to reach full census at those homes. It will also hurt our ability to keep up with operational and staffing costs at the other Veterans homes throughout the state. The Senate’s version matched MDVA’s operational requests. The House Veterans budget bill also includes funding to help with food insecurity through Metro Meals on Wheels and through MDVA’s CORE program, this funding was not in the Senate proposal. There was also additional funding for Veteran Suicide prevention programming, including the development of a comprehensive suicide prevention plan. Finally, the House proposal includes language to create a task force to define veterans of the secret war in Laos and grant those who meet the criteria limited benefits such as honor guards, grave markers, designations on drivers’ licenses and state ID cards, among others. The task force will establish criteria to determine who served and protocol to determine those deserving of the limited benefits. The task force must complete its work by mid-February 2026. The Senate amended in comparable language on Thursday in the Finance Committee. Both the House and Senate versions included MDVA policy items to allow for MAXIS database access for the Homeless Veteran Initiative, aligning federal burial benefit eligibility with the state and working towards the creation of a plaque dedicated to Gold Star and Blue Star Families at the Capitol Mall’s Ring of Honor. The legislature will now take time off to observe Easter and Passover and return on April 22. Following the break, there will be less than four weeks to finish the work of completing a state budget that the Governor, Senate and House can agree upon.6787642025-04-14T15:51:33ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307Only two hearings held bills of interest for Veterans last week in both the House and the Senate. The House Veterans and Military Affairs Division met last Wednesday morning, April 2 and heard seven bills. All were laid over for possible inclusion in an omnibus budget bill.Legislative Update – April 7, 2025engState268309Legislative Update – April 7, 20252025-04-07-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-677789" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2025-04-07T14:00:00ZOnly two hearings held bills of interest for Veterans last week in both the House and the Senate. The House Veterans and Military Affairs Division met last Wednesday morning, April 2 and heard seven bills. All were laid over for possible inclusion in an omnibus budget bill.1066Only two hearings held bills of interest for Veterans last week in both the House and the Senate. The House Veterans and Military Affairs Division met last Wednesday morning, April 2 and heard seven bills. All were laid over for possible inclusion in an omnibus budget bill. <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>HF2773 (Clardy – Inver Grove Heights) Lutheran Social Services CORE program funding provided, reports required, and money appropriated.</li> <li>HF3005 (Gottfried – Shoreview) Metro Meals on Wheels funding provided, reports required, and money appropriated.</li> <li>HF982 (Clardy – Inver Grove Heights) Education benefit established for dependents of disabled Veterans.</li> <li>HF1845 (Cha – Woodbury) Veterans definition expanded to include units operating from Laos and or naturalized under the federal Hmong Veterans' Naturalization Act.</li> <li>HF1511 (Clardy – Inver Grove Heights) Commissioner of Veterans affairs funding provided for a Veteran mentorship program for Black youth, and money appropriated.</li> <li>HF1514 (Clardy – Inver Grove Heights) Veterans resilience project funding provided, reports required, and money appropriated.</li> <li>HF1516 (Clardy – Inver Grove Heights) Commissioner of Veterans Affairs funding provided for a grant to an organization to establish a Black Veterans support program, and money appropriated.</li> </ul> On Wednesday afternoon, the Senate Veterans Subcommittee unveiled its proposal to fund the Minnesota Departments of Veterans Affairs and Military Affairs. On the MDVA side, all of the agency’s recommendations were accepted including operating adjustments for the Programs & Services and Healthcare divisions, policy items related to MAXIS database access for the Homeless Veteran Initiative, aligning federal burial benefit eligibility with the state and working towards the creation of a plaque dedicated to Gold Star and Blue Star Families at the Capitol Mall’s Ring of Honor. The bill was also amended to included accreditation requirements for those providing initial claims services to Minnesota Veterans and their families. The bill was approved by the Subcommittee and sent to the full Agriculture and Veterans committee, where it was approved again and sent to the Senate Finance Committee.6777892025-04-07T15:35:14ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307A lighter amount of bills were heard in the legislature last week as six Veterans related pieces of legislation were heard across four committees. Two bills were heard on Tuesday. In the House Judiciary and Civil Law committee, HF 1855 (Greenman – Minneapolis) was heard. This bill seeks to require federal accreditation and prohibits service providers from guaranteeing benefits. The bill was debated and ultimately failed to pass the committee on a tie vote. After the vote, the bill was laid over for future consideration.Legislative Update – March 31, 2025engState268309Legislative Update – March 31, 20252025-03-31-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-675784" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2025-03-31T12:30:00ZA lighter amount of bills were heard in the legislature last week as six Veterans related pieces of legislation were heard across four committees. Two bills were heard on Tuesday. In the House Judiciary and Civil Law committee, HF 1855 (Greenman – Minneapolis) was heard. This bill seeks to require federal accreditation and prohibits service providers from guaranteeing benefits. The bill was debated and ultimately failed to pass the committee on a tie vote. After the vote, the bill was laid over for future consideration.1066A lighter amount of bills were heard in the legislature last week as six Veterans related pieces of legislation were heard across four committees. Two bills were heard on Tuesday. In the House Judiciary and Civil Law committee, HF 1855 (Greenman – Minneapolis) was heard. This bill seeks to require federal accreditation and prohibits service providers from guaranteeing benefits. The bill was debated and ultimately failed to pass the committee on a tie vote. After the vote, the bill was laid over for future consideration. SF 1074 (Klein – Mendota Heights) was also heard on Tuesday in the Senate Higher Education committee. This bill would create a higher education benefit for dependents of disabled Veterans at state colleges and universities. It was laid over for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill. On Wednesday morning the House Veterans and Military Affairs Division heard three Veterans bills. Two were informational. The first was HF 2444 (Bliss and Xiong) which is the proposed budget for the Departments of Military Affairs and Veterans Affairs. The second bill was HF 2773 (Clardy – Inver Grove Heights) which would provide funding to Lutheran Social Services to help feed Veterans dealing with food insecurity. The last bill was HF 2410 (Bliss – Pennington) which would allow surviving spouses to keep their education benefits if they remarry. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill. Finally, the last bill heard was SF 1706 (Kupec – Moorhead) in the Senate Judiciary Committee. This is the bill amending MDVA’s read-only access to the MAXIS database. The bill was laid over. This week, the Senate Veterans Subcommittee is expected to unveil the budget bill for Veterans and Military Affairs.6757842025-03-31T03:39:59ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307Last week, the legislature heard 11 total bills throughout committees in the House and the Senate as we get closer to deadlines as April approaches. On Monday, the Senate Subcommittee on Veterans heard SF 2259 from Rep. Mary Kunesh (New Brighton). It would create a task force and appropriate funds for a Native American Veterans Memorial at the Capitol Complex. The committee approved the bill and re-referred it to the full Agriculture and Veterans committee. The subcommittee also heard testimony from Native American Veterans.Legislative Update – March 24, 2025engState268309Legislative Update – March 24, 20252025-03-24-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-673927" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2025-03-24T12:30:00ZLast week, the legislature heard 11 total bills throughout committees in the House and the Senate as we get closer to deadlines as April approaches. On Monday, the Senate Subcommittee on Veterans heard SF 2259 from Rep. Mary Kunesh (New Brighton). It would create a task force and appropriate funds for a Native American Veterans Memorial at the Capitol Complex. The committee approved the bill and re-referred it to the full Agriculture and Veterans committee. The subcommittee also heard testimony from Native American Veterans.1066Last week, the legislature heard 11 total bills throughout committees in the House and the Senate as we get closer to deadlines as April approaches. On Monday, the Senate Subcommittee on Veterans heard SF 2259 from Rep. Mary Kunesh (New Brighton). It would create a task force and appropriate funds for a Native American Veterans Memorial at the Capitol Complex. The committee approved the bill and re-referred it to the full Agriculture and Veterans committee. The subcommittee also heard testimony from Native American Veterans. Three bills were heard on Tuesday. In the House Judiciary Committee, HF 1662 (Rehrauer – Coon Rapids) would allow MAXIS database access to MDVA’s stable housing initiative to better connect Veterans with state and federal benefits. The bill was amended, passed and sent to the House Floor. HF 1225 (Skraba – Ely) would eliminate ATV registration fees for disabled Veterans and was heard in the House Environment and Natural Resources committee. It was laid over for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill. The last bill heard was HF 982 (Clardy – Inver Grove Heights) which would create a post-secondary education benefit for 100% disabled Veterans. The bill was passed by the House Higher Education committee and sent to the Veterans and Military Affairs committee. The following six bills were heard on Wednesday- <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>HF 1855 (Greenman – Minneapolis): Veterans benefit services federal accreditation required, service providers guarantees of benefits prohibited, and remedies and civil penalties provided. <ul> <li>Bill was approved by House Veterans and Military Affairs and re-referred to House Judiciary and Civil Law.</li> </ul> </li> <li>SF 568 (Hawj – St. Paul): Veteran definition expansion and advisory task force establishment <ul> <li>Bill was approved by Senate Veterans Subcommittee and sent to full Agriculture and Veterans committee.</li> </ul> </li> <li>SF 1959 (Putnam – St. Cloud): MDVA and Department Military Affairs budget recommendations. <ul> <li>Bill was laid over.</li> </ul> </li> <li>SF 1706 (Kupec – Moorhead): Companion bill to HF 1662 (Rehrauer) for MDVA Maxis database access. <ul> <li>Bill was approved by Senate Veterans Subcommittee and sent to full Agriculture and Veterans committee. On Friday the full committee approved the bill and re-referred it to Judiciary.</li> </ul> </li> <li>SF 2550 (Kupec – Moorhead): Fargo Memorial Honor Guard construction of a chapel and parking lot and related infrastructure at veterans national cemetery in North Dakota appropriation. <ul> <li>Bill was laid over.</li> </ul> </li> <li>SF 488 (Green – Fosston): Veteran retreats appropriation for Independent Lifestyles Camp Bliss in Walker. <ul> <li>Bill was laid over.</li> </ul> </li> </ul> SF 2259 (Kunesh) was heard again on Friday in the full Agriculture and Veterans Committee. The Committee approved the bill and re-referred it to State and Local Government. Finally on Friday, SF 2259 (Putnam – St. Cloud) was heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee. This bill seeks to require federal accreditation for Veteran benefit service providers. It was amended and approved by the committee. It was re-referred back to the Senate Agriculture and Veterans Committee.6739272025-03-24T00:36:09ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307On Wednesday, Feb. 26 the House Veterans and Military Affairs Division held a hearing where it heard several bills relating to Veterans and Military Affairs issues.Legislative Update – March 3, 2025engState268309Legislative Update – March 3, 20252025-03-03-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-671114" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2025-03-03T14:00:00ZOn Wednesday, Feb. 26 the House Veterans and Military Affairs Division held a hearing where it heard several bills relating to Veterans and Military Affairs issues.1066<h3 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Minnesota House Updates</h3> On Wednesday, Feb. 26 the House Veterans and Military Affairs Division held a hearing where it heard several bills relating to Veterans and Military Affairs issues: HF26 (Roach) – Governor's power to declare emergency repealed, legislative emergency declaration and extension process established, governor's authority to adopt orders and expedited rules during an emergency repealed, citizen rights protected, and technical corrections made. <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Laid over as it was a direct referral from State Government Finance Committee</li> </ul> HF648 (Skraba) – Veterans on the Lake grant funding provided, and money appropriated & Veterans on the Lake appropriation request informational hearing. <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Laid over for possible inclusion in Veterans and Military Omnibus</li> </ul> HF532 (Bliss) – Veteran retreats funding provided, and money appropriated. <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Laid over for possible inclusion in Veterans and Military Omnibus</li> </ul> HF492 (Hill) – Currently serving military personnel and Veterans provided funding for mental health services and outdoor activities, and money appropriated. <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Laid over for possible inclusion in Veterans and Military Omnibus</li> </ul> <h3 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Minnesota Senate Updates</h3> On Monday, Feb. 24, the Subcommittee on Veterans held hearing where it heard several bills relating to Veterans and Military Affairs issues: S.F. 1706 Kupec Human services data and Veterans data provisions modifications (MDVA Policy Bill) S.F. 1705 Kupec Veterans burial provisions modifications (MDVA Policy Bill) S.F. 1704 Putnam State Armory Building Commission maximum bonded indebtedness allowed increase provision (DMA Policy Bill) All three bills were laid over for possible inclusion in a Veterans and Military Affairs Omnibus Bill.6711142025-03-03T14:17:45ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307On Tuesday, Feb. 18, House Capitol Investment Committee heard several presentations from state agencies on the Governor’s Capitol Investment Recommendations, including the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs. On Wednesday, Feb. 19 the House Veterans and Military Affairs Division held a hearing where it heard several bills relating to charitable gambling.Legislative Update – February 24, 2025engState268309Legislative Update – February 24, 20252025-02-24-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-670270" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2025-02-24T13:30:00ZOn Tuesday, Feb. 18, House Capitol Investment Committee heard several presentations from state agencies on the Governor’s Capitol Investment Recommendations, including the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs. On Wednesday, Feb. 19 the House Veterans and Military Affairs Division held a hearing where it heard several bills relating to charitable gambling.1066<h3 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Minnesota House Updates</h3> On Tuesday, Feb. 18, House Capitol Investment Committee heard several presentations from state agencies on the Governor’s Capitol Investment Recommendations, including the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs. On Wednesday, Feb. 19 the House Veterans and Military Affairs Division held a hearing where it heard several bills relating to charitable gambling. HF753 (Robbins) Licensed Veterans organizations authorized to use gross profits from lawful gambling for repair, maintenance, or improvement of real property. <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Passed out of Committee and referred to Commerce Finance and Policy</li> </ul> HF733 (Olson) Electronic gambling devices and games restrictions removed. <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Passed out of Committee and referred to Commerce Finance and Policy</li> </ul> <h3 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Minnesota Senate Updates</h3> The Subcommittee on Veterans will have a hearing today, Feb. 24 2025 at 3 p.m.6702702025-03-03T14:13:45ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307Last week, the House Veterans and Military Affairs Division held its first hearing on Wednesday, Feb. 12 where it heard overviews from the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs and Minnesota Department of Military Affairs as well as several Veterans related bills.Legislative Update – February 18, 2025engState268309Legislative Update – February 18, 20252025-02-18-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-669645" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2025-02-18T14:00:00ZLast week, the House Veterans and Military Affairs Division held its first hearing on Wednesday, Feb. 12 where it heard overviews from the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs and Minnesota Department of Military Affairs as well as several Veterans related bills.1066<h3 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Minnesota House Updates</h3> Last week, the House Veterans and Military Affairs Division held its first hearing on Wednesday, Feb. 12 where it heard overviews from the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs and Minnesota Department of Military Affairs as well as several Veterans related bills: HF194 (Knudsen) - Veterans with a disability homestead exclusion increase provision. <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Passed out of committee on a unanimous voice vote and was referred to the Taxes Committee.</li> </ul> HF195 (Bennett) - Property tax exemption establishment for certain property owned and operated by a congressionally chartered Veterans service organization. <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Passed out of committee on a unanimous voice vote and was referred to the Taxes Committee.</li> </ul> <h3 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Minnesota Senate Updates</h3> The Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs met this Monday, Feb. 10 and heard a number of Veterans related bills: S.F. 0586 (Hauschild) - Veterans on the Lake appropriation <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Laid over for possible inclusion in Veterans Omnibus Bill</li> </ul> S.F. 0613 (Hauschild) - Veterans on the Lake grant appropriation <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Laid over for possible inclusion in Veterans Omnibus Bill</li> </ul> S.F. 0674 (Seeberger) Mental health services and outdoor activities for currently serving military personnel and Veterans appropriation <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Laid over for possible inclusion in Veterans Omnibus Bill.</li> </ul> S.F. 0388 (Lieske) State Veterans cemetery burial fee removal for spouses and dependents of eligible Veterans <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Laid Over for possible inclusion in Veterans Omnibus Bill.</li> </ul> On Tuesday, Feb. 11, the Senate Capitol Investment Committee heard a number of presentations from state agencies on the Governor’s Capitol Investment Recommendations, including the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs.6696452025-02-18T04:45:47ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307On Thursday, February 6th the Minnesota House of Representatives was organized under a power sharing agreement between the GOP and DFL Caucuses. Under the terms of the agreement, the House is organized under a GOP majority currently and will revert to Co-Chair’s of Committees if the special election for House District 40B results in an election of a DFL member, which would bring the chamber into a tie. That special election is scheduled for Marth 11th 2025. The House elected Rep. Lisa Demuth as Speaker, and she will serve in that role for the rest of the biennium.Legislative Update – February 10, 2025engState268309Legislative Update – February 10, 20252025-02-10-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-668688" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2025-02-10T14:00:00ZOn Thursday, February 6th the Minnesota House of Representatives was organized under a power sharing agreement between the GOP and DFL Caucuses. Under the terms of the agreement, the House is organized under a GOP majority currently and will revert to Co-Chair’s of Committees if the special election for House District 40B results in an election of a DFL member, which would bring the chamber into a tie. That special election is scheduled for Marth 11th 2025. The House elected Rep. Lisa Demuth as Speaker, and she will serve in that role for the rest of the biennium.1066<h3 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Minnesota House Updates</h3> On Thursday, February 6th the Minnesota House of Representatives was organized under a power sharing agreement between the GOP and DFL Caucuses. Under the terms of the agreement, the House is organized under a GOP majority currently and will revert to Co-Chair’s of Committees if the special election for House District 40B results in an election of a DFL member, which would bring the chamber into a tie. That special election is scheduled for Marth 11th 2025. The House elected Rep. Lisa Demuth as Speaker, and she will serve in that role for the rest of the biennium. After organizing, the House updated its list of standing committees and divisions and included in the list of committees is a dedicated Veterans and Military Affairs Division of the State Government Finance Committee. The Veterans and Military Affairs Division will meet Wednesdays at 8:15 a.m. in Capitol G23. <a href="https://www.house.mn.gov/Committees/members/94021" target="_blank">The list of committee members and staff is available here</a>. The Committee will have its first hearing this coming Wednesday, February 12th where it will hear overviews from the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs and Minnesota Department of Military Affairs as well as several veterans related bills. <h3 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Minnesota Senate Updates</h3> Earlier this week, the Senate re-organized under a DFL majority after the swearing in of Senator Doron Clark (DFL – Minneapolis). The Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs will be meeting this Monday, February 10th to hear a number of Veterans related bills. <a href="https://www.leg.mn.gov/cal?d1=02/10/2025#s_19032" target="_blank">The agenda is available here</a>. On Tuesday, February 11th, the Senate Capitol Investment Committee will hear a number of presentations from state agencies on the Governor’s Capitol Investment Recommendations, including the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs. <a href="https://www.leg.mn.gov/cal?d1=02/11/2025#s_18971" target="_blank">The agenda is available here</a>.6686882025-02-10T00:07:48ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307On Monday January 27th the Senate Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs heard overviews of the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Military Affairs. The Subcommittee also heard overviews of the Commanders Task Force (CTF) and Minnesota Association of County Veteran Service Officers (MACVSO).Legislative Update – February 3, 2025engState268309Legislative Update – February 3, 20252025-02-03-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-667726" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2025-02-03T14:00:00ZOn Monday January 27th the Senate Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs heard overviews of the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Military Affairs. The Subcommittee also heard overviews of the Commanders Task Force (CTF) and Minnesota Association of County Veteran Service Officers (MACVSO).1066On Monday January 27th the Senate Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs heard overviews of the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Military Affairs. The Subcommittee also heard overviews of the Commanders Task Force (CTF) and Minnesota Association of County Veteran Service Officers (MACVSO). Last week, the Minnesota Supreme Court that held that a quorum in the Minnesota House of Representative is constituted by 68 members. A power-sharing agreement has not yet been reached between the GOP and DFL Caucuses.6677262025-02-03T14:13:12ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307On Wednesday January 22nd the House Veterans and Military Affairs Division heard overviews of the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Military Affairs by House Non- Partisan Research Staff. The Committee also heard overviews of the Commanders Task Force (CTF) and Minnesota Association of County Veteran Service Officers (MACVSO). In the House of Representatives there continues to be a disagreement about what constitutes a quorum to conduct business. To that end, the DFL caucus is denying a quorum. Republicans have continued to move ahead with organizing the business of the chamber. There is a case before the Minnesota Supreme Court on this issue. Oral arguments began this week. The court’s ruling and the special election for a Roseville-area seat will likely determine how the House moves forward over the next two years.Legislative Update – January 27, 2025engState268309Legislative Update – January 27, 20252025-01-27-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-666690" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2025-01-27T14:00:00ZOn Wednesday January 22nd the House Veterans and Military Affairs Division heard overviews of the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Military Affairs by House Non- Partisan Research Staff. The Committee also heard overviews of the Commanders Task Force (CTF) and Minnesota Association of County Veteran Service Officers (MACVSO). In the House of Representatives there continues to be a disagreement about what constitutes a quorum to conduct business. To that end, the DFL caucus is denying a quorum. Republicans have continued to move ahead with organizing the business of the chamber. There is a case before the Minnesota Supreme Court on this issue. Oral arguments began this week. The court’s ruling and the special election for a Roseville-area seat will likely determine how the House moves forward over the next two years.1066On Wednesday January 22nd the House Veterans and Military Affairs Division heard overviews of the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Military Affairs by House Non- Partisan Research Staff. The Committee also heard overviews of the Commanders Task Force (CTF) and Minnesota Association of County Veteran Service Officers (MACVSO). In the House of Representatives there continues to be a disagreement about what constitutes a quorum to conduct business. To that end, the DFL caucus is denying a quorum. Republicans have continued to move ahead with organizing the business of the chamber. There is a case before the Minnesota Supreme Court on this issue. Oral arguments began this week. The court’s ruling and the special election for a Roseville-area seat will likely determine how the House moves forward over the next two years. In the Senate the membership of the Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband and Rural Development Committee’s Subcommittee on Veterans was announced: <h3 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Co-Chairs</h3> <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Sen. Bruce Anderson</li> <li>Sen. Aric Putnam</li> </ul> <h3 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Members</h3> <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Sen. Gene Dornink</li> <li>Sen. Robert J Kupec</li> <li>Sen. Mary K. Kunesh</li> <li>Sen. Judy Seeberger</li> <li>Sen. Zach Duckworth</li> <li>Sen. Nathan Wesenberg</li> </ul> Hearings for the Subcommittee will be held at the decision of the co-chairs in 1150 MSB during the allotted time of the Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband and Rural Development Committee, which is Mondays and Wednesdays 3:00PM-5:00PM. Hearing agendas and times will be posted in advance, please check the <a href="https://www.leg.mn.gov/cal" title="MN Legislature Combined Calendar" target="_blank">MN Legislature Combined Calendar</a> for updates. The Veterans Subcommittee will be meeting Monday, January 27 to hear overview presentations by MDVA, MDMA, CTF and MACVSO.6666902025-01-27T14:25:21ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307On Tuesday, the 94th Minnesota Legislative Session began. The Senate gaveled in with a rare tie in the chamber under a power sharing agreement until a majority is once again achieved. In the House of Representatives there is disagreements about what constitutes a quorum to conduct business. To that end, the DFL caucus is denying a quorum. Republicans moved ahead with organizing the business of the chamber. There is a case pending before the Minnesota Supreme Court on this issue. Oral arguments are slated to begin next week. The court’s ruling and the special election for a Roseville-area seat will likely determine how the House moves forward over the next two years.Legislative Update – January 17, 2025engState268309Legislative Update – January 17, 20252025-01-21-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-665902" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2025-01-21T16:00:00ZOn Tuesday, the 94th Minnesota Legislative Session began. The Senate gaveled in with a rare tie in the chamber under a power sharing agreement until a majority is once again achieved. In the House of Representatives there is disagreements about what constitutes a quorum to conduct business. To that end, the DFL caucus is denying a quorum. Republicans moved ahead with organizing the business of the chamber. There is a case pending before the Minnesota Supreme Court on this issue. Oral arguments are slated to begin next week. The court’s ruling and the special election for a Roseville-area seat will likely determine how the House moves forward over the next two years.1066On Tuesday, the 94th Minnesota Legislative Session began. The Senate gaveled in with a rare tie in the chamber under a power sharing agreement until a majority is once again achieved. In the House of Representatives there is disagreements about what constitutes a quorum to conduct business. To that end, the DFL caucus is denying a quorum. Republicans moved ahead with organizing the business of the chamber. There is a case pending before the Minnesota Supreme Court on this issue. Oral arguments are slated to begin next week. The court’s ruling and the special election for a Roseville-area seat will likely determine how the House moves forward over the next two years. In the Senate, jurisdiction for Veterans legislation changed for this two-year biennium. It will fall under the Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband and Rural Development committee. Previously, it was in the State and Local Government and Veterans committee. Under the power sharing agreement, the committee will be co-chaired by Sens. Aric Putnam (St. Cloud) and Torrey Westrom (Alexandria). There will also be a Veterans subcommittee with membership yet to be announced. The House has created a Veterans and Military Affairs Division under the State Government Finance and Policy committee.6659022025-01-21T16:39:18ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307After 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.Legislative Update – May 3, 2024engState268309Legislative Update – May 3, 20242024-05-03-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-622960" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2024-05-03T15:45:00ZAfter 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 18.1066After 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- <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>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.</li> <li>Authorizes in law the Central Pharmacy that MDVA already operates for the Veterans Homes throughout the state.</li> <li>Allows MDVA to lay the groundwork for a fourth State Veterans Cemetery in the Bemidji area.</li> <li>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.</li> <li>Allows the grant for Metro Meals on Wheels to use this fiscal year’s funds next year.</li> <li>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.</li> <li>County Veterans Service Officers and VSO service officers are now permitted to receive discharge papers at no charge from county recorders.</li> </ul> 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.6229602024-05-03T16:21:08ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307On Wednesday, April 17 the State Capitol was filled with nearly a thousand Veterans. Along with their families and friends, these former service members came to St. Paul for the annual Veterans Day on the Hill. They held a rally in the Capitol Rotunda and before that gathered for an information session and lunch at the Cedar Street Armory on the southern end of the Capitol Complex.Legislative Update – April 19, 2024engState268309Legislative Update – April 19, 20242024-04-19-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-622926" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2024-04-19T15:00:00ZOn Wednesday, April 17 the State Capitol was filled with nearly a thousand Veterans. Along with their families and friends, these former service members came to St. Paul for the annual Veterans Day on the Hill. They held a rally in the Capitol Rotunda and before that gathered for an information session and lunch at the Cedar Street Armory on the southern end of the Capitol Complex.1066On Wednesday, April 17 the State Capitol was filled with nearly a thousand Veterans. Along with their families and friends, these former service members came to St. Paul for the annual Veterans Day on the Hill. They held a rally in the Capitol Rotunda and before that gathered for an information session and lunch at the Cedar Street Armory on the southern end of the Capitol Complex. As for the legislature, the Senate heard HF 3454 on the floor. The bill’s author, Sen. Nicole Mitchell, inserted the language of her bill, SF 4429 and also amended it. This is the Veterans and Military Affairs omnibus bill for 2024. The bill passed the Senate 65-2. With its passage, it now will be sent to the House where the Representatives have two choices, either support the language passed by the Senate or vote it down and trigger a conference committee to work out the differences. The Senate’s version of HF 3454 includes the following Veterans provisions- <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>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.</li> <li>Authorizes in law the Central Pharmacy that MDVA already operates for the Veterans Homes throughout the state.</li> <li>Allows MDVA to lay the groundwork for a fourth State Veterans Cemetery in the Bemidji area.</li> <li>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.</li> <li>Allows the grant for Metro Meals on Wheels to use this fiscal year’s funds next year.</li> <li>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.</li> <li>County Veterans Service Officers and VSO service officers are now permitted to receive discharge papers at no charge from county recorders.</li> </ul> The legislature will take a brief pause for Passover starting this weekend. The House and Senate will return on Wednesday afternoon.6229262024-05-03T16:21:08ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307The high pace of deadlines continued in the second half of this week with just as many bills heard throughout legislative committees as was heard in the House Veterans committee on Monday. The Senate Environment, Climate and Legacy committee heard SF 3884 by Sen. Nicole Mitchell (Woodbury) on Tuesday. This bill would provide funding to the Minnesota Military and Veterans Museum for restoration, relocation and interpretation of the USS Ward Gun that currently sits on the State Capitol mall. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in a Legacy bill.Legislative Update – March 22, 2024engState268309Legislative Update – March 22, 20242024-03-22-legislative-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-615164" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2024-03-22T15:00:00ZThe high pace of deadlines continued in the second half of this week with just as many bills heard throughout legislative committees as was heard in the House Veterans committee on Monday. The Senate Environment, Climate and Legacy committee heard SF 3884 by Sen. Nicole Mitchell (Woodbury) on Tuesday. This bill would provide funding to the Minnesota Military and Veterans Museum for restoration, relocation and interpretation of the USS Ward Gun that currently sits on the State Capitol mall. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in a Legacy bill.1066The high pace of deadlines continued in the second half of this week with just as many bills heard throughout legislative committees as was heard in the House Veterans committee on Monday. The Senate Environment, Climate and Legacy committee heard SF 3884 by Sen. Nicole Mitchell (Woodbury) on Tuesday. This bill would provide funding to the Minnesota Military and Veterans Museum for restoration, relocation and interpretation of the USS Ward Gun that currently sits on the State Capitol mall. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in a Legacy bill. On Wednesday morning the House Health committee heard Rep. Greenman’s (South Minneapolis) HF 4412. This bill gives statutory authority to MDVA’s central pharmacy for the Veterans homes. The bill was approved by the committee in under a minute and sent to the House floor. This is a rare committee stop for Veterans bills, but the use of the word ‘pharmacy’ triggered a mandatory referral under House rules. The Senate Judiciary and Public Safety heard Sen. Jeff Howe’s (Rockville) SF 3328 for the second time. This would require reporting data tied to the Veterans Restorative Justice Act. The bill was approved and sent to the Senate floor. The House companion, HF 3304 (Wiens – Lake Elmo) was heard on Thursday in the House Public Safety committee. It was also sent to the House floor. On Thursday, the Senate State and Local Government and Veterans committee met with five Veterans bills on the agenda. The following included: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>SF 4927 (Seeberger – Afton) is the companion bill to Rep. Greenman’s HF 4412. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in a Veterans omnibus bill.</li> <li>SF 4930 (Seeberger) a technical bill for the agency that eliminates the language that the administrators for the Minnesota Veterans Homes directly report to the MDVA commissioner, rather than the deputy commissioner for healthcare. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion.</li> <li>SF 4362 (Pappas – St. Paul) authorizes MDVA to search for a site for a fifth State Veterans Cemetery in Northwestern Minnesota. Section 1 of the bill was taken out via amendment and will be passed in a bonding bill. Section 2 remained in the bill and was laid over for possible inclusion.</li> <li>SF 4195 (Lang – Olivia) creates reporting requirements for grants that MDVA provides. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion.</li> <li>SF 3586 (Howe) expands the former National Guard members who can receive the Veteran designation on drivers licenses. It also allows for more members to be buried in State Veterans Cemeteries. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion.</li> </ul> Next week will be a short week for the legislature as they take time off starting Wednesday evening for the Easter recess. They will return on Tuesday, April 2.6151642024-03-22T17:11:09ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307It’s deadline week at the state legislature, so a flurry of bills will be heard throughout committees in the House and Senate. This year the first and second deadlines are occurring at the same time, so policy bills need to be heard in the necessary committees by Friday. On Monday, nine Veterans bills were heard in the House Veterans and Military Affairs committee.Legislative Update - March 20, 2024engState268309Legislative Update - March 20, 20242024-03-20-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-614828" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2024-03-20T14:00:00ZIt’s deadline week at the state legislature, so a flurry of bills will be heard throughout committees in the House and Senate. This year the first and second deadlines are occurring at the same time, so policy bills need to be heard in the necessary committees by Friday. On Monday, nine Veterans bills were heard in the House Veterans and Military Affairs committee.1066It’s deadline week at the state legislature, so a flurry of bills will be heard throughout committees in the House and Senate. This year the first and second deadlines are occurring at the same time, so policy bills need to be heard in the necessary committees by Friday. On Monday, nine Veterans bills were heard in the House Veterans and Military Affairs committee. The following two bills were laid over for possible inclusion in a supplemental budget bill: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>HF 4769 (Hudella – Hastings) would provide grant funding to the Eagle’s Healing Nest for support and services to Veterans suffering from PTSD, anxiety or addiction.</li> <li>HF 837 (Garofalo – Farmington) would provide funding to MDVA to allow for no-cost burial fee for spouses of Veterans in State Veterans Cemeteries.</li> </ul> The following four bills were sent to the House floor: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>HF 1666 (Hudella – Hastings) would allow County Veteran Service Officers to receive vital records, like a DD214 without a fee from a county recorder’s office.</li> <li>HF 3677 (Elkins – Bloomington) was amended to include the language of HF 4201 (Schomacker – Luverne). The first part of the bill would add Veterans Day to the list of permissible holidays that counties can provide to Veterans service organizations, the other is Memorial Day. The second part eliminates a funding cap, allowing counties to give more money to these groups. Previously, the limit was $300.</li> <li>HF 4742 (Rehm – Chanhassen) would provide free passes to disabled Veterans to visit the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.</li> <li>HF 4334 (B. Olson – Fairmont) was amended to include the language of HFs 4335 (Bennett – Albert Lea) and 4336 (Bliss – Pennington) to serve as a Veterans policy omnibus bill.</li> </ul> The next three bills all written by Rep. Mark Wiens (Lake Elmo) were sent to new committees: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>HF 4038 would provide property tax exemptions to land owned by congressionally chartered Veterans service organizations. The bill was approved and re-referred to the tax committee.</li> <li>HF 4134 was amended to allow for more Minnesota National Guard members to apply for the Veteran designation on Minnesota ID cards. The bill was approved and re-referred to Transportation.</li> <li>HF 4976 would provide Purple Heart recipients and their dependents tuition-free postsecondary education. The bill was approved and re-referred to Higher Education.</li> </ul> More Veterans related bills are expected to be heard in committees throughout the rest of the week. Another update will be written this week.6148282024-03-22T17:11:07ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307The House Veterans and Military Affairs committee met on Monday and heard five Veterans bills. All were MDVA legislative priorities. Committee ranking member Rep. Matt Bliss (Pennington) presented the first bill, HF 4336. The bill would authorize MDVA to seek a fifth State Veterans Cemetery that would serve Northwest Minnesota. The bill was approved and re-referred to Capital Investment.Legislative Update – March 11, 2024engState268309Legislative Update – March 11, 20242024-03-11-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-614625" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2024-03-11T14:00:00ZThe House Veterans and Military Affairs committee met on Monday and heard five Veterans bills. All were MDVA legislative priorities. Committee ranking member Rep. Matt Bliss (Pennington) presented the first bill, HF 4336. The bill would authorize MDVA to seek a fifth State Veterans Cemetery that would serve Northwest Minnesota. The bill was approved and re-referred to Capital Investment.1066The House Veterans and Military Affairs committee met on Monday and heard five Veterans bills. All were MDVA legislative priorities. Committee ranking member Rep. Matt Bliss (Pennington) presented the first bill, HF 4336. The bill would authorize MDVA to seek a fifth State Veterans Cemetery that would serve Northwest Minnesota. The bill was approved and re-referred to Capital Investment. The next bill was HF 4334 authored by Rep. Bjorn Olson (Fairmont). This bill would align state policy with federal policy by eliminating eligibility for Veterans state benefits for those that lose their entitlement to the benefits under United States Code, Title 38, Chapter 61. Examples include treason, genocide, fraud, subversive activities and more. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill. Rep. Peggy Bennett (Albert Lea) shared HF 4335 with the committee. The bill is technical and strikes a line in statute that says that Veterans homes administrators report directly to the MDVA commissioner. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill. HF 4344 authored by Rep. Nathan Coulter (Bloomington) would streamline and modernize the education benefits for MDVA’s State Soldier Assistance Program. There are four main changes that the bill would do, including: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Sunset the Veteran Education Benefit currently provided within Minn. Stat. §197.75</li> <li>Expand the Surviving Spouse and Dependent Education Benefit to spouses and children of Veterans with a service-connected disability of seventy percent (70%) or greater as rated by the United States Veterans Administration</li> <li>Incorporate the provisions of Minn. Stat. §197.752 (Educational Assistance to POW/MIA Dependents) within Minn. Stat. §197.75 and repeal Minn. Stat. §197.752 as a stand-alone statute.</li> <li>Increase the annual educational assistance stipend from $750 to $1,500 to account for inflation.</li> </ul> The bill was approved by the committee and re-referred to the House Higher Education committee. The final bill was HF 4412 by Rep. Emma Greenman (South Minneapolis). It would create a line in statute authorizing the central pharmacy that MDVA already operates for the state Veterans homes. The bill was approved by the committee and re-referred to the House Health Finance and Policy committee. Additionally on Thursday, MDVA provided a presentation to the Senate Capital Investment committee on infrastructure priorities the agency is seeking.6146252024-03-22T17:11:07ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307Following a low-key second week of session, there was more activity last week on Veterans bills in both the House and the Senate. MDVA also gave two presentations to committees.Legislative Update – March 4, 2024engState268309Legislative Update – March 4, 20242024-03-04-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-611725" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2024-03-04T15:00:00ZFollowing a low-key second week of session, there was more activity last week on Veterans bills in both the House and the Senate. MDVA also gave two presentations to committees.1066Following a low-key second week of session, there was more activity last week on Veterans bills in both the House and the Senate. MDVA also gave two presentations to committees. On Monday, the House Veterans and Military Affairs committee heard four bills related to Veterans. The first was HF 3790 authored by Rep. Mark Wiens of Lake Elmo. It would create a standard of reports for MDVA to provide for grants issues by the agency. It was laid over for possible inclusion. HF 1666 would allow county Veteran service officers to obtain official records and certificates, like a DD214 for free from the county. This would eliminate rare instances where the CVSO would have to pay a fee to a county recorder for the document. Rep. Shane Hudella of Hastings authored the bill. It was laid over for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill. Two other bills were given informational hearing. The first, HF 3746 authored by Rep. Josiah Hill of Stillwater would provide grant funding to Hometown Hero Outdoors. The second, HF 3505 authored by Krista Knudsen of Lake Shore would increase the exclusion amount for the homestead market value exclusion for disabled Veterans. MDVA also provided an update on agency activity since last year’s session ended. Presenters included Commissioner Brad Lindsay, Deputy Commissioner for Healthcare Eric Meittunen and interim Deputy Commissioner for Programs & Services/Legislative Director Ben Johnson. The Senate State and Local Government and Veterans committee met for the first time on Thursday afternoon. The committee heard two Veterans related bills and a presentation from MDVA regarding this year’s infrastructure funding requests. The first bill, SF 3876 authored by Sen. Nicole Mitchell of Woodbury would allow counties to provide no more than $300 to a Veteran service organization to celebrate Veterans Day. Previously, counties could only provide money for Memorial Day. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill. SF 3452 authored by Sen. Heather Gustafson of Vadnais Heights has the same effect as Rep. Hudella’s HF 1666 heard in the House committee. It was laid over for possible inclusion.6117252024-03-22T17:11:07ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307The 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.Legislative Update – February 20, 2024engState268309Legislative Update – February 20, 20242024-02-20-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-610143" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2024-02-20T15:00:00ZThe 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.1066The 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- <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>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).</li> <li>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.</li> <li>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.</li> <li>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.</li> <li>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.</li> </ul> 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.6101432024-03-22T17:11:07ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307The 2023 Legislative session came to an end on Monday night, marking the first time a budget session has ended on time in a decade. The legislature is scheduled to return in February 2024, unless a special session is called. One of the last items passed was a bonding bill that borrows money to pay for infrastructure needs throughout Minnesota. This bill included funding to revitalize the Hastings Veterans Home campus and money to pay for deferred maintenance at MDVA owned buildings like Veterans Homes and Cemeteries.Legislative Update – May 26, 2023engState268309Legislative Update – May 26, 20232023-05-26-weekly-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-579342" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2023-05-26T17:30:00ZThe 2023 Legislative session came to an end on Monday night, marking the first time a budget session has ended on time in a decade. The legislature is scheduled to return in February 2024, unless a special session is called. One of the last items passed was a bonding bill that borrows money to pay for infrastructure needs throughout Minnesota. This bill included funding to revitalize the Hastings Veterans Home campus and money to pay for deferred maintenance at MDVA owned buildings like Veterans Homes and Cemeteries.1066The 2023 Legislative session came to an end on Monday night, marking the first time a budget session has ended on time in a decade. The legislature is scheduled to return in February 2024, unless a special session is called. One of the last items passed was a bonding bill that borrows money to pay for infrastructure needs throughout Minnesota. This bill included funding to revitalize the Hastings Veterans Home campus and money to pay for deferred maintenance at MDVA owned buildings like Veterans Homes and Cemeteries. Since the last update, the governor enacted HF 1937, the Veterans and Military Affairs omnibus finance bill into law. He signed the bill on May 15 with most of it taking effect on July 1. Part of the funding included agency operations for: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Veterans Programs & Services</li> <li>State’s Veterans Cemeteries</li> <li>CORE Program</li> <li>LinkVet Call Center</li> <li>Homeless Veterans and SOAR Program</li> <li>Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans (MAC-V) grants</li> <li>Veterans Bonus Program (Post-9/11 Veterans service bonuses)</li> <li>Veterans Homelessness Initiative</li> <li>Veterans Health Care (current & future Minnesota Veterans Home (MVH) operations)</li> <li>Veteran Community Health Navigators</li> </ul> MDVA will oversee grants or partner in implementing the following: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Camp Bliss</li> <li>Veterans on the Lake</li> <li>Veterans Resilience Project (also allows spouses to receive eye movement rapid desensitization and reprocessing therapy with the grant)</li> <li>Metro Meals on Wheels</li> <li>Minnesota Military and Veterans Museums</li> <li>Every Third Saturday</li> <li>Veterans Campground on Big Marine Lake</li> <li>Veteran Domiciliary Resident Quality of Care Working Group</li> </ul> There was also changes to the post-9/11 Veterans Bonus Program that allows all Minnesota resident Veterans to apply for the bonus, previously Veterans were only eligible if they began their service in Minnesota and remained a resident. The other change was allowing Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal recipients to receive the highest bonus level. Finally, The Minnesota GI Bill was also amended to provide more educational assistance to qualified recipients in a year as part of the lifetime benefit and regardless if they are a full- or part-time student.5793422023-05-26T18:38:19ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307Lawmakers finalized their commitment to keep Veterans issues away from the typical political gamesmanship at the State Capitol when they voted for final passage of the Veterans and Military Affairs omnibus bill. The bill now heads to Governor Walz for his signature. On Monday, May 1 the Conference Committee for HF1937 met for the first and only time. The chairs, Rep. Jerry Newton and Sen. Nicole Mitchell, announced they were close to an agreement. That agreement was posted on the afternoon of Saturday, May 6. All six members of the conference committee signed off in support.Legislative Update – May 15, 2023engState268309Legislative Update – May 15, 20232023-05-15-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-577666" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2023-05-15T12:00:00ZLawmakers finalized their commitment to keep Veterans issues away from the typical political gamesmanship at the State Capitol when they voted for final passage of the Veterans and Military Affairs omnibus bill. The bill now heads to Governor Walz for his signature. On Monday, May 1 the Conference Committee for HF1937 met for the first and only time. The chairs, Rep. Jerry Newton and Sen. Nicole Mitchell, announced they were close to an agreement. That agreement was posted on the afternoon of Saturday, May 6. All six members of the conference committee signed off in support.1066Lawmakers finalized their commitment to keep Veterans issues away from the typical political gamesmanship at the State Capitol when they voted for final passage of the Veterans and Military Affairs omnibus bill. The bill now heads to Governor Walz for his signature. On Monday, May 1 the Conference Committee for HF1937 met for the first and only time. The chairs, Rep. Jerry Newton and Sen. Nicole Mitchell, announced they were close to an agreement. That agreement was posted on the afternoon of Saturday, May 6. All six members of the conference committee signed off in support. That support set up the final passage needed in both chambers. The House took up the conference committee report for passage on Monday, May 8. The vote was unanimous at 131-0. The Senate took up final passage the next afternoon with a vote of 61-5. The final language that was passed for HF1937 <a href="https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=HF1937&version=0&session=ls93.0&session_year=2023&session_number=0&type=ccr" title="Committee Report" target="_blank">can be found here</a>. While the Veterans and Military Affairs omnibus bill represents the bulk of the work for Veterans and their families at the legislature, there are still outstanding items that need to be completed. Those items include but are not limited to an infrastructure bill for MDVA buildings throughout the state, a tax bill that makes modifications to the Homestead Market Exclusion for disabled Veterans and their spouses and the waiving of transportation related fees for 100% permanently disabled Veterans in the transportation bill. The legislature will conclude its work no later than May 22, but leaders think they may be able to finish work by Thursday, the 18.5776662023-05-31T16:12:40ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307After passage of two versions of the Veterans and Military Affairs budget bill in the House and Senate the previous week, last week was relatively quiet. The exception to that was the naming of the conference committee that will work out the differences between the two versions. Officially called the HF 1937 Conference Committee, it will be led by the House and Senate bill authors, Rep. Jerry Newton (Coon Rapids) and Sen. Nicole Mitchell (Woodbury), respectively. They will handle the negotiations to reconcile the two versions.Legislative Update - May 1, 2023engState268309Legislative Update - May 1, 20232023-05-01-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-575231" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2023-05-01T13:15:00ZAfter passage of two versions of the Veterans and Military Affairs budget bill in the House and Senate the previous week, last week was relatively quiet. The exception to that was the naming of the conference committee that will work out the differences between the two versions. Officially called the HF 1937 Conference Committee, it will be led by the House and Senate bill authors, Rep. Jerry Newton (Coon Rapids) and Sen. Nicole Mitchell (Woodbury), respectively. They will handle the negotiations to reconcile the two versions.1066After passage of two versions of the Veterans and Military Affairs budget bill in the House and Senate the previous week, last week was relatively quiet. The exception to that was the naming of the conference committee that will work out the differences between the two versions. Officially called the HF 1937 Conference Committee, it will be led by the House and Senate bill authors, Rep. Jerry Newton (Coon Rapids) and Sen. Nicole Mitchell (Woodbury), respectively. They will handle the negotiations to reconcile the two versions. The other members from the House include Reps. Steve Elkins and Matt Bliss. Rep. Elkins is the Veterans and Military Affairs committee’s vice chair, he represents portions of Bloomington. Rep. Bliss is the Republican caucus lead on the committee and is from Pennington. On the Senate side, the other two members are Sens. Erin Murphy and Bruce Anderson. Sen. Murphy chairs the State and Local Government and Veterans committee and represents the Highland Park area of St. Paul. Sen. Anderson is the Republican lead on that committee and is from Buffalo. The conference committee will hold its first meeting at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, May 1 in Room 10 of the State Office Building.5752312023-05-01T13:33:21ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307It was a momentous week for Veterans legislation. The House and Senate affirmed their commitment to a standalone Veterans and Military Affairs budget bill through the actions they took in committee and on each chamber’s floors. On Tuesday morning, the Senate Finance committee approved SF 2247. The Veterans and Military Affairs budget bill authored by Sen. Nicole Mitchell of Woodbury. As was the case last week in the House, the committee kept it as a standalone bill and didn’t fold it into the State and Local Government Finance bill. Instead, it was approved by the committee and sent to the Senate floor. Later that afternoon, the House unanimously passed HF 1937, their version of the Veterans and Military affairs budget bill authored by Rep. Jerry Newton of Coon Rapids. A technical amendment was added, but the substance of the bill, as described in a legislative update, was unchanged.Legislative Update – April 24, 2023engLegislative Update – April 24, 20232023-04-24-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-574504" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2023-04-24T13:30:00ZIt was a momentous week for Veterans legislation. The House and Senate affirmed their commitment to a standalone Veterans and Military Affairs budget bill through the actions they took in committee and on each chamber’s floors. On Tuesday morning, the Senate Finance committee approved SF 2247. The Veterans and Military Affairs budget bill authored by Sen. Nicole Mitchell of Woodbury. As was the case last week in the House, the committee kept it as a standalone bill and didn’t fold it into the State and Local Government Finance bill. Instead, it was approved by the committee and sent to the Senate floor. Later that afternoon, the House unanimously passed HF 1937, their version of the Veterans and Military affairs budget bill authored by Rep. Jerry Newton of Coon Rapids. A technical amendment was added, but the substance of the bill, as described in a legislative update, was unchanged.1066It was a momentous week for Veterans legislation. The House and Senate affirmed their commitment to a standalone Veterans and Military Affairs budget bill through the actions they took in committee and on each chamber’s floors. On Tuesday morning, the Senate Finance committee approved SF 2247. The Veterans and Military Affairs budget bill authored by Sen. Nicole Mitchell of Woodbury. As was the case last week in the House, the committee kept it as a standalone bill and didn’t fold it into the State and Local Government Finance bill. Instead, it was approved by the committee and sent to the Senate floor. Later that afternoon, the House unanimously passed HF 1937, their version of the Veterans and Military affairs budget bill authored by Rep. Jerry Newton of Coon Rapids. A technical amendment was added, but the substance of the bill, as described in a legislative update, was unchanged. The Senate brought the Veterans and Military Affairs budget bill up for a vote on Thursday evening. No amendments were offered, and the bill passed with a vote of 66-1. For both chambers this was the budget bill that has received the most votes, due to the nonpartisan nature of Veterans issues. It is also a testament to the advocacy of Veterans groups uniting behind the need for this bill to move separately from other budget bills for a second consecutive session. A conference committee will likely be established this week and will be tasked with working out the differences between the two bills no later than May 22. The bill authors Rep. Jerry Newton and Sen. Nicole Mitchell will be the co-chairs and there will either be two or four other members each from the House and Senate. Totaling six or ten members on the committee. Finally, the language from HF 986 was amended into the House Transportation budget bill, <a href="https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=House&f=HF986&ssn=0&y=2023" title="HF 2887" target="_blank">HF 2887</a>. The provision creates exemptions from several transportation-related taxes and fees for Veterans with a 100% total and permanent service-connected disability rating, including from the registration tax, the motor vehicle sales tax, and fees for driver’s licenses, license plates, and vehicle titles. The types of vehicles that qualify under the vehicle-related exemptions are passenger autos, one-ton pickup trucks, recreational vehicles, and motorcycles.5745042023-04-24T14:01:48ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307After a 5-day break, the legislature returned to St. Paul on Tuesday to finish the remaining work. On Wednesday morning, the House Ways and Means committee heard HF 1937, the Veterans and Military Affairs omnibus finance bill. The bill was amended to adjust funding numbers for a few initiatives and to include policy to provide oversight for grants to non-profits. The bill was then approved by the committee and sent to the House floor. It was not rolled into any other omnibus bills.Legislative Update – April 17, 2023engState268309Legislative Update – April 17, 20232023-04-17-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-573698" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2023-04-17T13:00:00ZAfter a 5-day break, the legislature returned to St. Paul on Tuesday to finish the remaining work. On Wednesday morning, the House Ways and Means committee heard HF 1937, the Veterans and Military Affairs omnibus finance bill. The bill was amended to adjust funding numbers for a few initiatives and to include policy to provide oversight for grants to non-profits. The bill was then approved by the committee and sent to the House floor. It was not rolled into any other omnibus bills.1066After a 5-day break, the legislature returned to St. Paul on Tuesday to finish the remaining work. On Wednesday morning, the House Ways and Means committee heard HF 1937, the Veterans and Military Affairs omnibus finance bill. The bill was amended to adjust funding numbers for a few initiatives and to include policy to provide oversight for grants to non-profits. The bill was then approved by the committee and sent to the House floor. It was not rolled into any other omnibus bills. The current language for the bill <a href="https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=House&f=HF1937&ssn=0&y=2023" title="revisor.mn.gov" target="_blank">is available here</a>. Then click the link that says <a href="https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=HF1937&type=bill&version=2&session=ls93&session_year=2023&session_number=0" title="second engrossment" target="_blank">2nd Engrossment</a>. The House of Representatives passed the Legacy bill, which uses money from the Clean Water and Outdoor Heritage fund. The bill included funding for the Minnesota Public Television Association to produce stories about Minnesota’s military and Veterans history. There is also money for a Veterans memorial in Wyoming. Next week, the Senate will hear its version of the Veterans and Military Affairs omnibus finance bill in the Finance committee on Tuesday. Also on Tuesday, HF 1937 is expected to receive a vote by the full House of Representatives.5736982023-04-16T16:56:08ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307Easter and Passover break arrived at the Minnesota Legislature in conjunction with the third committee deadline. All finance bills have been passed out of committees of jurisdiction, including two versions of the Veterans and Military Affairs omnibus finance bill. When legislators return, finishing this finance bill and others to create the state’s budget will be the focus of their work until the legislative session concludes.Legislative Update – April 10, 2023engState268309Legislative Update – April 10, 20232023-04-10-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-572933" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2023-04-10T13:00:00ZEaster and Passover break arrived at the Minnesota Legislature in conjunction with the third committee deadline. All finance bills have been passed out of committees of jurisdiction, including two versions of the Veterans and Military Affairs omnibus finance bill. When legislators return, finishing this finance bill and others to create the state’s budget will be the focus of their work until the legislative session concludes.1066Easter and Passover break arrived at the Minnesota Legislature in conjunction with the third committee deadline. All finance bills have been passed out of committees of jurisdiction, including two versions of the Veterans and Military Affairs omnibus finance bill. When legislators return, finishing this finance bill and others to create the state’s budget will be the focus of their work until the legislative session concludes. While there is more in common between the two versions, as well as the governor’s recommendations, the following shows the differences that will need to be reconciled either through elimination or different funding levels. There are two funding items that only appear in the House version and not in the Senate or the governor’s recommendations. The House would like to fund a grant appropriation for operations to the Minnesota Military and Veterans Museum as well as the non-profit Every Third Saturday. The Senate version also has two exclusive funding items. Grant funding for Metro Meals on Wheels to provide food to Veterans. The other is funding for Veteran Service Organization posts to become Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant. The House and Senate have four items of agreement, but the funding levels may be different. These items were not a part of the governor’s recommendations. Two of the items are for Veterans retreats at Camp Bliss in Walker and Veterans on the Lake in Ely. Both bills fund construction of the Minnesota Military and Veterans Museum. Finally, the last point of agreement between the two legislative proposals are to provide funding to the Veterans Resilience Project for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. Finally, there are 14 items that are included in the three proposals from the House, Senate, and Governor. Again, the funding levels will differ for each item. They are as follows: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Post-9/11 service bonus which includes changes to allow Veterans who have moved to Minnesota after their military service as well as Inherent Resolve campaign medalists.</li> <li>Funds to maintain operations to continue providing benefits and services to Veterans at current levels</li> <li>Operational funds for the three new Veterans homes in Bemidji, Montevideo and Preston</li> <li>Specific funding for MDVA’s homelessness prevention and SOAR programs</li> <li>Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans (MACV) supportive housing grants</li> <li>Direct Veteran Assistance funding for unhoused Veterans</li> <li>Community Health Navigators program establishment to connect Veterans and their families with support for mental health, hospice care and other support</li> <li>Funding adjustment for state Veterans cemeteries, Minnesota Service Core and LinkVet operations</li> <li>Funds to operate the recently separated Veterans program</li> <li>Increase MN GI Bill benefits for a Veteran to $15,000 in a lifetime and $6,000 per year</li> <li>Funding for Minnesota’s 50th Commemoration of the Vietnam War</li> </ul> The bill language can be found on <a href="https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=HF1937&type=bill&version=1&session=ls93&session_year=2023&session_number=0" title="HF 1937" target="_blank">HF 1937</a> and <a href="https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=SF2247&version=latest&session=ls93&session_year=2023&session_number=0" title="SF 2247" target="_blank">SF 2247</a>. The next steps for both versions of the bills will be to get approval from the House Ways and Means and Senate Finance committees, respectively, followed by floor votes from each chamber. After those votes are taken the differences between the bills will need to be worked out by conference committees that consist of an equal number of members from each body. When the legislature returns on April 11, it will have 42 days to complete its work by the adjournment date set by the state constitution on May 22.5729332023-04-10T14:01:48ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307The week of the second deadline led to one new law, committees hearing 15 Veterans related bills and a property tax bill with updates to important benefits for disabled Veterans and their families. This will set up this week’s unveiling of omnibus finance bills. The Senate passed HF45 with a vote of 64-0 on Wednesday after the House passed it last month. The bill seeks to clarify language in the Veterans Restorative Justice Act (VRJA) statute to ensure that courts determine if a Veteran is eligible for deferred prosecution before a finding of guilt by the courts. Sen. Nicole Mitchell of Woodbury was the author. The bill will be sent to the Governor’s office where it is expected to be signed into law.Legislative Update – March 27, 2023engState268309Legislative Update – March 27, 20232023-03-27-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-571096" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2023-03-27T13:00:00ZThe week of the second deadline led to one new law, committees hearing 15 Veterans related bills and a property tax bill with updates to important benefits for disabled Veterans and their families. This will set up this week’s unveiling of omnibus finance bills. The Senate passed HF45 with a vote of 64-0 on Wednesday after the House passed it last month. The bill seeks to clarify language in the Veterans Restorative Justice Act (VRJA) statute to ensure that courts determine if a Veteran is eligible for deferred prosecution before a finding of guilt by the courts. Sen. Nicole Mitchell of Woodbury was the author. The bill will be sent to the Governor’s office where it is expected to be signed into law.1066The week of the second deadline led to one new law, committees hearing 15 Veterans related bills and a property tax bill with updates to important benefits for disabled Veterans and their families. This will set up this week’s unveiling of omnibus finance bills. The Senate passed HF45 with a vote of 64-0 on Wednesday after the House passed it last month. The bill seeks to clarify language in the Veterans Restorative Justice Act (VRJA) statute to ensure that courts determine if a Veteran is eligible for deferred prosecution before a finding of guilt by the courts. Sen. Nicole Mitchell of Woodbury was the author. The bill will be sent to the Governor’s office where it is expected to be signed into law. Many of the 15 bills heard last week were for Veterans memorials in Bloomington and Forest Lake, housing projects in Richfield and other parts of the state, and rehabilitation of the Veterans Home campuses in Minneapolis and Hastings. As well as two bills that would amend the post-9/11 Veteran bonus program. Committees that heard these bills include the House Veterans and Military Affairs committee, Senate State and Local Government and Veterans, and the Senate Capital Investment Committee. The other bills on the Senate State and Local Government and Veterans committee include the following which were all laid over for possible inclusion: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>SF702 (Sen. Lieske – Lonsdale) eliminates the burial fee for Veteran spouses and dependents in state Veterans cemeteries.</li> <li>SF1237 (Sen. Utke – Park Rapids) provides funding to Camp Bliss in Walker, MN. The camp provides Veterans retreats.</li> <li>SF1509 (Sen. Mitchell – Woodbury) adds spouses of Veterans and currently serving military members to those allowed to receive eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy from the Veterans Resilience Project. This group received funding last biennium, so the bill also continues that funding for the next two years.</li> <li>SF2118 (Sen. Lang – Olivia) provides grants to Congressionally Chartered Veterans Service Organizations to ensure their properties comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.</li> <li>SF2181 (Sen. Howe – Rockville) would provide grant funding to the Minnesota Military and Veterans Museum to provide direct services to Veterans and their families.</li> <li>SF2247 (Sen. Mitchell – Woodbury) is the Governor’s recommended budget for the Departments of Military Affairs and Veterans Affairs.</li> </ul> On Friday, the House Property Tax division unveiled its bill that will eventually be added to the omnibus tax bill. The bill includes the elimination of the two-year window for surviving spouses of 100% permanently disabled Veterans to apply for the Homestead Market Value Exclusion for disabled Veterans. This will help Dependency and Indemnity Compensation cases that take longer than two years for the Federal VA to process, as well as spouses of Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans made eligible by recent changes. This week, both the House Veterans and Military Affairs and Senate State and Local Government and Veterans committees are expected to unveil their Veterans and Military Affairs omnibus finance bill.5710962023-03-26T23:10:14ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307Despite the first deadline occurring on Friday, just a handful of Veterans bills were heard in committees this week. All those bills came in the House Veterans and Military Affairs committee on Monday. Two bills were heard concurrently. HFs 1105 and 1106 authored by Rep. Mike Howard were given informational hearings. They would provide funding to create a Veterans Village in Richfield that would create housing opportunities around American Legion Post 435. The bills await further action in the Capital Investment committee.Legislative Update – March 13, 2023engState268309Legislative Update – March 13, 20232023-03-13-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-569221" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2023-03-13T14:05:28ZDespite the first deadline occurring on Friday, just a handful of Veterans bills were heard in committees this week. All those bills came in the House Veterans and Military Affairs committee on Monday. Two bills were heard concurrently. HFs 1105 and 1106 authored by Rep. Mike Howard were given informational hearings. They would provide funding to create a Veterans Village in Richfield that would create housing opportunities around American Legion Post 435. The bills await further action in the Capital Investment committee.1066Despite the first deadline occurring on Friday, just a handful of Veterans bills were heard in committees this week. All those bills came in the House Veterans and Military Affairs committee on Monday. Two bills were heard concurrently. HFs 1105 and 1106 authored by Rep. Mike Howard were given informational hearings. They would provide funding to create a Veterans Village in Richfield that would create housing opportunities around American Legion Post 435. The bills await further action in the Capital Investment committee. HF2373 was the next bill on the agenda. It is authored by Rep. Emma Greenman of South Minneapolis. It would provide grant funding to Every Third Saturday to provide Veterans with emergency assistance and internships. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in an omnibus finance bill. Rep. Greenman then presented HF2374 which would provide funding to renovate historic building six at the Minnesota Veterans Home – Minneapolis campus. The building has been unusable due to a variety of reasons including bad HVAC systems, flooding and being below current care standards. The committee approved the bill and re-referred it to Capital Investment. Finally, Rep. Shane Hudella of Hastings presented HF1639. This would provide capital improvement funding to Minnesota Veterans Home – Hastings for a campus overhaul and renovation. Like the first two bills, this was an informational hearing. This week, the House Veterans and Military Affairs committee will not meet. It will likely meet on March 20 to present the omnibus Veterans and Military Affairs finance bill. The Senate State and Local Government and Veterans committee is not expected to hear Veterans bills until March 21.5692212023-03-13T14:07:38ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307Last week featured two committee presentations in the House and the Senate as MDVA shared its budget recommendations with both Veterans committees. No official action was taken after the overviews.Legislative Update – March 6, 2023engState268309Legislative Update – March 6, 20232023-03-06-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-567804" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2023-03-06T14:50:11ZLast week featured two committee presentations in the House and the Senate as MDVA shared its budget recommendations with both Veterans committees. No official action was taken after the overviews.1066Last week featured two committee presentations in the House and the Senate as MDVA shared its budget recommendations with both Veterans committees. No official action was taken after the overviews. MDVA is pursuing the following budget initiatives during this legislative session: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Increase the funding level for the post-9/11 Veterans Service Bonus, including Veterans that received the Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal and allowing all Veterans that live in Minnesota to receive the bonus, not just those who entered military service from the state.</li> <li>Operational funding for the three new Veterans Homes in Bemidji, Montevideo, and Preston.</li> <li>Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans (MACV) supportive housing grants.</li> <li>Funding for MACV’s direct Veterans Assistance line to provide more homelessness prevention resources.</li> <li>Extend the spending authority for the MNVEST housing vouchers for those not eligible for federal Housing and Urban Development – Veteran Affairs Supportive Housing vouchers.</li> <li>Funding to establish a Veterans Community Health Program within MDVA. This program would work to ensure Minnesota Veterans and their families are connected to the necessary resources for mental and physical health care, as well as hospice and other end of life care.</li> <li>Funding for the Recently Separated Veterans Programs to allow the agency to update technology systems to validate Veteran status while also communicating with Veteran population on new benefits that may be implemented like the PACT act.</li> <li>Amending the MN GI Bill to increase the lifetime benefit from $10,000 to $15,000 per Veteran.</li> <li>Operating and funding adjustments to maintain current staffing and service levels for multiple parts of the agency including LinkVet service line, the State Veterans Cemeteries, the Homeless Veterans Registry and more.</li> </ul> One Veterans related bill was heard in the House Veterans and Military Affairs committee. HF2130 would provide grant funding from MDVA to the Minnesota Military and Veterans Museum to ensure museum staff provide direct services to Veterans and their families. The bill is authored by Rep. Nathan Coulter of Bloomington. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in a Veterans and Military Affairs omnibus bill. This week is the first committee deadline which will begin to limit which bills may still be enacted into law. As such, there are six bills on the agenda in the House Veterans and Military Affairs committee that meets on Monday at 1 p.m. in Room 5 of the State Office Building. More Veterans bills may be added to agendas.5678042023-03-06T14:51:57ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307Due to Presidents Day and a snowstorm causing the legislature to close from Wednesday through Friday, there was only one Veterans policy bill that moved last week. HF45 was put up for a vote on the floor of the Minnesota House on Monday afternoon. The bill seeks to clarify language in the Veterans Restorative Justice Act (VRJA) to ensure that courts determine if a Veteran is eligible for deferred prosecution before a finding of guilt by the courts. Rep. Sandra Feist of New Brighton authored the bill and was the author of the VRJA when it passed two years ago. The House passed the bill with a vote of 128-0. The Senate companion hasn’t been heard in the Judiciary committee.Legislative Update – February 27, 2023engState268309Legislative Update – February 27, 20232023-02-27-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-566746" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2023-02-27T14:00:00ZDue to Presidents Day and a snowstorm causing the legislature to close from Wednesday through Friday, there was only one Veterans policy bill that moved last week. HF45 was put up for a vote on the floor of the Minnesota House on Monday afternoon. The bill seeks to clarify language in the Veterans Restorative Justice Act (VRJA) to ensure that courts determine if a Veteran is eligible for deferred prosecution before a finding of guilt by the courts. Rep. Sandra Feist of New Brighton authored the bill and was the author of the VRJA when it passed two years ago. The House passed the bill with a vote of 128-0. The Senate companion hasn’t been heard in the Judiciary committee.1066Due to Presidents Day and a snowstorm causing the legislature to close from Wednesday through Friday, there was only one Veterans policy bill that moved last week. HF45 was put up for a vote on the floor of the Minnesota House on Monday afternoon. The bill seeks to clarify language in the Veterans Restorative Justice Act (VRJA) to ensure that courts determine if a Veteran is eligible for deferred prosecution before a finding of guilt by the courts. Rep. Sandra Feist of New Brighton authored the bill and was the author of the VRJA when it passed two years ago. The House passed the bill with a vote of 128-0. The Senate companion hasn’t been heard in the Judiciary committee. This week, MDVA’s recommended budget will be heard as a bill in the House Veterans and Military Affairs committee on Monday. The agency will also provide an overview of the budget to the Senate State and Local Government and Veterans committee on Tuesday.5667462023-02-26T23:15:45ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307After a dozen bills were heard in the previous week, only a half dozen moved through committees this week. There was also news for MDVA properties from the legislature. The House Veterans and Military Affairs committee met on Monday to hear five bills. Three of them were laid over for possible inclusion and the other two were sent to other committees.Legislative Update – February 21, 2023engState268309Legislative Update – February 21, 20232023-02-21-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-565826" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2023-02-21T15:03:54ZAfter a dozen bills were heard in the previous week, only a half dozen moved through committees this week. There was also news for MDVA properties from the legislature. The House Veterans and Military Affairs committee met on Monday to hear five bills. Three of them were laid over for possible inclusion and the other two were sent to other committees.1066After a dozen bills were heard in the previous week, only a half dozen moved through committees this week. There was also news for MDVA properties from the legislature. The House Veterans and Military Affairs committee met on Monday to hear five bills. Three of them were laid over for possible inclusion and the other two were sent to other committees. <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>HF236 is authored by Rep. Mike Freiberg of Golden Valley. The bill modifies the homestead market exclusion for disabled Veterans by increasing the value of the exclusion and sets future updates to inflation. The bill also eliminates the two-year deadline for surviving spouses to claim the benefit after the death of a Veteran. Finally, it also applies for previously denied surviving spouses to reapply for the benefit. The bill was approved and re-referred to the Tax committee.</li> <li>HF837 is authored by Rep. Pat Garofalo of Farmington. The bill eliminates the burial fee for Veteran spouses and dependents in state Veterans cemeteries. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in a Veterans and Military Affairs omnibus bill.</li> <li>HF904 is authored by Rep. Elliott Engen of White Bear Township. This bill adds the Disabled American Veterans to those eligible to receive special license plates. It also waives the personalized license plate fee for those eligible for Gold Star license plates.</li> <li>HF1194 is authored by Rep. Matt Bliss of Pennington. It provides funding to Camp Bliss (no relation to the author) in Walker, MN. The camp provides Veterans retreats. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in a Veterans and Military Affairs omnibus bill.</li> <li>HF1353 is authored by Rep. Mary Frances Clardy of Inver Grove Heights. The bill adds spouses of Veterans and currently serving military members to those allowed to receive eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy from the Veterans Resilience Project. This group received funding last biennium, so the bill also continues that funding for the next two years. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in a Veterans and Military Affairs omnibus bill.</li> </ul> The other bill heard this week was SF1336 from Sen. Foung Hawj of St. Paul. The bill provides many language changes for the Department of Public Safety’s Driver and Vehicle services division. For Veterans it includes the same language as HF904 benefiting DAV members and Gold Star families. The bill was approved and sent to the Senate floor. Next week the House Veterans and Military Affairs committee will not meet, presumably due to the President’s Day holiday, but the House is in session and will give <a href="https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?f=HF45&b=house&y=2023&ssn=0" title="HF45" target="_blank">HF45</a> a floor vote. Finally, the House and Senate Capital Investment committees rolled out their bonding bills. Both included funding for asset preservation for MDVA buildings as well as the state funding needed for a campus revitalization at Minnesota Veterans Home – Hastings. The committees are expected to vote those bills out of committee next week.5658262023-02-21T15:06:31ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307After four Veterans related bills were heard last week, 12 were given hearings throughout the legislature this week. More legislation will be heard over the next few weeks until we reach committee deadlines that will reduce the number of viable bills.Legislative Update – February 13, 2023engState268309Legislative Update – February 13, 20232023-02-13-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-565046" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2023-02-13T18:00:00ZAfter four Veterans related bills were heard last week, 12 were given hearings throughout the legislature this week. More legislation will be heard over the next few weeks until we reach committee deadlines that will reduce the number of viable bills.1066After four Veterans related bills were heard last week, 12 were given hearings throughout the legislature this week. More legislation will be heard over the next few weeks until we reach committee deadlines that will reduce the number of viable bills. The bulk of bills heard last week were taken up in the House Veterans and Military Affairs committee on Monday. In total, the following seven bills were heard: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>HF1060 (Rep. Demuth – Cold Spring) allows surviving spouses of deceased Veterans who had previously qualified for the disabled Veterans’ homestead market value exclusion and had that exclusion expire prior to 2020 to reapply for the exclusion and receive a refund of a portion of taxes paid in 2020 through 2023. The bill was approved and re-referred to the Tax committee.</li> <li>HF656 (Rep. Pfarr – Le Sueur) expands the eligibility of the post 9/11 Veteran service bonus and removes the requirement that an applicant must have lived in Minnesota when entering military service. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in an omnibus finance bill.</li> <li>HF1112 (Rep. Bennett – Albert Lea) appropriates more funding to the post 9/11 Veteran service bonus. It was laid over for possible inclusion in an omnibus finance bill.</li> <li>HF986 (Rep. Hudella – Hastings) creates exemptions from several transportation-related taxes and fees for Veterans with a 100 percent total and permanent service-connected disability rating, including from the registration tax, the motor vehicle sales tax, and fees for driver’s licenses, license plates, and vehicle titles. The bill was approved and re-referred to the Transportation committee.</li> <li>HF985 (Rep. Wiens – Lake Elmo) creates a Civil Air Patrol special license plate. The bill was approved and re-referred to the Transportation committee.</li> <li>HF665 (Rep. Bliss – Pennington) changes an ‘or’ to ‘and’ in a statute that protects Veterans from predatory lending practices that attempt to take away from a Veterans retirement or disability benefits. The committee approved the bill and re-referred it to Commerce.</li> <li>HF731 (Rep. Bennett – Albert Lea) was given an informational hearing and no action was taken. It would exempt Purple Heart recipients from fees on special license plates that honor their award. The bill may be taken up again in committee at a later date.</li> </ul> The House Labor and Industry committee heard HF284, the Helmets to Hard hats appropriation bill authored by Rep. Matt Norris (Blaine). The committee laid the bill over for possible inclusion in an omnibus finance bill. The Senate State and Local Government and Veterans committee heard four Veterans related bills. <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>SF1039 (Sen. Klein – Mendota Heights) removes the requirement that Minnesota is the home of record for Veterans when they entered active duty and adds the Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal to the post 9/11 Veterans service bonus law. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in an omnibus finance bill.</li> <li>SF815 (Sen. Anderson – Buffalo) is the companion to HF665. It was approved and re-referred to the Judiciary committee.</li> <li>SF774 (Sen. Mitchell – Woodbury) would appropriate funding to Metro Meals on Wheels to provide home food delivery to metro area Veterans. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion.</li> <li>SF351 (Sen. Hauschild – Hermantown) would provide grant funding to Veterans on the Lake in Ely. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in an omnibus finance bill.</li> </ul> Each year legislative leadership establishes committee deadlines rather than cutting off when bills can be introduced. They are used to filter bills that won’t continue if they don’t meet criteria established by each deadline. The deadlines are as follows: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Friday, March 10 — Committees must act favorably on bills in the house of origin.</li> <li>Friday, March 24 — Committees must act favorably on bills, or companions of bills, that met the first deadline in the other body.</li> <li>Friday, April 4 — Committees must act favorably on major appropriation and finance bills.</li> </ul>5650462023-02-26T23:18:16ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307The work on Veterans legislation ramped up last week with four bills heard in committees. Also, MDVA presented to two committees. Even more bills will be heard this week. The House Veterans and Military Affairs met last Monday to hear budget presentations from MDVA and the Minnesota Department of Military Affairs.Additionally, the committee heard HF284. This bill is authored by Rep. Matt Norris of Blaine and would provide funding to the Helmets to Hard Hats program. This initiative connects Veterans and service members with construction careers. The bill was approved with an amendment for reporting guidelines and re-referred to the Labor and Industry committee.Legislative Update – February 6, 2023engState268309Legislative Update – February 6, 20232023-02-06-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-562959" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2023-02-06T13:30:00ZThe work on Veterans legislation ramped up last week with four bills heard in committees. Also, MDVA presented to two committees. Even more bills will be heard this week. The House Veterans and Military Affairs met last Monday to hear budget presentations from MDVA and the Minnesota Department of Military Affairs.Additionally, the committee heard HF284. This bill is authored by Rep. Matt Norris of Blaine and would provide funding to the Helmets to Hard Hats program. This initiative connects Veterans and service members with construction careers. The bill was approved with an amendment for reporting guidelines and re-referred to the Labor and Industry committee.1066The work on Veterans legislation ramped up last week with four bills heard in committees. Also, MDVA presented to two committees. Even more bills will be heard this week. The House Veterans and Military Affairs met last Monday to hear budget presentations from MDVA and the Minnesota Department of Military Affairs. Additionally, the committee heard HF284. This bill is authored by Rep. Matt Norris of Blaine and would provide funding to the Helmets to Hard Hats program. This initiative connects Veterans and service members with construction careers. The bill was approved with an amendment for reporting guidelines and re-referred to the Labor and Industry committee. Following MDVA’s presentation to the Veterans and Military Affairs committee, Commissioner Herke shared the agency’s bonding priorities with the Capital Investment committee. These requests include a rehabilitation of the Hastings Veterans Home and asset preservation for many infrastructure needs for MDVA facilities throughout the state, including renovation of Building 16 at the Minneapolis Veterans Home. On Wednesday, the House Human Services Policy committee heard HF732 by Rep. Kaohly Her of St. Paul. This bill would change current policy so that individuals with “unearned income” won’t be required to pay their entire benefit check besides a $121 personal allowance. These “unearned income” includes Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Retirement Survivors & Disability Insurance (RSDI), Veterans benefits or other similar benefits that could cause trouble in receiving housing support. The bill was approved by the committee and re-referred to Human Services Finance. The Senate Tax committee heard two Veterans related bills on Thursday. SF121 authored by Sen. Carla Nelson of Rochester would create a property tax exemption for properties owned by Congressionally Chartered Veterans Service Organizations like the VFW and American Legion. SF772 authored by Sen. Nicole Mitchell of Woodbury would amend the disabled Veterans homestead market value exclusion to increase the exclusions from $150,000 to $165,000 on the low end and from $300,000 to $330,000 for the maximum benefit. Both bills were laid over for possible inclusion in a tax bill. This week the House Veterans and Military Affairs committee will meet on Monday and hear six bills including two that increase the scope of the post-9/11 Veteran service bonus. More committees may hear other Veterans legislation as agendas are established.5629592023-02-05T16:53:07ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307The House Veterans and Military Affairs committee returned last week with a full agenda after a not meeting the week before. The members heard two bills and four presentations from Veterans groups. The first bill was HF122 authored by Rep. Heather Edelson of Edina. The bill provides money to Metro Meals on Wheels so Veterans can receive home-delivered meals. The second bill was HF311 authored by Rep. Dave Lislegard of Aurora. The bill provides funding to Veterans on the Lake in Ely to provide retreats for Veterans.Legislative Update – January 30, 2023engState268309Legislative Update – January 30, 20232023-01-30-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-561864" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2023-01-30T14:00:00ZThe House Veterans and Military Affairs committee returned last week with a full agenda after a not meeting the week before. The members heard two bills and four presentations from Veterans groups. The first bill was HF122 authored by Rep. Heather Edelson of Edina. The bill provides money to Metro Meals on Wheels so Veterans can receive home-delivered meals. The second bill was HF311 authored by Rep. Dave Lislegard of Aurora. The bill provides funding to Veterans on the Lake in Ely to provide retreats for Veterans.1066The House Veterans and Military Affairs committee returned last week with a full agenda after a not meeting the week before. The members heard two bills and four presentations from Veterans groups. The first bill was HF122 authored by Rep. Heather Edelson of Edina. The bill provides money to Metro Meals on Wheels so Veterans can receive home-delivered meals. The second bill was HF311 authored by Rep. Dave Lislegard of Aurora. The bill provides funding to Veterans on the Lake in Ely to provide retreats for Veterans. Both bills were laid over for possible inclusion in a Veterans and Military Affairs omnibus bill. The four groups to present to the committee included DAV-Minnesota, the American Legion, The Minnesota Association of County Veterans Service Officers and Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans. Next week, the committee will hear budget presentations from MDVA and the Department of Military Affairs. Additionally, there will be one bill on the agenda. On Thursday, the House Judiciary and Civil Law committee heard HF45 authored by Rep. Sandra Feist of New Brighton. A bill that would clean up pre-sentencing guidelines within the previously passed Veterans Restorative Justice Act. The committee approved the bill and sent it to the House floor. The Senate State and Local Government and Veterans committee did not hear any Veterans bills or presentations this week.5618642023-02-05T16:50:54ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307Due to the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday, the House Veterans and Military Affairs committee did not meet last week but returns on Jan. 23. When the House committee does meet it will hear two bills, HF122, and HF311. The agenda will also include presentations from Veterans Service Organizations involved with the Minnesota Commanders’ Task Force, like the American Legion, DAV and others. The committee meets weekly at 1:00 p.m. on Monday, the 23rd in Room 5 of the State Office Building.Legislative Update – January 23, 2023engState268309Legislative Update – January 23, 20232023-01-23-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-561151" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2023-01-23T14:00:00ZDue to the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday, the House Veterans and Military Affairs committee did not meet last week but returns on Jan. 23. When the House committee does meet it will hear two bills, HF122, and HF311. The agenda will also include presentations from Veterans Service Organizations involved with the Minnesota Commanders’ Task Force, like the American Legion, DAV and others. The committee meets weekly at 1:00 p.m. on Monday, the 23rd in Room 5 of the State Office Building.1066Due to the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday, the House Veterans and Military Affairs committee did not meet last week but returns on Jan. 23. When the House committee does meet it will hear two bills, HF122, and HF311. The agenda will also include presentations from Veterans Service Organizations involved with the Minnesota Commanders’ Task Force, like the American Legion, DAV and others. The committee meets weekly at 1:00 p.m. on Monday, the 23rd in Room 5 of the State Office Building. On Thursday night the Minnesota Veterans Home – Minneapolis hosted the Senate State and Local Government and Veterans committee for a field hearing. This meeting was used as a listening session to hear about issues facing our state’s Veterans. Testifiers included members of Veterans Service Organizations as well as those offering care and services to Veterans. The committee closed out the time at the home with a presentation for Senate confirmation from MDVA Commissioner Larry Herke. He described his work over the last four years and goals for the next four. After some questioning from members, he was recommended for confirmation unanimously. He is expected to receive a full vote from the Senate in the next few weeks. According to Chair Erin Murphy, the committee made history by holding the confirmation hearing by holding the hearing on location at a MDVA facility instead of a Senate hearing room. Finally, the <a href="https://mn.gov/mdva/news/legislative-updates/state-bill-tracker/" title="State Bill Tracker">state bill tracker</a> is up and running for this session. There are currently 13 Veterans related bills including the two that will be heard in the House Veterans committee next week.5611512023-02-05T16:50:54ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307The first full week of the legislative session for Veterans committees was used to have introductory meetings, but one Veterans related bill was moved. On Monday, the House Veterans and Military Affairs committee met for the first time. The agenda included member and staff introductions, as well as overviews from MDVA and the Department of Military Affairs.Legislative Update - January 16, 2023engState268309Legislative Update - January 16, 20232023-01-16-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-560194" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2023-01-16T15:00:00ZThe first full week of the legislative session for Veterans committees was used to have introductory meetings, but one Veterans related bill was moved. On Monday, the House Veterans and Military Affairs committee met for the first time. The agenda included member and staff introductions, as well as overviews from MDVA and the Department of Military Affairs.1066The first full week of the legislative session for Veterans committees was used to have introductory meetings, but one Veterans related bill was moved. On Monday, the House Veterans and Military Affairs committee met for the first time. The agenda included member and staff introductions, as well as overviews from MDVA and the Department of Military Affairs. Finally, the committee heard House File 45 authored by Rep. Sandra Feist (New Brighton). This bill clarifies issues that the judiciary has had with the Veterans Restorative Justice Act which was enacted in 2021. It amends current statute to allow courts to determine whether a Veteran is eligible for deferred prosecution before a guilty judgement has been made. This would allow former service members the opportunity to go through the Veterans court treatment process. The bill was approved by the committee and re-referred to Judiciary and Civil Law. On Tuesday, the Senate State and Local Government and Veterans committee met. Like the House committee, they heard staff and member introductions. There were also Senate staff overviews on committee jurisdiction and budget areas. Later in the week, the committee added two new members including former Veterans and Military Affairs committee chair Sen. Andrew Lang (Olivia). The other new member is Sen. Heather Gustafson (Vadnais Heights). The House Veterans and Military Affairs committee will not meet Monday Jan. 16 due to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday. The Senate committee will be holding a field hearing at the Minneapolis Veterans Home on Thursday evening.5601942023-02-05T16:50:54ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307On Tuesday, Jan. 3, the Minnesota Legislature began the 93rd biennium when members in the House of Representatives and the Senate took the oath of office. House terms are two years. Senators were sworn into a 4-year term, matching Governor Walz who took the oath for his second term on Monday. The Minnesota House has 134 members which includes 47 newly elected members. This more than doubles the previous biennium when 23 new members were elected. This can largely be contributed to newly drawn maps because of redistricting. Three returning members are included in that 47. The DFL holds the majority with 70 members and will be led by Speaker Melissa Hortman (Brooklyn Park) and Majority Leader Jamie Long (South Minneapolis). The GOP caucus will be led by Minority Leader Lisa Demuth (Cold Spring).Legislative Update - January 9, 2023engState268309Legislative Update - January 9, 20232023-01-09-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-558173" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2023-01-09T14:30:03ZOn Tuesday, Jan. 3, the Minnesota Legislature began the 93rd biennium when members in the House of Representatives and the Senate took the oath of office. House terms are two years. Senators were sworn into a 4-year term, matching Governor Walz who took the oath for his second term on Monday. The Minnesota House has 134 members which includes 47 newly elected members. This more than doubles the previous biennium when 23 new members were elected. This can largely be contributed to newly drawn maps because of redistricting. Three returning members are included in that 47. The DFL holds the majority with 70 members and will be led by Speaker Melissa Hortman (Brooklyn Park) and Majority Leader Jamie Long (South Minneapolis). The GOP caucus will be led by Minority Leader Lisa Demuth (Cold Spring).1066On Tuesday, Jan. 3, the Minnesota Legislature began the 93rd biennium when members in the House of Representatives and the Senate took the oath of office. House terms are two years. Senators were sworn into a 4-year term, matching Governor Walz who took the oath for his second term on Monday. The Minnesota House has 134 members which includes 47 newly elected members. This more than doubles the previous biennium when 23 new members were elected. This can largely be contributed to newly drawn maps because of redistricting. Three returning members are included in that 47. The DFL holds the majority with 70 members and will be led by Speaker Melissa Hortman (Brooklyn Park) and Majority Leader Jamie Long (South Minneapolis). The GOP caucus will be led by Minority Leader Lisa Demuth (Cold Spring). The 67 seat Minnesota Senate has 24 new members, 11 of which previously served in the House. The DFL also holds the majority, albeit slim with 34 members to the GOP’s 33. The Republicans had controlled the Senate since 2017. Majority Leader Kari Dziedzic (Northeast Minneapolis) will lead Senate Democrats and Minority Leader Mark Johnson (East Grand Forks) will lead the GOP caucus. This session, the House established the <a href="https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/Committees/Home/93027" title="house.leg.state" target="_blank">Veterans and Military Finance and Policy committee</a> and removed the Labor and Industry portion of the committee that had been in place last session. Rep. Jerry Newton of Coon Rapids will serve as the committee chair, previously he was the DFL minority lead on the Senate Veterans committee but has returned to the House. The GOP lead on the committee will be Rep. Matt Bliss of Pennington. The committee will meet weekly on Mondays from 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. in Room 5 of the State Office Building. The Veterans committee in the Senate is the <a href="https://www.senate.mn/committees/committee_bio.html?cmte_id=3131&ls=93" title="senate.mn" target="_blank">State and Local Government and Veterans committee</a>. It will be chaired by Sen. Erin Murphy of St. Paul. The GOP lead will be former Veterans committee chair Sen. Bruce Anderson of Buffalo. The Vice Chair of the committee will be Sen. Nicole Mitchell of Woodbury. She is the first women Veteran to serve in the state Senate since 2012. The committee will meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:30 – 2:30p.m. in Room 1200 of the Minnesota Senate Building. The Minnesota Legislature will be in session until the constitutional adjournment date of May 22, 2023.5581732023-02-05T16:50:54ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307On Tuesday morning, Governor Walz signed SF 4233, the Veterans and Military Affairs omnibus finance bill into law. Most of the provisions will take effect at the start of the new state fiscal year on July 1. Legislative Update – May 13, 2022engLegislative Update – May 13, 20222022-05-13-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-528063" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2022-05-13T16:00:00ZOn Tuesday morning, Governor Walz signed SF 4233, the Veterans and Military Affairs omnibus finance bill into law. Most of the provisions will take effect at the start of the new state fiscal year on July 1. 1066On Tuesday morning, Governor Walz signed SF 4233, the Veterans and Military Affairs omnibus finance bill into law. Most of the provisions will take effect at the start of the new state fiscal year on July 1. There are still several Veterans related issues left to be resolved before May 23 that weren’t included in SF 4233. The largest item is a potential Capital Investment bill to pay for infrastructure needs, including the campus upgrade at the Minnesota Veterans Home – Hastings, which has many buildings that need to be completely renovated. Funding is also needed at the other Veterans homes around the state, as well as the state Veterans cemeteries. The House tax bill contains two Veterans related pieces. The first changes the disabled Veterans’ exclusion application window for spouses of Veterans who died due to service-connected cause, allowing applications within two years of the service member’s death, within two years of the spouse receiving a Dependency and Indemnity Compensation determination, or by Dec. 31, 2023, whichever is later. Any surviving spouse whose application under this provision was previously denied may reapply. This provision also provides this same extension of the application window for spouses of Veterans who would have been eligible for the exclusion amount to Veterans with a 100% total and permanent disability but died (from any cause) before applying for the exclusion. Any surviving spouse whose application under this provision was previously denied may reapply. The second provision expands the subtraction for individuals who receive military pensions by allowing a portion of the pension income received through a federal civilian pension if calculation of the pension includes a credit for military service. Civilian federal employees who served in the armed forces may elect to receive “service credit” to their civilian pensions for their military service. To receive a service credit, most individuals must waive their military retirement pay and pay a military service credit deposit based on a percentage of their military base pay. Recipients typically opt to do this to increase their federal civilian pensions. The provision would allow individuals receiving a civilian pension through the Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) or the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) to subtract the percentage share of their federal pension that was earned by converting a military pension into service credit for a civilian pension. The bill requires the taxpayer to calculate their “military service ratio,” which equals the years of service for the taxpayer’s federal pension that were credited for military service, divided by the taxpayer’s total years of service. The subtraction equals the “military service ratio,” multiplied by the amount of FERS or CSRS pension received in the taxable year. The Senate State Government, Transportation and Elections omnibus bill contains language that authorizes a new Air Medal special license plates and modifies language for those applying for a Veteran drivers license. All of these remaining issues will be negotiated in conference committees or among leaders of the House and Senate.5280632022-05-13T16:02:28ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307The calls from Veterans Day on the Hill on were heard in the halls of the State Capitol. For the first time in this modern era of legislating, a Veterans and Military Affairs omnibus bill was passed overwhelmingly by the Minnesota House and Senate. 16 days after the rally in the rotunda on April 20, the bill heads to the Governor’s office for a signature.Legislative Update – May 6, 2022engLegislative Update – May 6, 20222022-05-06-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-527561" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2022-05-06T18:00:00ZThe calls from Veterans Day on the Hill on were heard in the halls of the State Capitol. For the first time in this modern era of legislating, a Veterans and Military Affairs omnibus bill was passed overwhelmingly by the Minnesota House and Senate. 16 days after the rally in the rotunda on April 20, the bill heads to the Governor’s office for a signature.1066The calls from Veterans Day on the Hill on were heard in the halls of the State Capitol. For the first time in this modern era of legislating, a Veterans and Military Affairs omnibus bill was passed overwhelmingly by the Minnesota House and Senate. 16 days after the rally in the rotunda on April 20, the bill heads to the Governor’s office for a signature. The move towards this bill becoming a reality started on the morning of May 5 when the Senate Finance Committee met with SF 4233 on the agenda. This bill is authored by Sen. Andrew Lang, chair of the Senate Veterans and Military Affairs committee. He amended the bill to include language that was agreed upon with Rep. Rob Ecklund, chair of the House Labor, Industry, Veterans and Military Affairs committee. They both had support from the ranking members of their committees Sen. Jerry Newton and Rep. Bob Dettmer. After the amendment was adopted, the committee passed the bill to the Senate floor. Later that afternoon the Senate brought up SF 4233 for a vote. After discussion, the bill was passed unanimously. The next day the House received the bill from the Senate and took it up for a vote. It passed with a vote of 122-1. SF 4233 will be sent to Governor Walz where he will sign it into law. The bill contains the following Veterans related sections- <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>A bonus program for Minnesota Veterans that served in Post 9/11 conflicts. Gold Star Families are also included in the program.</li> <li>Funds for the new Veterans homes in Bemidji, Montevideo, and Preston. These funds can be used for furniture, fixtures, and equipment. The funding also helps cover the cost of amenities that were scaled back to rising construction costs.</li> <li>Funds to operate the new Minnesota Veterans Cemetery – Redwood Falls. The cemetery is expected to begin operation later this year.</li> <li>Increased grant funding for County Veterans Service Officers. The grant was changed to allow a competitive grant program for counties to provide new and innovative programs and services to Veterans and their families.</li> <li>Increased grant funding for congressionally chartered Veterans Service Organizations.</li> <li>Funding was provided to support the construction of a Fisher House at the VA Medical Center in Fargo, ND. Fisher Houses are similar to Ronald McDonald Houses.</li> <li>The Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans (MACV) also received new funding for their work to end Veterans Homelessness.</li> <li>Funds a grant to upgrade wastewater infrastructure at the Veterans Campground on Big Marine Lake.</li> <li>Other initiatives to end Veterans Homelessness was funded including increase engagement and outreach activities, temporary housing options and support for landlord engagement.</li> </ul> The Military Affairs sections include a grant to the Minnesota Navy League to support the commissioning of the USS Minneapolis-St. Paul and funding for the Minnesota National Guards enlistment incentives program. The legislature still has 16 days to pass bills before the constitutionally mandated adjournment date of May 23. More Veterans related initiatives could be passed, but the bulk of the progress was made this week.5275612022-05-09T18:34:02ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307The Minnesota House advanced two bills containing Veterans related policy this week. The Senate did not. With the conclusion of this week, there are only three full weeks left in this year’s legislative session. Legislative Update – April 29, 2022engState268309Legislative Update – April 29, 20222022-04-29-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-526726" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2022-04-29T14:30:00ZThe Minnesota House advanced two bills containing Veterans related policy this week. The Senate did not. With the conclusion of this week, there are only three full weeks left in this year’s legislative session. 1066The Minnesota House advanced two bills containing Veterans related policy this week. The Senate did not. With the conclusion of this week, there are only three full weeks left in this year’s legislative session. On Tuesday, the House of Representatives approved <a href="https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=House&f=HF4293&ssn=0&y=2021" title="HF 4293" target="_blank">HF 4293 with a vote of 70-63</a>. This is the Omnibus State Government, Transportation, Veterans and Military Affairs supplemental budget bill authored by Rep. Michael Nelson of Brooklyn Park. There were no amendments added that changed the Veterans provisions that have been mentioned in previous updates. While the Senate did not bring up the companion to this bill for a vote, it is expected to on Monday, May 2. After passage, the House and Senate will be able to appoint conference committee members to work out the differences of the two bills. On Wednesday, the Omnibus Tax bill was unveiled in the House Ways and Means committee. The bill contains the language of two Veterans related tax bills HFs 2865 and 2091. HF 2865 was authored by Rep. Bob Dettmer and it changes the disabled Veterans’ exclusion application window for spouses of Veterans who died due to service-connected cause, allowing applications within two years of the service member’s death, within two years of the spouse receiving a Dependency and Indemnity Compensation determination, or by Dec. 31, 2023, whichever is later. Any surviving spouse whose application under this provision was previously denied may reapply. This provision also provides this same extension of the application window for spouses of Veterans who would have been eligible for the exclusion amount to Veterans with a 100% total and permanent disability, but died (from any cause) before applying for the exclusion. Any surviving spouse whose application under this provision was previously denied may reapply. HF 2091 was authored by Rep. Mike Sundin of Esko. This provision expands the subtraction for individuals who receive military pensions by allowing a portion of the pension income received through a federal civilian pension, if calculation of the pension includes a credit for military service. Civilian federal employees who served in the armed forces may elect to receive “service credit” to their civilian pensions for their military service. To receive a service credit, most individuals must waive their military retirement pay and pay a military service credit deposit based on a percentage of their military base pay. Recipients typically opt to do this to increase their federal civilian pensions. The provision would allow individuals receiving a civilian pension through the Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) or the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) to subtract the percentage share of their federal pension that was earned by converting a military pension into service credit for a civilian pension. The bill requires the taxpayer to calculate their “military service ratio,” which equals the years of service for the taxpayer’s federal pension that were credited for military service, divided by the taxpayer’s total years of service. The subtraction equals the “military service ratio,” multiplied by the amount of FERS or CSRS pension received in the taxable year. These provisions and the rest of the Omnibus Tax bill were approved by the House Ways and Means committee. A vote by the full House of Representatives is expected on Monday, May 6. The Senate tax bill did not include Veterans provisions.5267262022-05-04T15:11:52ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307State268309The legislature returned from Easter and Passover break this week. The House started passing supplemental finance bills to the floor, while the Senate started that process before taking time off.Legislative Update – April 22, 2022engLegislative Update – April 22, 20222022-04-22-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-526724" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2022-04-22T14:30:00ZThe legislature returned from Easter and Passover break this week. The House started passing supplemental finance bills to the floor, while the Senate started that process before taking time off.1066The legislature returned from Easter and Passover break this week. The House started passing supplemental finance bills to the floor, while the Senate started that process before taking time off. The Senate finance committee met on April 7 to combine the transportation, state government and Veterans and Military Affairs bill into one omnibus bill. The bill included funding for the new State Veterans Homes in Bemidji, Montevideo, and Preston. It also authorizes a new Air Medal special license plates and modifies language for those applying for a Veteran drivers license. On Wednesday, the House Ways and Means committee met to combine the content from finance bills for state government, Veterans and Military affairs, transportation, and pensions into one omnibus bill. The Veterans portion still includes the items that were mentioned in last week’s update. Next week, both bodies will begin to pass finance bills so that the two chambers can work out differences in conference committees.5267242022-05-04T15:11:52ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307State268309On April 20, Veterans and their families flocked to the State Capitol for a rally supporting the shared initiatives of the Commanders’ Task Force CTF, Minnesota Association of County Veterans Service Officers (MACVSO) and the United Veterans Legislative Council (UVLC). Representatives from those groups and elected officials addressed the crowd inside the Capitol Rotunda. Legislative Update – Veterans Day on the HillengLegislative Update – Veterans Day on the Hill2022-04-20-vets-day-on-the-hill<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-526725" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2022-04-21T15:00:00ZOn April 20, Veterans and their families flocked to the State Capitol for a rally supporting the shared initiatives of the Commanders’ Task Force CTF, Minnesota Association of County Veterans Service Officers (MACVSO) and the United Veterans Legislative Council (UVLC). Representatives from those groups and elected officials addressed the crowd inside the Capitol Rotunda.1066On April 20, Veterans and their families flocked to the State Capitol for a rally supporting the shared initiatives of the Commanders’ Task Force CTF, Minnesota Association of County Veterans Service Officers (MACVSO) and the United Veterans Legislative Council (UVLC). Representatives from those groups and elected officials addressed the crowd inside the Capitol Rotunda. The rally started with Trent Dilks, legislative director of the DAV-Minnesota who set the tone for the hour with his call for a Veterans omnibus bill. He doesn’t want to see Veterans issues getting bogged down by partisan fighting. After him, nearly every speaker mentioned the desire for an omnibus bill this year. Elected officials that spoke to the crowd included Governor Tim Walz. The chairs of the House and Senate Veterans committees, Sen. Andrew Lang and Rep. Rob Ecklund. The last elected official to speak was Rep. Bob Dettmer who has been a constant presence at these rallies and will be retiring from the legislature at the end of his term. Speakers from the Veterans organizations involved were DAV-Minnesota Commander Ron Haugen, who also served as the rally’s master of ceremonies. Marty Howes and Greg Peterson, the current and past presidents of MACVSO. Neal Loidolt, the CEO of the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans, represented UVLC and made a plea to the crowd and the legislature to provide funding to continue the work to end Veterans homelessness in the state. Before heading up to the Capitol, DAV-Minnesota hosted a pre-rally lunch at the St. Paul Armory. <img src="/mdva/assets/2022-04-20--vets-day-on-the-hill-pic1_tcm1066-527091.png" title="Vets Day on the Hill" alt="Vets Day on the Hill" style="vertical-align: bottom; width: 100%; height: auto; margin: 5px;" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:title="2022-04-20--vets-day-on-the-hill-pic1" />5267252022-05-04T15:11:52ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307The week of the third deadline shared the difference in spending philosophies between the Senate and the House for Veterans issues. Each chamber introduced their own version of Veterans and Military Affairs omnibus bills in committees. Legislative Update – April 8, 2022engState268309Legislative Update – April 8, 20222022-04-08-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-524740" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2022-04-08T16:04:15ZThe week of the third deadline shared the difference in spending philosophies between the Senate and the House for Veterans issues. Each chamber introduced their own version of Veterans and Military Affairs omnibus bills in committees. 1066The week of the third deadline shared the difference in spending philosophies between the Senate and the House for Veterans issues. Each chamber introduced their own version of Veterans and Military Affairs omnibus bills in committees. On Wednesday morning, the Senate Finance committee heard SF 3875 authored by Veterans and Military Affairs committee chair Sen. Andrew Lang. He amended the bill to provide supplemental funding to the new Veterans homes in Bemidji, Montevideo, and Preston. The funding would be used for furnishing and equipment needs of the homes. The bill also provides funding for the Minnesota National Guards’ enlistment and reenlistment bonuses. Later in the afternoon, the House Labor, Industry, Veterans and Military Affairs committee unanimously approved an omnibus bill that provides more Veterans funding than the Senate version. The following funding items were included in the House version- <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Service bonus to Minnesota’s post-9/11 Veterans (HF 4365)</li> <li>Increase grants to Veterans Service Organizations (HF 4335)</li> <li>Fargo VA Medical Center Fisher House construction (HF 4311)</li> <li>Redwood Falls State Veterans Cemetery operation funding (HF 4334)</li> <li>Changes to County Veterans Service Officer grants (HF 4333)</li> <li>Tenancy supports and landlord engagement activities for homeless Veterans (HF 4337)</li> <li>Low-barrier, permanent supportive housing for Veterans (HF 4324)</li> <li>Increased engagement and outreach activities; support temporary housing options (HF 4358)</li> <li>Metro Meals on Wheels Veterans program funding (HF 3036)</li> <li>Veterans Suicide Prevention Initiative</li> </ul> The House version does not provide the supplemental funding for the new Veterans homes. That will likely be included in a Capital Investment bill that funds infrastructure needs. The legislature now takes some time off for the Easter and Passover break and will return on Monday, April 18. When legislators return, they will have a month and five days to find compromises and finish work before the constitutional deadline of May 23.5247402022-05-04T16:04:31ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307The week of the second legislative deadline brought less activity than last week for Veterans bills as only four were heard in committees. With the action of the last two weeks, it brings into focus what has the best chances of being enacted into law at the end of session. On Tuesday morning the House Capital Investment committee heard HF 3656 authored by Rep. Tony Jurgens of Hastings. This bill would provide funding to the Hastings Veterans Home for campus improvements. This was an informational only hearing, but the bill could be included as part of an omnibus Capital Investment bill.Legislative Update - April 1, 2022engLegislative Update - April 1, 20222022-04-01-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-523771" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2022-04-01T21:00:00ZThe week of the second legislative deadline brought less activity than last week for Veterans bills as only four were heard in committees. With the action of the last two weeks, it brings into focus what has the best chances of being enacted into law at the end of session. On Tuesday morning the House Capital Investment committee heard HF 3656 authored by Rep. Tony Jurgens of Hastings. This bill would provide funding to the Hastings Veterans Home for campus improvements. This was an informational only hearing, but the bill could be included as part of an omnibus Capital Investment bill.1066The week of the second legislative deadline brought less activity than last week for Veterans bills as only four were heard in committees. With the action of the last two weeks, it brings into focus what has the best chances of being enacted into law at the end of session. On Tuesday morning the House Capital Investment committee heard HF 3656 authored by Rep. Tony Jurgens of Hastings. This bill would provide funding to the Hastings Veterans Home for campus improvements. This was an informational only hearing, but the bill could be included as part of an omnibus Capital Investment bill. Later in the day, the House Labor, Industry, Veterans and Military Affairs committee heard HF 4311. Rep. Heather Keeler of Moorhead is the author. The bill would appropriate funds to the Fisher House Foundation to build a Fisher House near the Fargo VA Medical Center. Fisher Houses provide temporary accommodations to families and caregivers of Veterans receiving care at no charge. A Fisher House currently provides services at the Minneapolis VA Medical Canter and at other VA hospitals around the country. On Wednesday, the Senate Property Taxes subcommittee heard SF 4021. Sen. Jeff Howe of Rockville is the author. The bill would modify the spousal benefit for the disabled Veterans homestead market exclusion. The bill was laid over, with an amendment for possible inclusion in a tax bill. Finally, the Senate Veterans and Military Affairs committee heard SF 4103. Sen. Jerry Newton of Coon Rapids is the author. The bill would increase the benefit amount for totally and permanently disable Veterans who receive the disabled Veterans homestead market exclusion. The committee approved the bill and re-referred it to the Senate Committee on Taxes. This was the last planned meeting for this committee during this session. Next week the House will unveil its Veterans and Military Affairs omnibus bill. It will receive a hearing on Wednesday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. in the Labor, Industry, Veterans and Military Affairs committee. The Senate has said they will not have their own version.5237712022-04-04T15:37:54ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307The week of the first legislative deadline tends to bring a flurry of activity, this week was no exception. 12 Veterans related bills moved throughout the legislative process, the most this year. One bill was even passed unanimously off the House floor. Legislative Update - March 25, 2022engLegislative Update - March 25, 20222022-03-25-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-523069" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2022-03-25T21:00:00ZThe week of the first legislative deadline tends to bring a flurry of activity, this week was no exception. 12 Veterans related bills moved throughout the legislative process, the most this year. One bill was even passed unanimously off the House floor. 1066The week of the first legislative deadline tends to bring a flurry of activity, this week was no exception. 12 Veterans related bills moved throughout the legislative process, the most this year. One bill was even passed unanimously off the House floor. On Monday, the Minnesota House voted 132-0 on HF 3001 authored by Rep. Bob Dettmer (Forest Lake). This bill permits Veterans to file their discharge papers with the county recorder, regardless of their branch of service. Previously, only the Army, Nav and Marine Corps certificates were accepted when the statute was first written in 1919. The companion to this bill awaits a vote by the full state Senate. The House Tax committee heard Rep. Mike Sundin’s (Esko) HF 2091 on Tuesday. The bill allows Veterans receiving a civilian pension through the Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) or the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) to subtract the percentage share of their federal pension that was earned by converting a military pension into service credit for a civilian pension. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in an omnibus tax bill. Also on Tuesday, the House Labor, Industry, Veterans and Military Affairs committee met and heard four bills. These bills were also all laid over for possible inclusion in an omnibus Veterans and Military Affairs bill. HF 4365 is authored by Rep. Julie Sandstede (Hibbing). The bill modifies statute to add definitions of which Veterans are eligible for a bonus program and appropriates money to fund such a program for Veterans of the post-9/11 conflicts. HF 4337 is authored by Rep. Kaela Berg (Burnsville). The bill appropriates funds for MDVA’s homes for Veterans program, provides incentives for landlords to help homeless Veterans and remove barriers to permanent housing for homeless Veterans. HF 4324 is authored by committee chairman Rob Ecklund (International Falls). It provides money to the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans (MACV) to provide housing and other support for Veterans and formers service members and their families. HF 4358 is also authored by Chair Ecklund. The bill funds temporary housing options to homeless Veterans and allows the agency to increase outreach activities to end Veteran homelessness. The committee met again on Wednesday and heard three Veterans bills. These bills were also all laid over for possible inclusion in an omnibus Veterans and Military Affairs bill. HF 4333 is authored by Vice Chair Tou Xiong (Maplewood). It increases the funding for the County Veterans Service Officer grant that MDVA administers. It also expands the purposes for which unexpended funds can be used to better serve Veterans and their families. HF 4334 is authored by Rep. Luke Frederick (Mankato). The bill appropriates money to MDVA for operations of state Veterans cemeteries with the expectation that the Redwood County State Veterans Cemetery will be opening within the next year. HF 4335 is authored by Rep. Heather Edelson (Edina). The bill increases the grant for congressionally chartered Veterans Services Organizations. The Senate Veterans committee met on Thursday morning and heard three Veterans bills. SF 4181 is authored by Majority Leader Jeremy Miller (Winona). It provides funding to the three new Veterans homes in Bemidji, Montevideo, and Preston. The funds can be utilized for furniture, fixtures, and equipment at all three homes. The bill was approved by the committee and re-referred to the Finance committee. SF 2933 is authored by Minority Leader Melisa López Franzen (Edina). The bill appropriates funds to Metro Meals on Wheels and would provide home-delivered meals to Veterans. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in a Veterans and Military Affairs omnibus. SF 3875 is authored by committee chair Andrew Lang. Like SF 4181, this bill provides funding to the new Veterans homes. The bill was approved and sent to the Finance committee. Next week is the second legislative deadline with more bills expected to be heard in House and Senate committees.5230692022-03-28T15:33:02ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307The February budget forecast was unveiled on Monday and showed that the state had a $9.3 billion surplus, an increase from November. The legislature and governor will now have to work together to decide how to use that money, if at all. An agreement isn’t necessary because the state budget was enacted last June.Legislative Update - March 4, 2022engState268309Legislative Update - March 4, 20222022-03-04-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-520753" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2022-03-04T22:01:27ZThe February budget forecast was unveiled on Monday and showed that the state had a $9.3 billion surplus, an increase from November. The legislature and governor will now have to work together to decide how to use that money, if at all. An agreement isn’t necessary because the state budget was enacted last June.1066The February budget forecast was unveiled on Monday and showed that the state had a $9.3 billion surplus, an increase from November. The legislature and governor will now have to work together to decide how to use that money, if at all. An agreement isn’t necessary because the state budget was enacted last June. On the Veterans legislation front, there were four bills heard on Wednesday in two committees. <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>HF 3657 is authored by Rep. Tony Jurgens of Hastings. It would provide funding for improvements and renovations to the Veterans Home in Hastings. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in an omnibus Veterans and Military Affairs bill.</li> <li>HF 2966 is authored by Rep. Jon Koznick of Lakeville. The bill modifies eligibility and documentation requirements for a “Veteran” designation on a drivers’ license or Minnesota ID cards. Under current law, a former service member must have served at least 181 consecutive days on active duty in order to add the Veteran designation. This bill would allow National Guard or Reservists to obtain the designation if the person retired and met the requirements for retirements under their service.</li> <li>HF 2865 is authored by Rep. Bob Dettmer of Forest Lake and HF 3066 is authored by Rep. Dave Lislegard of Aurora. The first part of each bill would change the disabled Veterans’ exclusion application window for spouses of Veterans who died due to a service-connected cause, allowing applications within two years of the service member’s death, within two years of the spouse receiving a Dependency and Indemnity Compensation determination, or by December 31, 2023, whichever is later. The bills would also allow surviving spouses that were previously denied the opportunity to reapply. Rep. Dettmer’s bill would go one step further by providing the same extension to spouses who would have been eligible for the exclusion about but died before applying for the exclusion. Both bills were laid over for possible inclusion in an omnibus tax bill.</li> </ul> The Senate Veterans and Military Affairs committee met the next day and hosted MDVA for a <a href="https://youtu.be/Xx1Rbjv_T1g?t=79" title="YouTube" target="_blank">briefing regarding supplemental budget items</a>. MDVA will provide a similar presentation to the House Labor, Industry, Veterans and Military Affairs committee on Wednesday, March 9 at 3 p.m. The supplemental budget items that MDVA is pursuing this session is as follows- <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Service bonus to Minnesota’s post-9/11 Veterans</li> <li>Increase grants to Veterans Service Organizations</li> <li>Fargo VA Medical Center Fisher House construction</li> <li>Redwood Falls State Veterans Cemetery operation funding</li> <li>Changes to County Veterans Service Officer grants</li> <li>Tenancy supports and landlord engagement activities for homeless Veterans</li> <li>Low-barrier, permanent supportive housing for Veterans</li> <li>Increased engagement and outreach activities; support temporary housing options</li> </ul>5207532022-03-07T22:03:11ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307Movement took place this week after no Veterans bills were heard in committee last week. Three bills received hearings this week and so far, three will be heard next week.Legislative Update - February 25, 2022engState268309Legislative Update - February 25, 20222022-02-25-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-519810" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2022-02-25T22:00:00ZMovement took place this week after no Veterans bills were heard in committee last week. Three bills received hearings this week and so far, three will be heard next week.1066Movement took place this week after no Veterans bills were heard in committee last week. Three bills received hearings this week and so far, three will be heard next week. The House Transportation committee approved HF 2966, authored by Rep. Jon Koznick of Lakeville. This bill would amend the eligibility for Veterans designation on drivers’ license or other forms of state ID. After approval, the bill was re-referred to the Labor, Industry, Veterans and Military Affairs committee. Two bills were heard in the Senate Veterans and Military Affairs committee. Sen. Bruce Anderson’s (Buffalo Township) SF 2925 amends the county recorder chapter of law, specifically the section of law that waives the recording fee of certificates of discharge from the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps. The bill amends the law to include all armed forces branches of the United States. The bill was approved and sent to the Senate floor. SF 1003 is authored by Sen. Jeff Howe of Rockville. It would establish a special Air Medal Veterans license plate. The committee approved the bill and re-referred it to the Transportation committee. The House Labor, Industry, Veterans and Military Affairs committee will hold a hearing for HF 3657 on Wednesday. This bill provides funding to renovate the campus of the Minnesota Veterans Home in Hastings. The House Property Tax committee will also meet on Wednesday, March 2. HFs 2865 and 3066 will be heard. Both make modifications to the disabled Veterans homestead market value exclusion. The Senate Veterans and Military Affairs committee will meet on Thursday. The agenda hasn’t been posted as of the afternoon of Feb. 25, but MDVA is expected to brief the committee on its supplemental budget items.5198102022-02-25T22:05:22ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307It was a quiet week for Veterans related work at the legislature as no bills moved in committees and only a few bills were introduced. The House Capital Investment committee did hear a presentation from MDVA regarding bonding requests for this year. Those requests include funding to aid the cost increases for construction of the new Veterans homes in Bemidji, Montevideo and Preston; an upgrade to the campus at the Hastings Veterans home and funding for asset preservation to repair agency infrastructure throughout the state.Legislative Update - February 18, 2022engState268309Legislative Update - February 18, 20222022-02-18-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-519148" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2022-02-18T20:00:00ZIt was a quiet week for Veterans related work at the legislature as no bills moved in committees and only a few bills were introduced. The House Capital Investment committee did hear a presentation from MDVA regarding bonding requests for this year. Those requests include funding to aid the cost increases for construction of the new Veterans homes in Bemidji, Montevideo and Preston; an upgrade to the campus at the Hastings Veterans home and funding for asset preservation to repair agency infrastructure throughout the state.1066It was a quiet week for Veterans related work at the legislature as no bills moved in committees and only a few bills were introduced. The House Capital Investment committee did hear a presentation from MDVA regarding bonding requests for this year. Those requests include funding to aid the cost increases for construction of the new Veterans homes in Bemidji, Montevideo and Preston; an upgrade to the campus at the Hastings Veterans home and funding for asset preservation to repair agency infrastructure throughout the state. Despite the lack of work on Veterans issues this week, the pace will pick up soon when the February budget forecast is released, ironically, in the first week of March. After that the legislature will have three full weeks until the first committee deadline on Friday, March 25. Bills must receive favorable votes in a committee before then, otherwise they will be eliminated from consideration during this year’s session. The final two deadlines are April 1 and 8. After the third committee deadline, the legislature will take time off for Easter and Passover. They will return on Tuesday, April 19. That gives the legislature a little over a month to complete its work before adjournment on Monday, May 23.5191482022-02-18T21:17:34ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307The legislative gears began turning through the second week of the 2022 session with both the House and Senate Veterans Affairs committees meeting and Veterans related legislation beginning to move through the process.Legislative Update - February 11, 2022engState268309Legislative Update - February 11, 20222022-02-11-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-518662" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2022-02-11T20:00:00ZThe legislative gears began turning through the second week of the 2022 session with both the House and Senate Veterans Affairs committees meeting and Veterans related legislation beginning to move through the process.1066The legislative gears began turning through the second week of the 2022 session with both the House and Senate Veterans Affairs committees meeting and Veterans related legislation beginning to move through the process. On Wednesday, the House Labor, Industry, Veterans and Military Affairs committee heard four bills related to Veterans. <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>HF 2561 is authored by Rep. Greg Davids of Preston and would provide additional funding to the Minnesota Veterans Home – Preston that is currently under construction. The money would be used to provide upgrades and enhancements. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in an omnibus supplemental budget bill for the committee.</li> <li>Rep. Bob Dettmer of Forest Lake authored HF 3001. This would allow residents with prior military service—regardless of the branch of service—to file their discharge papers with the county recorder. Current law only cites discharge papers from the Army, Navy and Marine Corps. The bill was unanimously approved and re-referred to the State Government Finance and Elections committee.</li> <li>HF 3036 is authored by Rep. Heather Edelson and would provide grant funding to Metro Meals on Wheels to provide meals to Veterans throughout the Twin Cities. This bill was also laid over for possible inclusion in a budget bill.</li> <li>HF 1123 would establish a license plate for Air Medal recipients. The bill is authored by Rep. Laurie Pryor of Minnetonka. There was no action taken on the bill as it was an informational bill hearing and awaits action in the House Transportation committee.</li> </ul> <a href="https://youtu.be/1n8io7_-c04?t=401" target="_blank">The Senate Veterans and Military Affairs committee heard a presentation from MDVA</a>. Like last week in the House committee, the first part of the presentation focused on the agency’s Veterans suicide prevention and awareness activities after the legislature provided funding last year. The second part was a presentation from the Health Care division about its reserve fund and a report about staffing the Minnesota Veterans Homes. Next week, MDVA will be presenting to the House Capital Investment committee about its infrastructure funding needs.5186622022-02-14T17:32:42ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307The Minnesota Legislature began its 2022 session on Monday, Jan. 31, the second year of the 92nd legislative session. Traditionally, the second year of a legislative biennium is dedicated to crafting and passing a capital investment bill to pay for infrastructure needs around the state. It is sometimes referred to as a bonding bill because it uses bonds to borrow money to pay for the infrastructure.Legislative Update - February 2, 2022engLegislative Update - February 2, 20222022-02-04-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-517503" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2022-02-02T18:00:00ZThe Minnesota Legislature began its 2022 session on Monday, Jan. 31, the second year of the 92nd legislative session. Traditionally, the second year of a legislative biennium is dedicated to crafting and passing a capital investment bill to pay for infrastructure needs around the state. It is sometimes referred to as a bonding bill because it uses bonds to borrow money to pay for the infrastructure.1066The Minnesota Legislature began its 2022 session on Monday, Jan. 31, the second year of the 92nd legislative session. Traditionally, the second year of a legislative biennium is dedicated to crafting and passing a capital investment bill to pay for infrastructure needs around the state. It is sometimes referred to as a bonding bill because it uses bonds to borrow money to pay for the infrastructure. There is also a significant budget surplus that could lead to the passage of a supplemental budget, but that is not required. A supplemental budget could include tax cuts, funding of new programs, using cash to pay for infrastructure needs and many other proposals. No Veterans related bills were heard in committees, but many were introduced. Those bills are available to see on the <a href="/mdva/news/legislative-updates/state-bill-tracker/index.jsp" title="State Bill Tracker" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:title="010-State-Bill-Tracker-Intro">state bill tracker</a>. On Wednesday, the <a href="https://https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=1315&v=g3gmWbTW18I&feature=youtu.be" title="House Labor, Industry, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee" target="_blank">House Labor, Industry, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee</a> heard presentations from the Departments of Labor and Industry, Military Affairs and Veterans Affairs. MDVA provided an update on the suicide prevention office that was funded by the legislature last year. Next week, the same committee will hear four Veterans related bills including House Files 2561, 1123, 3001 and 3036. This hearing will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 9 at 3:00 p.m. and is accessible on the MN House YouTube channel. The Senate Veterans and Military Affairs Committee will hold its first hearing of 2022. MDVA will be on hand to provide an update.5175032026-05-08T15:59:22ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307The Minnesota Legislature finalized its budget work on Wednesday, June 30 after 16 days of special session, in addition to regular session spanning over four months. The governor then signed each budget bill avoiding a July 1 government shutdown. The Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) received its funding in Special Session Senate File (SSSF 2), the State Government Finance and Policy bill.2021 State Legislative Wrap-UpengState268309Appropriations and Programming268320Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate2706212021 State Legislative Wrap-Up2021-07-01-legislative-wrap-up<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-497385" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2021-07-01T17:00:00ZThe Minnesota Legislature finalized its budget work on Wednesday, June 30 after 16 days of special session, in addition to regular session spanning over four months. The governor then signed each budget bill avoiding a July 1 government shutdown. The Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) received its funding in Special Session Senate File (SSSF 2), the State Government Finance and Policy bill.1066The Minnesota Legislature finalized its budget work on Wednesday, June 30 after 16 days of special session, in addition to regular session spanning over four months. The governor then signed each budget bill avoiding a July 1 government shutdown. The Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) received its funding in Special Session Senate File (SSSF 2), the State Government Finance and Policy bill. Both divisions of MDVA (Veterans Homes and Programs and Services) were fully funded. There was also money to for two new priorities within the agency, including the Veterans Suicide Prevention Office and a remembrance for the 20th anniversary of the attacks of September 11. The unit tasked with preventing and ending Veterans homelessness in Minnesota also received more funding to combat this issue. The three new Veterans homes in Bemidji, Montevideo and Preston received funding to staff each home with construction slated to begin in the coming weeks. Finally, the legislature funded a state match with the federal government to build a new Veterans cemetery in Redwood County. This is the last planned Veterans cemetery in the state that would ensure Veterans have a cemetery within 75 miles no matter where they live. There were a handful of MDVA policy items in SSSF 2, which needed no funding for enactment. The items include: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Technical changes to the Minnesota GI Bill</li> <li>Authorizing MDVA to provide adult day care services</li> <li>Authorizing MDVA to provide dental services to residents of Minnesota Veterans Homes</li> <li>Adding MDVA to the list of exempted agencies who can contract with external publicity representatives</li> <li>Authorizing MDVA to establish a Veterans stable housing initiative for homeless Veterans. Allowing private data on individuals maintained in the Homeless Veteran Registry to be shared with members of the Minnesota Interagency Council on Homelessness and Homeless Veteran Registry partners to expedite the coordination of homeless efforts.</li> <li>Adding “Prevention and” to Veterans Suicide Prevention and Awareness Day, which is observed on the first Saturday in October.</li> <li>Allowed MDVA to accept funding from the federal government to build the previously mentioned new Veterans homes.</li> </ul> Another policy item that was included in the State Government Finance bill was the Veterans Restorative Justice Act. This establishes a diversion sentencing option for Veterans that meet certain service-connected conditions. Veterans must prove that the condition lead them to commit the charged crime. This has been a priority of Veterans groups since 2017 with a bill first receiving introduction in 2019. Other funding items were included in bills separate from SSSF 2. In the Jobs Finance bill, Special Session Senate File 9, the Construction Careers Foundation received money for its Helmets to Hardhats program which connects Veterans along with active duty and reserve members with construction careers. Special Session House File 13 was the Legacy bill that funds projects from the outdoor heritage, clean water, parks and trails and arts and cultural heritage funds that were established by the Legacy Amendment in 2008. Several Veterans provisions were included. <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>State matching grants for Veterans memorials</li> <li>Funds for the Disabled Veterans Rest Camp on Big Marine Lake in Washington County</li> <li>Money to restore the Veterans Memorial Park in Kasson</li> <li>Funding to the Association of Minnesota Public Educational Radio Stations (AMPERS) for its Veterans’ Voices program to educate and engage communities with an emphasis on the untold stories of Veterans from diverse communities.</li> </ul> Finally, the Tax bill, Special Session House File 9 included two Veterans items. The bill changed the application deadline for the disabled Veteran’s homestead market value exclusion to Dec. 31 instead of Dec. 15. The more substantive change now excludes Veterans disability compensation from the definition of “income” used for purposes of the homestead credit refund and renter’s property tax refund. With the budget work complete, the House adjourned the special session on June 30. The Senate stayed in session until July 7. The legislature is now on hiatus until an expected special session in September where they may work on a bonding bill to pay for infrastructure needs around the state. The legislature will return for regular session on Monday, Jan. 31, 2022.4973852021-09-10T23:24:47ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307The Minnesota Legislature ended the regular session on Monday, May 17. A budget agreement between the Governor and leaders from the House and Senate was announced that day as well. The work to finish the budget will take place over the next few weeks.Legislative Update - May 21, 2021engState268309Appropriations and Programming268320Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621Legislative Update - May 21, 20212021-05-21-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-482822" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2021-05-21T23:27:31ZThe Minnesota Legislature ended the regular session on Monday, May 17. A budget agreement between the Governor and leaders from the House and Senate was announced that day as well. The work to finish the budget will take place over the next few weeks.1066The Minnesota Legislature ended the regular session on Monday, May 17. A budget agreement between the Governor and leaders from the House and Senate was announced that day as well. The work to finish the budget will take place over the next few weeks. The conference committee for HF 1952 met almost daily for two weeks and was able to find agreement on a few issues. Those agreements were passed on the last day of session, with more work still to be completed. One Veterans related piece was included in the HF 1952 agreement. That section allows MDVA to accept the construction grant from the federal Department of Veterans Affairs to build three new Veterans homes in Bemidji, Montevideo, and Preston. Construction for those homes is expected to begin this fall. Legislative leaders said that special session budget bills should be agreed to by negotiators around June 4 with the special session taking place after that.4828222021-09-10T23:27:47ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307As the calendar turns to the last month of the legislative session, the final pieces are in place to find an agreement between the Governor, House of Representatives and Senate by May 17. Unless a special session is needed. Each chamber passed a set of budget bills and named conference committees to negotiate the differences between them.Legislative Update - April 30engState268309Appropriations and Programming268320Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621Legislative Update - April 302021-04-30-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-479996" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2021-04-30T19:01:11ZAs the calendar turns to the last month of the legislative session, the final pieces are in place to find an agreement between the Governor, House of Representatives and Senate by May 17. Unless a special session is needed. Each chamber passed a set of budget bills and named conference committees to negotiate the differences between them.1066As the calendar turns to the last month of the legislative session, the final pieces are in place to find an agreement between the Governor, House of Representatives and Senate by May 17. Unless a special session is needed. Each chamber passed a set of budget bills and named conference committees to negotiate the differences between them. The Senate passed its version of the State Government, Veterans, Military and Elections omnibus bill on Monday. The vote was 38-28. No amendments were added that changed any of the Veterans language within the bill. Following the Senate vote, both chambers named their members of the conference committee that will work out the differences between each version of HF 1952. The House members include bill author Rep. Mike Nelson of Brooklyn Park, Rep. Tou Xiong of Maplewood, Rep. Sandra Masin of Eagan, Rep. Emma Greenman of Minneapolis, and Rep. Jim Nash of Waconia. The Senate members include the author of the Senate version, Sen. Mary Kiffmeyer of Big Lake, Sen. Andrew Lang of Olivia, Sen. Jeff Howe of Rockville, Sen. Mark Koran of North Branch, and Sen. Jim Carlson of Eagan. The HF 1952 Conference Committee is scheduled to hold its first meeting on Monday, May 3 from 9:00 a.m. to noon. It will be a remote hearing. The agenda includes side-by-side comparisons of language and funding. If time permits, the committee will take public testimony. The committee will have two weeks to find agreement before the constitutionally mandated adjournment date of May 17.4799962021-04-30T19:02:48ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307The Minnesota Legislature returned to work on April 6 after taking time off to observe Easter and Passover. They did not take up any Veterans related bills until the following Monday, April 12.Legislative Update -April 16, 2021engState268309Appropriations and Programming268320Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621Legislative Update - April 16, 20212021-04-16-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-476983" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2021-04-19T21:25:51ZThe Minnesota Legislature returned to work on April 6 after taking time off to observe Easter and Passover. They did not take up any Veterans related bills until the following Monday, April 12.1066The Minnesota Legislature returned to work on April 6 after taking time off to observe Easter and Passover. They did not take up any Veterans related bills until the following Monday, April 12. The House Ways and Means committee met on Monday to take up HF 752 authored by Rep. Rob Ecklund of International Falls. This is the Veterans and Military Affairs budget bill that was approved by his committee before the legislative break. Ways and Means merged his bill into HF 1952 (Rep. Mike Nelson – Brooklyn Park), the State Government Finance and Elections bill. The committee approved the bill and sent it to the floor. On Monday, the House Capital Investment Committee unveiled its proposal for a bonding bill to fund infrastructure projects throughout the state. The bill, HF 337 (Rep. Fue Lee – Minneapolis) includes funding for the future state Veterans cemetery in Redwood County as well as funds for asset preservation to improve MDVA facilities throughout the state. On Friday, the committee approved the bill and sent it to Ways and Means. The Senate Finance committee met on Thursday and heard SF 485 by Sen. Andrew Lang of Olivia. This is the Senate’s version of the Veterans and Military Affairs budget bill. This bill was also merged into the State Government Finance and Elections bill. SF 1831 is authored by Sen. Mary Kiffmeyer of Big Lake. The committee also amended the language from SF 1633 into the bill. The bill was approved with amendments and sent to the Senate floor. Finally, the full House of Representatives took up HF 1952 on Friday. After many amendments were discussed and the bill was debated for over 11 hours, the final vote was 68-62. The Senate should take up its version next week. Following that vote, a conference committee will be formed to work out the differences between the bills.4769832021-04-30T19:07:31ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307Tina Smith332173Relief Package Secures $17 Billion for VA to Support Health and Economic Well-Being of VeteransU.S. Senator Tina Smith Says American Rescue Plan Will Help Minnesota Veterans Recover from PandemicengFederal268310Tina Smith332173U.S. Senator Tina Smith Says American Rescue Plan Will Help Minnesota Veterans Recover from Pandemic2021-04-06-sen-smith<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-476158" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2021-04-06T17:59:58ZRelief Package Secures $17 Billion for VA to Support Health and Economic Well-Being of Veterans1066WASHINGTON, D.C. [4/6/21]—U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) said the American Rescue Plan (ARP), the $1.9 trillion coronavirus (COVID-19) and relief package signed by the President in March, will support the health and economic well-being of Minnesota Veterans. In addition to general relief to all Americans—including $1,400 direct payments, $56 billion to support vaccine and testing efforts and $40 billion in housing assistance—Veterans will benefit from $17 billion directed to the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) to support its response to COVID-19. Sen. Smith, who strongly backed passage of the ARP, said it is a bold and necessary response to a pandemic that for more than a year has upended the lives of people in Minnesota and across the country. The $17 billion for the VA includes $14.5 billion for COVID-19 related health care, Veterans receiving housing support and homeless Veterans. It includes $1 billion to waive VA health care copayments through September—a measure Sen. Smith fought for—as well as $750 million to construct new Veteran State Homes and $386 million for employment training and employment assistance. It also includes measures to help put an end to the for-profit college industry's aggressive recruiting of Veterans and service members. “Minnesotans who have honorably served our nation in uniform deserve our utmost respect. When they return home, we need to make sure they get the benefits and care they earned. This is especially important during the pandemic, during which Minnesota Veterans and their families have been hit hard by the public health and economic effects of COVID-19, ” said Sen. Smith. “I fought for the American Rescue Plan to waive VA health care copayments because for many American families and veterans, the accompanying economic distress from COVID-19 is more acute than ever. This plan will deliver historic economic relief to Veterans and their families, and it will move us closer to ending the pandemic and getting our nation back on its feet.” Here are some of the key provisions for Veterans in the ARP: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Measures to help put an end to the for-profit college industry's aggressive recruiting of Veterans and service members.</li> <li>$1 billion for debt forgiveness related to copayments or other cost sharing Veterans paid for VA health care and to reimburse Veterans who paid a copay or other cost sharing, for care and prescriptions provided from April 6, 2020 through Sept. 30, 2021.</li> <li>$750 million for construction grants ($500 million) and payments ($250 million) to State Homes to greatly improve the living conditions of our most vulnerable Veterans who reside in these facilities. This funding will allow Montevideo, Preston, and Bemidji to construct three new Veterans State Homes, which will provide nearly 200 new beds for Veteran retirees.</li> <li>$14.5 billion for COVID-19 related health care, including information technology and facility requirements, ensuring access for 9.2 million enrolled Veterans who may have delayed care or have more complex health care needs as a result of the pandemic, as well as resources for Veterans currently receiving housing support and an estimated 37,000 homeless Veterans.</li> <li>$386 million to initiate a COVID–19 Veteran Rapid Retraining Assistance Program that provides up to 12 months of training and employment assistance for unemployed Veterans to enter high demand occupations.</li> <li>$262 million to reduce the backlog of compensation and pension claims, which has grown from 76,000 in March 2020 to more than 212,000 in March 2021. The ARP funding will enable the Veterans Benefits Administration to reduce the claims backlog to around 100,000 by September 2022.</li> <li>$100 million to facilitate the modernization of VA’s badly antiquated supply chain system by accelerating the Department’s transition to the Defense Medical Logistics Standard Support.</li> <li>$80 million to establish the Department of Veterans Affairs Employee Leave Fund, which provides funds for paid leave for COVID-19 related causes.</li> <li>$10 million to decrease the Board of Veterans’ Appeals hearing requests (currently 87,499) and intake (35,000 appeals) backlogs. These efforts help Veterans economically by resolving their VA appeals and allowing them to begin receiving compensation and services.</li> </ul>4761582021-04-11T18:05:33ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307Prior to the start of the legislative break, the House and Senate committees with jurisdiction of Veterans policy passed separate budget bills with funding and policy items for MDVA, as well as the Minnesota Department of Military Affairs. The Governor had his own recommendations. All three must reconcile their differences prior to the constitutional adjournment date of May 17. The following will compare the similarities and differences between each proposal.Legislative Update - April 2, 2021engState268309Appropriations and Programming268320Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621Legislative Update - April 2, 20212021-04-02-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-476150" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2021-04-02T21:00:00ZPrior to the start of the legislative break, the House and Senate committees with jurisdiction of Veterans policy passed separate budget bills with funding and policy items for MDVA, as well as the Minnesota Department of Military Affairs. The Governor had his own recommendations. All three must reconcile their differences prior to the constitutional adjournment date of May 17. The following will compare the similarities and differences between each proposal.1066Prior to the start of the legislative break, the House and Senate committees with jurisdiction of Veterans policy passed separate budget bills with funding and policy items for MDVA, as well as the Minnesota Department of Military Affairs. The Governor had his own recommendations. All three must reconcile their differences prior to the constitutional adjournment date of May 17. The following will compare the similarities and differences between each proposal. Veterans Homelessness Initiative If enacted, this item would provide money to Veterans experiencing homelessness such as housing vouchers and other wraparound services. Each proposal funded this item at different amounts. <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Governor: $2.62 million over two years</li> <li>House: $2.475 million over two years</li> <li>Senate: $1.5 million over two years</li> </ul> Veterans Suicide Prevention This funding would help MDVA with its goal of creating awareness and preventing suicide among Veterans. The funding would be used for personnel, training, research, 5.5 marketing, and professional or technical 5.6 contracts. All three proposals funded the initiative at $1.65 million over two years. 9/11 and Global War on Terror Task Force All three proposals include funding for this initiative. Which would allow the task force to write and publish a definitive history of the conflicts that followed the September 11 attacks and host a remembrance marking 20 years since that fateful day. <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Governor: $500,000</li> <li>House: $400,000</li> <li>Senate: $112,000</li> </ul> Veterans Recreation Facilities There is significant difference between the three proposals where the House funds three facilities, the Senate funds one and the governor made no recommendations. <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>House: $253,000 between Camp Bliss in Walker, Veterans on the Lake in Ely and Disabled Vets Camp on Big Marine Lake</li> <li>Senate: $75,000 for Camp Bliss</li> </ul> Veterans Resilience Project The House proposal included a $50,000 grant for this initiative which would provide eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) programming for Veterans and current service members. This was based off HF792 authored by Rep. Ryan Winkler of Golden Valley but with a lower level of funding than his proposal. The governor and Senate did not include this in their proposals. Domiciliary Residents PNA Increase The House along with the governor, proposed increasing the personal needs allowance for Veteran residents of the domiciliary program in Hastings and Minneapolis. Currently, the rate is $90, it would increase to $105 under the proposal. An increased hasn’t happened since 1996. The Senate did not include this change. Policy Items The House and Senate proposals both include the following policy item changes (no funding is necessary for enactment of the changes): <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Minnesota GI Bill technical changes</li> <li>Authorizing MDVA to provide adult day care services</li> <li>Authorizing MDVA to provide dental services to residents of Minnesota Veterans Homes</li> <li>Adding MDVA to the list of exempted agencies who can with external publicity representatives</li> <li>Adding “Prevention and” to Veterans Suicide Prevention and Awareness Day, which is observed on the first Saturday in October.</li> <li>Authorizing MDVA to establish a Veterans stable housing initiative for homeless Veterans. Allowing private data on individuals maintained in the Homeless Veteran Registry to be shared with members of the Minnesota Interagency Council on Homelessness and Homeless Veteran Registry partners to expedite the coordination of homeless efforts.</li> </ul> Additionally, the House proposal includes the bill language of HF478, the Veterans Restorative Justice Act. After passing HF752 in the House Labor, Industry, Veterans and Military Affairs committee unanimously, the bill was re-referred to the Ways and Means committee. It will be heard in the next few weeks. The Senate version, SF485 was also passed unanimously in the Veterans and Military Affairs committee. It was sent to the Finance committee and will be heard at a later date.4761502021-04-11T16:30:22ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) reintroduced the Toxic Exposure in the American Military (TEAM) Act, bipartisan legislation that would fundamentally reform and improve how veterans exposed to toxic substances receive health care and benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).Klobuchar, Tillis, Hassan, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan TEAM Act to Reform How Veterans Exposed to Toxic Substances Receive Health Care and BenefitsengFederal268310Amy Klobuchar269749Klobuchar, Tillis, Hassan, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan TEAM Act to Reform How Veterans Exposed to Toxic Substances Receive Health Care and Benefits2021-03-30-klobuchar-teams-act<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-477462" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2021-03-30T15:22:50ZU.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) reintroduced the Toxic Exposure in the American Military (TEAM) Act, bipartisan legislation that would fundamentally reform and improve how veterans exposed to toxic substances receive health care and benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).1066WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) reintroduced the Toxic Exposure in the American Military (TEAM) Act, bipartisan legislation that would fundamentally reform and improve how Veterans exposed to toxic substances receive health care and benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). “When we ask our young men and women to defend and fight for our nation, we make a promise to take care of them when they return home,” said Senator Klobuchar. “This bipartisan legislation will bring much needed reform to how Veterans exposed to toxic substances receive health care and benefits. As we continue to learn about the effects of toxic exposure, I’ll keep working to ensure we provide our Veterans with the support they have earned.” “Our brave Veterans risked their lives to protect our country and it’s our job to make sure they are supported back home, even years after they served,” said Senator Tillis. “As a Senator from North Carolina, I know firsthand the obstacles thousands of Veterans who have been exposed to toxicants while serving have had to overcome, including many stationed at Camp Lejeune who spent decades pushing for documentation of their exposure and fair treatment for the damages caused by the military. This cannot continue to be the norm. After working alongside Veterans who were stationed at Camp Lejeune and fighting for servicemembers exposed to toxicants from burn pits in Afghanistan and Iraq, it’s clear the men and women who served our country deserve better. The TEAM Act ensures that all Veterans are given a fair and uniform process to receive the health care and benefits to which they are entitled following exposure to toxicants during their service.” “We have an obligation to ensure that Veterans who return home from war receive the care that they need and have earned,” said Senator Hassan. “Unfortunately, for millions of Veterans across the country who may have been exposed to toxic substances during their service, that obligation is not being met. Our bipartisan bill would take long overdue steps to ensure that Veterans can receive health care for diseases that they develop as a result of toxic substance exposure during their service.” “Veterans took a sacred oath to serve this country and our obligation to them following their service must match that level of commitment,” said Senator Moran. “Veterans who are experiencing negative health effects of toxic exposures need to be able to rely on VA for answers and a Congress that is attentive to their needs. That is why I am co-sponsoring the TEAM Act, landmark legislation that will reform the way Veterans exposed to toxic substances access health care and establishes an independent scientific commission tasked with researching the health effects of such toxic exposure. I am committed to working with my colleagues to make certain Veterans who experience negative health consequences following exposure to dangerous chemicals where they were living and working while serving have access to an enduring framework, supported by science, to identify, research and address cases of toxic exposure in a timely manner.” “Our Veterans spent years putting their lives on the line in some of the world’s most dangerous places,” said Senator Blackburn. “They should not have to wage war against the federal bureaucracy to receive proper medical care. This legislation will open up access to critical treatment for Veterans exposed to toxic substances.” "After nearly two years of tireless work by our Coalition, we are pleased to see The TEAM Act re-introduced in the 117th Congress. We would like to thank Senator Tillis and Senator Hassan for their leadership on this critical issue, and urge the Senate to pass this legislation without delay.” – The Toxic Exposures in The American Military (TEAM) Coalition Specifically, the TEAM Act: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Expands VA health care for Veterans exposed to toxic substances. Treatment for conditions related to toxic exposures will be covered free of charge. Enrolled Veterans will be eligible for treatment for unrelated conditions, but those services may be subject to a co-pay.</li> <li>Requires VA to respond to new scientific evidence regarding diseases associated with toxic exposure and establish new presumptions of service connection when supported by the science.</li> <li>Ensures VA enters into agreements with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to review scientific studies regarding associations between diseases and exposure to toxic substances during military service.</li> <li>Establishes an independent scientific commission to assist the VA in determining the health effects of toxic exposure in Veterans and report the commission’s findings to VA and Congress.</li> <li>Expands training on toxic exposure issues for VA health care personnel.</li> <li>Requires VA to develop a questionnaire for primary care appointments to determine whether a Veteran may have been exposed to toxic substances during service.</li> </ul> In January 2021, a provision based on the bipartisan Pandemic Care for Burn Pits Exposure Act led by Klobuchar and Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD) was signed into law as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The provision improves the care that servicemembers and Veterans who were previously exposed to burn pits and other toxic substances receive during the coronavirus pandemic. By requiring medical professionals to ask whether servicemembers and Veterans who test positive for a virus designated by the federal government as a pandemic if they were previously exposed to burn pits, this provision will help ensure that they receive proper care and attention to their medical needs. In December 2019, Klobuchar’s bipartisan Burn Pits Accountability Act with Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) was signed into law as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The Burn Pits Accountability Act requires members of the Armed Forces to be evaluated for exposure to toxic airborne chemicals during routine health exams and directs the Secretary of Defense to record and share whether servicemembers were based or stationed near an open burn pit, including any information recorded as part of the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry, the Periodic Health Assessment (PHAs), Separation History and Physical Examination (SHPEs), and Post-Deployment Health Assessment (PDHAs). Members will also be enrolled in the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry, unless they choose to opt out, if they were exposed to toxic airborne chemicals or stationed near an open burn pit. In September 2018, provisions based on the Helping Veterans Exposed to Burn Pits Act led by Klobuchar and Senator Tillis were signed into law as part of the Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, and created the Airborne Hazards and Burn Pits Center of Excellence within the VA focused on researching the health effects associated with burn pits and treating Veterans who become sick after exposure. ve Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, and created the Airborne Hazards and Burn Pits Center of Excellence within the VA focused on researching the health effects associated with burn pits and treating Veterans who become sick after exposure.4774622021-04-24T15:38:25ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307The first ‘half’ of the legislative session ended this week as legislators head home for the Easter/Passover Break. This half was actually 12 weeks and there will only be eight weeks left before the constitutionally mandated adjournment. Both Veterans committees in the House and the Senate completed their work.Legislative Update - March 26, 2021engState268309Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621Appropriations and Programming268320Legislative Update - March 26, 20212021-03-26-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-475148" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2021-03-26T20:00:00ZThe first ‘half’ of the legislative session ended this week as legislators head home for the Easter/Passover Break. This half was actually 12 weeks and there will only be eight weeks left before the constitutionally mandated adjournment. Both Veterans committees in the House and the Senate completed their work.1066The first ‘half’ of the legislative session ended this week as legislators head home for the Easter/Passover Break. This half was actually 12 weeks and there will only be eight weeks left before the constitutionally mandated adjournment. Both Veterans committees in the House and the Senate completed their work. The House Labor, Industry, Veterans and Military Affairs committee met on Wednesday. Chair Rob Ecklund of International Falls unveiled the omnibus budget bill for the committee. MDVA and the Department of Military Affairs shared its testimony on the bill. No official action was taken that day. The committee met again on Friday to debate and vote on amendments. After two amendments were adopted, the committee approved the bill unanimously. Its next stop will be the Ways and Means committee. On Thursday, Chair Andrew Lang of Olivia shared his version of the omnibus budget bill with the Veterans and Military Affairs committee. Both agencies shared their thoughts on this version as well. Members of the committee discussed the bill briefly and then passed it unanimously. The bill was re-referred to the Finance committee. An update comparing these two bills and the governor’s recommendations will be available on MDVA’s legislative webpage next week. The state bill tracker has been updated to reflect which bills, in some form, were included in the budget bills.4751482021-04-02T21:00:11ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Rob Portman (R-OH), and colleagues urged the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to address vaccine hesitancy among veterans by combating misinformation. In a letter to VA Secretary Denis McDonough, the Senators cited recent reports on veterans’ concerns about the safety and efficacy of coronavirus vaccines, calling on the VA to take action to stop the spread of vaccine-related misinformation in conjunction with its ongoing vaccine distribution efforts.Klobuchar, Portman Lead Colleagues in Urging VA to Combat Coronavirus Vaccine Misinformation Among VeteransengFederal268310Amy Klobuchar269749Klobuchar, Portman Lead Colleagues in Urging VA to Combat Coronavirus Vaccine Misinformation Among Veterans2021-03-26-klobuchar-va-vaccine-misinformation<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-477461" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2021-03-26T15:17:07ZU.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Rob Portman (R-OH), and colleagues urged the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to address vaccine hesitancy among veterans by combating misinformation. In a letter to VA Secretary Denis McDonough, the Senators cited recent reports on veterans’ concerns about the safety and efficacy of coronavirus vaccines, calling on the VA to take action to stop the spread of vaccine-related misinformation in conjunction with its ongoing vaccine distribution efforts.1066WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Rob Portman (R-OH), and colleagues urged the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to address vaccine hesitancy among veterans by combating misinformation. In a letter to VA Secretary Denis McDonough, the Senators cited recent reports on veterans’ concerns about the safety and efficacy of coronavirus vaccines, calling on the VA to take action to stop the spread of vaccine-related misinformation in conjunction with its ongoing vaccine distribution efforts. The Senators wrote: “A recent poll by the Blue Star Families found that almost half of veteran families surveyed do not expect to receive a vaccine, with 75 percent of those families citing concerns regarding the safety and efficacy of the vaccines. Since the beginning of the pandemic, false information related to the coronavirus has spread rapidly. In order to save lives, we urge you to continue to address vaccine hesitancy by increasing educational efforts amongst VA recipients about vaccine misinformation.” This letter was also signed by Senators Tina Smith (D-MN), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Bob Casey (D-PA), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). Full text of the letter can be found below. Dear Secretary McDonough: In light of recent reports on Veterans’ concerns about the safety and efficacy of the coronavirus vaccines, we write to urge the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to ensure Veterans have accurate information and to take action to stop the spread of vaccine-related misinformation. VA medical facilities are an important resource and health care provider that Veterans can trust. As a result, the distribution of vaccines through VA medical facilities is a critical component to our nation’s strategy to move past this pandemic. We appreciate the efforts the VA has taken thus far to ensure Veterans have access to the Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccines. As of March 17, your Department has administered more than 1.8 million doses of the vaccines, and over 1.16 million Veterans have been fully vaccinated. However, we are concerned that the misinformation and disinformation surrounding the vaccines will prevent some Veterans from having a plan to receive a coronavirus vaccination. A recent poll by the Blue Star Families found that almost half of Veteran families surveyed do not expect to receive a vaccine, with 75 percent of those families citing concerns regarding the safety and efficacy of the vaccines. Since the beginning of the pandemic, false information related to the coronavirus has spread rapidly. In order to save lives, we urge you to continue to address vaccine hesitancy by increasing educational efforts amongst VA recipients about vaccine misinformation. These efforts would build upon the actions the VA has already taken to warn Veterans against scams soliciting money in exchange for vaccine availability. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act included over $19 billion for the VA, and we encourage you to use a portion of the remaining unspent funds to counter vaccine misinformation among our Veterans. It is crucial that Veterans receive clear and accurate information about the vaccine and your agency can play a major role in helping them identify false information and recognize the safety and efficacy of the vaccines.4774612021-04-24T15:19:26ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307A few Veteran related bills were heard in the House this week. Also, a Senate committee recommended a commissioner and the Governor released an updated budget plan.Legislative Update - March 19engState268309Appropriations and Programming268320Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621Legislative Update - March 192021-03-19-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-472712" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2021-03-19T21:00:00ZA few Veteran related bills were heard in the House this week. Also, a Senate committee recommended a commissioner and the Governor released an updated budget plan.1066A few Veteran related bills were heard in the House this week. Also, a Senate committee recommended a commissioner and the Governor released an updated budget plan. In the House, three bills were heard in three different committees. Judiciary and Civil Law heard HF592 authored by Rep. Shelly Christensen of Stillwater. It would classify homeless Veteran data and authorize a stable housing initiative. The bill was approved by the committee and sent to the House floor. The Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform committee heard HF478 authored by Rep. Sandra Feist of New Brighton. This is the Veterans Restorative Justice Act. It was approved by the committee and re-referred to Ways and Means. Finally, HF1794 which grants money to the Construction Careers Foundation for its Helmets to Hardhats program was heard in Labor, Industry, Veterans and Military Affairs. Rep. Rep. Luke Frederick of Mankato is the author. The committee laid the bill over for possible inclusion in a budget bill. The Senate Veterans and Military Affairs committee held a hearing to consider the confirmation of MDVA commissioner Larry Herke. After an opening statement from Herke and some back and forth with committee members, the committee recommended his confirmation unanimously. The next step is a confirmation vote by the entire Senate in the coming weeks. After the latest budget forecast showed a surplus rather than a deficit, Governor Walz released his supplemental budget proposal. One minor change included an increase to the personal needs allowance for residents of the domiciliary program at the Veterans Homes in Hastings and Minneapolis. The allowance would go from $90 per month to $105. This amount hasn’t been increased since 1996. The original budget proposal had four new funding items that are still included, they are: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Preventing Veterans suicide</li> <li>Ending Veterans homelessness</li> <li>The 9/11 and Global War on Terror task force which will hold a remembrance in September marking the 20th anniversary, a definitive history produced in conjunction with the MN Military and Veterans Museum and a traveling exhibit for the state</li> <li>Funds to keep staff numbers level to properly serve Minnesota’s Veterans and their families</li> </ul> Next week, the Senate Veterans and Military Affairs committee is expected to release its budget bill on Wednesday. It will then be heard in committee on Thursday morning. Other Veterans bills may be heard throughout the week in House and Senate committees.4727122021-03-19T21:07:56ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307This week, the Minnesota Legislature reached the first committee deadline, but only one Veterans related bill had movement. Another was given an informational hearing.Legislative Update - March 12engState268309Appropriations and Programming268320Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621Legislative Update - March 122021-03-12-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-471729" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2021-03-12T23:00:00ZThis week, the Minnesota Legislature reached the first committee deadline, but only one Veterans related bill had movement. Another was given an informational hearing.1066This week, the Minnesota Legislature reached the first committee deadline, but only one Veterans related bill had movement. Another was given an informational hearing. On Tuesday, the House Labor, Industry, Veterans and Military Affairs committee approved HF1526 authored by Rep. Matt Bliss of Pennington. This bill expands the Veterans Suicide Awareness day by adding including the words ‘and Prevention’ to establish the first Saturday of every October as Veterans Suicide Prevention and Awareness Day. The bill was sent to the floor where it will await a vote by the entire House of Representatives. The Senate Judiciary and Public Safety committee held a hearing for SF112 authored by Sen. Roger Chamberlain of Lino Lakes. This is the Veterans Restorative Justice Act. The House version of this bill (HF478) will be heard on Tuesday, March 16 in the House Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform committee. Next week is the second committee deadline which will further filter out bills that have not received committee actions.4717292021-03-12T23:04:01ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307A slower week at the legislature with only four Veterans related bills receiving committee hearings in the House and Senate.Legislative Update - March 5engState268309Appropriations and Programming268320Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621Legislative Update - March 52021-03-05-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-470716" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2021-03-05T21:00:00ZA slower week at the legislature with only four Veterans related bills receiving committee hearings in the House and Senate.1066A slower week at the legislature with only four Veterans related bills receiving committee hearings in the House and Senate. The Senate Property Tax subcommittee heard SF1201, authored by Sen. Jeff Howe of Rockville. If enacted, this bill would remove Veterans disability compensation from the definition of income that is used to determining eligibility and the amount of refund for property tax refunds. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in a property tax omnibus bill. HF641 authored by Rep. Donald Raleigh of Circle Pines was heard in House Labor, Industry, Veterans and Military Affairs. The bill would provide a tax credit to employers that hire unemployed or disabled Veterans. The committee approved the bill and re-referred it to the tax committee. Rep. Sandra Feist’s (New Brighton) HF478 was heard in Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform. It only received a brief hearing due to the bill not actually being in possession of the committee. The bill should be heard again next week, likely followed by a committee vote. The Senate Veterans and Military Affairs heard SF1511, authored by Sen. Justin Eichorn of Grand Rapids. It would add two words to Veterans Suicide Awareness Day, “Prevention and” creating Veterans Suicide Prevention and Awareness Day. The bill was approved by the committee and sent to the Senate floor. A companion to this bill will be heard next week in the House Labor, Industry, Veterans and Military Affairs committee. That companion bill is HF1526, authored by Rep. Matt Bliss of Pennington. Throughout the week, MDVA gave presentations to three committees including House Capital Investment, House Preventing Homelessness and Senate Veterans and Military Affairs.4707162021-03-05T21:24:40ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307As the second month of the legislative session draws to a close, Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) released a new budget forecast on Friday, Feb. 26. The House and the Senate continued working through bills including a handful of Veterans bills.Legislative Update - February 26engMinnesota House270620State268309Appropriations and Programming268320Minnesota Senate270621Legislative Update - February 262021-02-26-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-469698" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2021-02-26T21:00:00ZAs the second month of the legislative session draws to a close, Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) released a new budget forecast on Friday, Feb. 26. The House and the Senate continued working through bills including a handful of Veterans bills.1066As the second month of the legislative session draws to a close, Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) released a new budget forecast on Friday, Feb. 26. The House and the Senate continued working through bills including a handful of Veterans bills. Within the new budget forecast, MMB is projecting a budget surplus of $1.6 billion for fiscal years 2022-23. This comes a few months after the last budget forecast showed a $1.3 billion deficit for those same years. This will affect the budget negotiations later in session between the leaders of the House and Senate, along with Governor Walz. On Monday, the House Ways and Means committee approved HF88, the bill authorizing adult daycare services at Veterans homes. It now awaits a vote by the entire House of Representatives. The House Labor, Industry, Veterans and Military Affairs committee heard two Veterans related bills. HF792 is authored by Majority Leader Ryan Winkler of Golden Valley. This bill would provide funding to the Veterans Resilience Project which offers eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy to Veterans and current military members suffering from PTSD and other service-related trauma. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in a budget bill. The other bill heard was HF300 which would create a pilot program to provide a U.S. and Minnesota Flag that were flown over the State Capitol to families of fallen military and public safety personnel who pass away while in service. Rep. John Huot of Rosemount is the bill author. The bill was approved by the committee and sent to the House floor. On Thursday, the Senate Veterans and Military Affairs committee heard three bills. Two of those bills were authored by Sen. Justin Eichorn of Grand Rapids. SF249 would provide funding to Veterans retreat programming at Camp Bliss in Walker. The bill was approved and sent to the Finance committee. His other bill was SF669, a resolution urging the federal government to provide funding to the three proposed Veterans homes in Bemidji, Montevideo and Preston that the state has already provided construction funds. The bill was approved and re-referred to the Rules committee. The third bill was authored by Sen. Chuck Wiger of Maplewood. It is also a resolution and it urges the federal government to bring home every American Prisoner of War and Missing in Action (POW/MIA). The committee approved the bill and it was also sent to the rules committee. Finally, the House Judiciary and Civil Law committee met on Friday morning and heard HF478, the Veterans Restorative Justice Act. Authored by Rep. Sandra Feist of New Brighton. The committee passed the bill and sent it to the Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform committee. Next Wednesday, the House Labor, Industry, Veterans and Military Affairs committee will hear HF641 authored by Rep. Donald Raleigh of Circle Pines. This bill would provide a tax credit to employers who hire out of work Veterans or disabled Veterans. The Senate Veterans and Military Affairs committee is expected to meet next Thursday morning and hear a presentation about governor’s budget recommendations for MDVA.4696982021-02-26T21:11:45ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307A few Veterans related bills are set up for final passage after making it through the committee process. The bills now await votes on the floors of the House and Senate.Legislative Update - February 19engState268309Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621Appropriations and Programming268320Legislative Update - February 192021-02-19-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-468885" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2021-02-19T21:30:00ZA few Veterans related bills are set up for final passage after making it through the committee process. The bills now await votes on the floors of the House and Senate.1066A few Veterans related bills are set up for final passage after making it through the committee process. The bills now await votes on the floors of the House and Senate. The following bills are awaiting floor votes. They are all MDVA initiatives. <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>HF88/SF93 would authorize MDVA to provide adult day care programs at the Minnesota Veterans Homes</li> <li>HF291/SF91 would authorize MDVA to provide dental services for Veterans home residents</li> <li>HF585/SF92 makes technical changes to the Minnesota GI Bill benefit</li> </ul> It should be noted that HF88 will likely be approved by the House Ways and Means committee on Monday morning, setting it up for a future floor vote. The House Labor, Industry, Veterans and Military Affairs committee met on Wednesday afternoon and heard three Veterans related bills. HF592 is authored by Rep. Shelly Christensen of Stillwater. The bill authorizes MDVA to establish a Veterans stable housing initiative and authorizes data sharing among partner entities working to end Veterans homelessness. The bill was approved and sent to Judiciary and Civil Law. Rep. Julie Sandstede of Hibbing authored HF585 which as noted above, makes technical changes to the Minnesota GI Bill. It was approved and sent to the House floor. The final Veterans bill that was heard was HF478 from Rep. Sandra Feist of New Brighton. This is the Veterans Restorative Justice Act. After the committee approved the bill, it was re-referred to Judiciary and Civil Law. The committee will meet again next week with hearings in the afternoon on Tuesday and Wednesday. The hearing on Wednesday will include Veterans related bills. On Thursday, the Senate Veterans and Military Affairs committee heard from MDVA. The presentation was about staffing at the Minnesota Veterans Homes throughout the last year during the COVID-19 pandemic. The committee will meet again next Thursday morning.4688852021-02-19T21:35:16ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307Both Veterans committees in the House and the Senate advanced three bills this week during remote hearings. The pace should continue to move as the first deadline is four weeks away.Legislative Update - February 12engState268309Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621Appropriations and Programming268320Legislative Update - February 122021-02-12-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-468333" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2021-02-12T21:00:00ZBoth Veterans committees in the House and the Senate advanced three bills this week during remote hearings. The pace should continue to move as the first deadline is four weeks away.1066Both Veterans committees in the House and the Senate advanced three bills this week during remote hearings. The pace should continue to move as the first deadline is four weeks away. On Wednesday, the House Labor, Industry, Veterans and Military Affairs committee heard three bills, two of which were MDVA sponsored bills. HF291 is authored by Rep. Heather Edelson of Edina. If passed, it would authorize MDVA to provide dental services to residents of the Veterans homes. The bill was approved and sent to the House floor. Chair Rob Ecklund of International Falls authored HF484. The bill would add MDVA to the list of agencies that could hire outside publicity representatives. The bill was passed and sent to the House floor. The last bill was HF381 from Rep. Mike Sundin of Esko. This would expand the definition of Veteran when it comes to obtaining state issued identification cards. The bill was approved and re-referred to Transportation. The committee will meet again on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon next week. Wednesday’s agenda includes three Veterans bills, HFs 478, 585 and 592. These bills are on the state bill tracker. The Senate Veterans and Military Affairs committee met on Thursday morning and heard three Veterans bills. Sen. Mike Goggin of Red Wing authored SF607. This would fund a grant for the Helmets to Hardhats construction career program. The bill was approved and re-referred to the Jobs and Economic Development committee. Sen. Jeff Howe of Rockville authored SF683 which would provide a tax credit to employers who hire disabled or unemployed Veterans. The bill was approved and re-referred to the committee on Taxes. Chair Andrew Lang of Olivia authored SF458. This bill would allow property owned by Veteran service organizations to use gross profits from lawful gambling on repairs, maintenance, and other improvements of the property. The committee approved the bill and sent it to State Government Finance and Elections. The committee is expected to meet again next Thursday morning. The Senate Civil Law and Data Practices committee will hear SF363 (Veterans stable housing initiative) on Tuesday, Feb. 16 at 1 p.m.4683332021-02-19T21:36:03ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307Today, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar delivered remarks on the Senate floor in support of Minnesota native Denis McDonough, Secretary of Veterans Affairs nominee. Klobuchar urged her colleagues to confirm McDonough, assuring them that he will “honor the promises that our country has made to our Veterans and their families.” Klobuchar highlighted McDonough’s background in public service, citing his work as the White House Chief of Staff and in the Senate. Following her remarks, the Senate voted 87-7 to confirm McDonough.After Klobuchar Urges Senate to Support Minnesota Native Denis McDonough, Senate Confirms His Appointment as Secretary of Veterans AffairsengFederal268310Amy Klobuchar269749After Klobuchar Urges Senate to Support Minnesota Native Denis McDonough, Senate Confirms His Appointment as Secretary of Veterans Affairs2021-02-08-klobuchar-urges-nomination-va-sec<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-477463" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2021-02-08T16:42:38ZToday, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar delivered remarks on the Senate floor in support of Minnesota native Denis McDonough, Secretary of Veterans Affairs nominee. Klobuchar urged her colleagues to confirm McDonough, assuring them that he will “honor the promises that our country has made to our Veterans and their families.” Klobuchar highlighted McDonough’s background in public service, citing his work as the White House Chief of Staff and in the Senate. Following her remarks, the Senate voted 87-7 to confirm McDonough.1066WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar delivered remarks on the Senate floor in support of Minnesota native Denis McDonough, Secretary of Veterans Affairs nominee. Klobuchar urged her colleagues to confirm McDonough, assuring them that he will “honor the promises that our country has made to our Veterans and their families.” Klobuchar highlighted McDonough’s background in public service, citing his work as the White House Chief of Staff and in the Senate. Following her remarks, the Senate voted 87-7 to confirm McDonough. Madam President, today I rise in support of my friend and fellow Minnesotan, Denis McDonough, as President Biden’s nominee for Secretary of Veterans Affairs. No one knows but you, the Senator from Illinois, Madam President, about how important this job is for our Veterans. Denis grew up in Stillwater, Minnesota, which is right near the Wisconsin border. He is the grandson of Irish immigrants, the son of devout Catholic parents, and brother to 10 siblings. He attended St. John’s College in Collegeville, Minnesota, and in addition to graduating Summa Cum Laude, he played safety on the very proud championship St. John’s football team. I’ve been privileged to call Denis a friend for years and I know he will serve our country well as the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. As he has done his whole life, he will honor the promises that our country has made to our Veterans and their families. Denis’s commitment to our nation’s Veterans was clear during his time as President Obama’s Chief of Staff, where he made sure that every decision impacting our service members, Veterans, and their family members would be fitting of their sacrifices. Showing respect and gratitude to our nation’s Veterans is not just something Denis prioritizes, it's a value for him. As we know from his time as President Obama’s Chief of Staff, he is an adept manager who understands how to tackle complex challenges throughout our government, which will be vital for the next secretary. As we also know, the VA is facing a number of challenges, from helping Veterans stay safe during the pandemic, to improving the quality of care for Veterans around the country. These are not simple problems and these are not simple challenges. They will require, as you have shown, Madam President, true leadership and vision which have been the hallmark of Denis’s time in service. I also know that he will work tirelessly to find bipartisan solutions and I think you see that from the support that he has gotten throughout the country, as well as on the Veterans Affairs Committee where I was honored to introduce him when he started on this journey of Senate approval. It has never been more important than ever to unite our country and get that kind of support. So much of our work with our Veterans is about keeping our promises and showing respect not just inwards but in action. When other senators who don’t know Denis as well or are new to Washington, what they may see as time goes on, you will see the qualities of honor and loyalty in Denis’s commitment to his family, which also includes his family in Minnesota, so I know this firsthand. He has so many relatives that you can’t go anywhere without running into some McDonough. You see it in how he has treated everyone he has worked with. When he worked in the Senate, when he worked as President Obama’s Chief of Staff. I will also assure my fellow senators that he will listen to senators; he will have respect for the people that work here. You see it every day in how he always puts his country first. During his distinguished career, Denis has approached each and every job with the spirit of respect, honesty, collaboration, and a willingness to make himself accessible to his colleagues and his team. He is deeply committed to supporting the workforce at the VA and I want our Veterans to know he will do two things so well: he will listen and he will get things done for you. One of my favorite stories about Denis involves this: listening and then getting things done. We were having a lot of trouble up in Northern Minnesota with the iron ore mines closing down, as you all remember, kind of coming out of the downturn, it never really bounced back. Then we had the steel dumping going on from China and other countries (the illegal steel dumping) and that really spread through the country and led to the closure of many of our mines. We tried, we introduced legislation, and finally, I asked Denis to come up to Minnesota, because he was from our state, as President Obama’s Chief of Staff, and sit down with a bunch of mayors from Northern Minnesota, from Minnesota’s Iron Range. With workers, with mine owners. It was this long long table and nearly everyone had spoken. Near the end, there was this miner named Dan Hill. He was the last to go and he said, “Well, everything’s been said so I’ll just tell this story.” And he said that he was out of work and he said that his son had just graduted from pre-school and the teacher asked them at the graduation, “What do you want to do when you grow up?” And kids were saying all kinds of things - that they wanted to play basketball or they were going to fly an airplane and all kinds of cool things, and Denis’s son looked at the teacher and he said: “I want to be a miner like my Daddy.” At that moment, Dan Hill took this steelworker t-shirt that he had in his hand and he threw it across the whole long table. I remember sitting next to Denis thinking, “You were a football player. Catch the t-shirt!” He caught the t-shirt, and Dan Hill says, “Mr. McDonough, make it come true. Make it come true.” Denis listened, but then he acted. He went back to Washington. He didn’t just light a fire under the Commerce Department to get them to do even more work than they were already doing on enforcing tariffs and going after this illegal dumping and bringing things to the International Trade Commission. He also looked at other agencies and he helped us, along with Sherrod Brown and so many others, to pass legislation that made a difference. All of this happened and Dan Hill got his job back. I invited Dan Hill to come to one of the last State of the Unions for President Obama. Denis invited Dan Hill to the White House and Dan Hill got to meet practically everyone surrounding the President. That is Denis McDonough. He listened, but he didn’t just say, “Oh I got there, I went, I tried my best.” He actually followed through through the minutia of government to get things done. I’m going to end with the words of a poet who President Biden happens to love. Given Denis’s Irish roots, I can’t think of a better person to quote from today’s vote. It was Mr. Heaney, who once wrote, “Anyone with gumption and smart mind will take the measure of two things — what’s said and what’s done.” So Denis will not just say words to the Veterans of this country, as your Secretary he will get things done. With that, Madam President, I ask my colleagues to support the nomination: Denis McDonough as Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Thank you and I yield the floor.4774632021-04-24T15:46:29ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307The Minnesota Legislature began its second month of work as the calendar turned to February. The House of Representatives and the Senate will continue working until session ends on May 17.Legislative Update - February 5engLegislative Update - February 52021-02-05-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-467379" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2021-02-05T20:00:00ZThe Minnesota Legislature began its second month of work as the calendar turned to February. The House of Representatives and the Senate will continue working until session ends on May 17.1066The Minnesota Legislature began its second month of work as the calendar turned to February. The House of Representatives and the Senate will continue working until session ends on May 17. On Wednesday, the House Labor, Industry, Veterans and Military Affairs committee heard HF 88. This bill is authored by Rep. Todd Lippert of Northfield. If passed into law, it would put into statute the authority for the commissioner of Veterans Affairs to have adult day care services on campuses of Minnesota Veterans Homes. <a href="https://mn.gov/mdva/homes/adultdaycenter/">Currently, only the Minneapolis home has this service</a>. The committee approved the bill and sent it to the House floor where it will await a vote by the full chamber. MDVA also provided an overview of the governor’s budget recommendations for the agency. There are four key components to the budget recommendations. <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Funding for Veterans suicide prevention</li> <li>Funding to enhance MDVA’s response to ending Veterans homelessness</li> <li>An operating adjustment to allow MDVA to deliver on its mission and vision to Minnesotans who have served our country, while also providing high quality healthcare in the five Veterans homes.</li> <li>Money for the 9/11 and Global War on Terror Task Force. Funds would be used to publish a definitive history of America’s longest war, develop a traveling exhibition to share stories around the state and host a remembrance of 9/11 this September.</li> </ul> Next week, the House committee will hear three bills supported by MDVA on Wednesday afternoon. The Senate Veterans and Military Affairs committee met on Thursday and heard three bills. Two of those bills were authored by Sen. Steve Cwodzinski of Eden Prairie. SF 363 establishes the Veterans stable housing initiative, classifies homeless Veterans data, and authorizes data sharing between members of the Minnesota Interagency Council on Homelessness. It was recommended to pass by the committee and re-referred to Civil Law and Data Practices. SF364 authorizes MDVA to use funds for publicity representatives. Ben Johnson testified on behalf of the agency. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in an omnibus budget bill. The committee will meet again next week on Thursday morning at 8:30 a.m.4673792021-02-05T20:29:35ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307Today, Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08) announced the hiring of Jacob Warkentin, who will serve as a Wounded Warrior Fellow in his Hermantown Office. Warkentin will work as a field representative, attend local meetings and events on behalf of the Congressman, and serve as a liaison to local Veteran organizations.Congressman Stauber Hires Wounded Warrior Fellow in Hermantown OfficeengFederal268310Pete Stauber476157Congressman Stauber Hires Wounded Warrior Fellow in Hermantown Office2021-02-02-stauber-hires-wounded-warrior<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-476155" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2021-02-02T15:00:00ZToday, Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08) announced the hiring of Jacob Warkentin, who will serve as a Wounded Warrior Fellow in his Hermantown Office. Warkentin will work as a field representative, attend local meetings and events on behalf of the Congressman, and serve as a liaison to local Veteran organizations.1066Today, Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08) announced the hiring of Jacob Warkentin, who will serve as a Wounded Warrior Fellow in his Hermantown Office. Warkentin will work as a field representative, attend local meetings and events on behalf of the Congressman, and serve as a liaison to local veteran organizations. Of Jacob’s hire, Congressman Stauber stated, “I am incredibly excited to have Jacob Warkentin join our team. As a Veteran, Jacob shares our office’s mission to make northern Minnesota and this entire nation a better place to live. During his time in the military, Jacob gained a valuable set of skills, which he will now utilize to help families across Minnesota’s Eighth Congressional District succeed. We are lucky to have him and I encourage my constituents, especially local Veterans, to contact our office and use him as a resource.” Jacob enlisted in the Army in 2016. He was based in Fort Carson, Colorado and served with the 4th Infantry Division, 3rd Armored Brigade team. During his time in the Army, Jacob also spent time overseas in Germany, Poland and Kuwait, and earned multiple awards, including three Army Achievement Medals and one Army Commendation. Jacob and his wife Alaina currently live in Duluth. BACKGROUND: The Wounded Warrior Fellowship Program was established by the House of Representatives to provide employment opportunities for wounded or disabled Veterans within Member offices. This is a two-year, full-time, paid fellowship. The program is limited to Veterans who meet the following requirements: honorably discharged, released from active duty within the last five years, terminal pay grades at or below E-5 or O-3, and 20% or greater service connected disabilities (waived if you have a Purple Heart).4761552021-04-11T17:48:43ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307This week the Minnesota Legislature continued its work on bills in both the committee process and on the floor. Committee deadlines were established to help with the workflow of bills moving through the legislative process.Legislative Update - January 29engFederal268310Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621Appropriations and Programming268320State268309Legislative Update - January 292021-01-29-weekly-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-466847" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2021-01-29T22:00:00ZThis week the Minnesota Legislature continued its work on bills in both the committee process and on the floor. Committee deadlines were established to help with the workflow of bills moving through the legislative process.1066This week the Minnesota Legislature continued its work on bills in both the committee process and on the floor. Committee deadlines were established to help with the workflow of bills moving through the legislative process. The Senate Veterans and Military Affairs committee met on Thursday and heard three bills supported by MDVA. Senate File 92 is authored by Sen. Bruce Anderson and would make technical corrections to the Minnesota GI Bill. Senate Files 91 and 93 are both authored by Sen. Andrew Lang. They would authorize MDVA to provide dental services at the Minnesota Veterans Homes as well as adult day services. These programs already exist within the agency, this makes it clear that it’s allowed in statute. All three bills were approved by the committee and sent to the Senate floor. The committee will meet next week on Thursday, Feb. 4 at 8:30 a.m. The House Labor, Industry, Veterans and Military Affairs met twice this week, but did not hear any Veterans legislation. Next Wednesday, Feb. 3 the committee will meet at 3 p.m. and hear House File 88 authored by Rep. Todd Lippert. This is the House companion bill to authorize adult day services. The committee will also hear budget presentations from MDVA and the Department of Military Affairs. The leadership in the House and the Senate announced when committee deadlines will happen this session. Committee deadlines are used to filter out bills that will not continue if they don’t meet the criteria for each deadline. The deadlines are as follows: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Friday, March 12 — Committees must act favorably on bills in the house of origin.</li> <li>Friday, March 19 — Committees must act favorably on bills, or companions of bills, that met the first deadline in the other body.</li> <li>Friday, April 9 — Committees must act favorably on major appropriation and finance bills.</li> </ul> <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Federal Update</h2> On Wednesday, the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs held a confirmation hearing for Denis McDonough, President Biden’s nominee to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. McDonough is from Stillwater, MN and graduated from St. John’s University. He served as President Obama’s White House Chief of Staff from 2013-2017. The committee plans to meet again on Tuesday, Feb. 2 and is expected to recommend confirmation by the whole Senate.4668472021-01-31T22:44:26ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307The legislature moved the first Veterans related bill of the 2021 session. New Veterans bills continue to be introduced as the House and Senate get organized.Legislative Update - January 22engLegislative Update - January 222021-01-22-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-464133" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2021-01-22T21:00:00ZThe legislature moved the first Veterans related bill of the 2021 session. New Veterans bills continue to be introduced as the House and Senate get organized.1066The legislature moved the first Veterans related bill of the 2021 session. New Veterans bills continue to be introduced as the House and Senate get organized. On Thursday, the Senate Veterans and Military Affairs committee heard SF 116 authored by Sen. Roger Chamberlain. This bill is the Veterans Restorative Justice Act which establishes guidance to the courts for sentencing Veterans for criminal offenses related to service-connected disorders. The bill was approved by the committee and re-referred to the Senate Judiciary committee. The committee also heard presentations from Minnesota chapters of the American Legion and VFW. Next Thursday, the committee will meet at 8:30 a.m. and hear Senate Files 91, 92 and 93. It will also receive a presentation about the Veterans and Military Affairs budgets from committee staff. The House Labor, Industry, Veterans and Military Affairs committee met on Tuesday and Wednesday this past week. On Tuesday it received overviews from MDVA and the Department of Military Affairs. On Wednesday it heard presentations from the American Legion, Commanders’ Task Force, Jewish War Veterans, DAV of Minnesota, Veterans Defense Project and the United Veterans Legislative Council. The committee will meet twice next week, but both agendas do not include Veterans related items.4641332021-01-22T21:11:01ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307The first full week of the 2021 legislative session allowed most committees to hold an initial hearing as work gets underway. Both Veterans related committees in the House and Senate met but didn’t take significant action.Legislative Update - January 15engLegislative Update - January 152021-01-15-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-463263" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2021-01-15T20:00:00ZThe first full week of the 2021 legislative session allowed most committees to hold an initial hearing as work gets underway. Both Veterans related committees in the House and Senate met but didn’t take significant action.1066The first full week of the 2021 legislative session allowed most committees to hold an initial hearing as work gets underway. Both Veterans related committees in the House and Senate met but didn’t take significant action. The House Labor, Industry, Veterans and Military Affairs committee held its first meeting on Tuesday. The agenda was limited to introductions of members and staff. Non-partisan staff provided brief overviews of the budget areas the committee will oversee. The committee will meet again on Tuesday, Jan. 19 at 3 p.m. and hear briefings from MDVA and the Department of Military Affairs. The Senate Veterans and Military Affairs committee held its second meeting on Thursday. The committee was briefed by the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans (MAC-V), DAV Minnesota and the United Veterans Legislative Council. The committee is expected to meet again on Thursday, Jan. 21 at 8:30 a.m. A few Veterans bills were introduced this week. For more information, see the <a href="/mdva/news/legislative-updates/state-bill-tracker/index.jsp" title="State Bill Tracker" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:title="010-State-Bill-Tracker-Intro">state bill tracker</a>. It will be updated throughout the legislative session.4632632026-05-08T15:59:20ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307Today, Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08) helped introduce H.R. 5610, the Fair Care for Vietnam Veterans Act, bipartisan legislation led by Congressman Josh Harder (CA-10) that would better ensure veterans exposed to Agent Orange get the care they deserve. Specifically, this bill would expand the VA’s list of presumptive medical conditions associated with exposure to Agent Orange to include Parkinsonism, bladder cancer, hypertension, and hypothyroidism.Stauber helps introduce H.R. 5610, the Fair Care for Vietnam Veterans ActengFederal268310Pete Stauber476157Stauber helps introduce H.R. 5610, the Fair Care for Vietnam Veterans Act2021-01-15-stauber<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-476154" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2021-01-15T18:24:46ZToday, Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08) helped introduce H.R. 5610, the Fair Care for Vietnam Veterans Act, bipartisan legislation led by Congressman Josh Harder (CA-10) that would better ensure veterans exposed to Agent Orange get the care they deserve. Specifically, this bill would expand the VA’s list of presumptive medical conditions associated with exposure to Agent Orange to include Parkinsonism, bladder cancer, hypertension, and hypothyroidism.1066Today, Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08) helped introduce H.R. 5610, the Fair Care for Vietnam Veterans Act, bipartisan legislation led by Congressman Josh Harder (CA-10) that would better ensure Veterans exposed to Agent Orange get the care they deserve. Specifically, this bill would expand the VA’s list of presumptive medical conditions associated with exposure to Agent Orange to include Parkinsonism, bladder cancer, hypertension, and hypothyroidism. Of this legislation, Stauber stated, “When our servicemembers join the armed forces, they make the ultimate sacrifice – they put their lives on the line for the security of our nation and the safety of our families. It is only fair that we care for these servicemembers when they return home. Vietnam Veterans have long been suffering from health problems as a result of Agent Orange exposure. That is why Congressman Harder and I introduced the Fair Care for Vietnam Veterans Act, which adds Parkinsonism, bladder cancer, hypertension, and hypothyroidism to the list of presumptive diseases associated with Agent Orange exposure, so that our Veterans can access the healthcare and disability benefits they rightfully deserve. I’m proud to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle on this important issue.” Harder stated, “These guys have waited for over 40 years for the benefits they earned and should have been getting decades ago. No more studies. No more excuses. Everyone seems to think this is the right thing to do except for some Washington bureaucrats – it’s time to stop playing games and give our vets the benefits they earned.” The addition of these diseases comes at the recommendation of the National Academy of Medicine and 83,000 Veterans will likely benefit from it. 4761542021-04-11T17:49:17ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307On Tuesday, Jan. 5, the Minnesota legislature began the 92nd biennium when all 201 members in the House of Representatives and the Senate took the oath of office. The session will continue until mid-May.Legislative Update - January 8engState268309Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621Appropriations and Programming268320Legislative Update - January 82021-01-08-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-463000" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2021-01-13T14:00:00ZOn Tuesday, Jan. 5, the Minnesota legislature began the 92nd biennium when all 201 members in the House of Representatives and the Senate took the oath of office. The session will continue until mid-May.1066On Tuesday, Jan. 5, the Minnesota legislature began the 92nd biennium when all 201 members in the House of Representatives and the Senate took the oath of office. The session will continue until mid-May. In the Minnesota House there are 134 members. The DFL has the majority with 70 seats, the GOP has 60 members and the New Republican caucus has four members. There are 23 newly elected members, which includes two members that have previously served in the House. The Minnesota Senate is comprised of 67 members. The GOP has the majority with 34 seats, the DFL has 31 seats and there are two independents. There are 10 newly elected members, two of them previously served in the House. The Veterans committee in the House will once again be chaired by Rep. Rob Ecklund of International Falls. The committee is officially known as the <a href="https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/Committees/Home/92018/" title="Labor, Industry, Veterans and Military Affairs Finance and Policy Committee" target="_blank">Labor, Industry, Veterans and Military Affairs Finance and Policy committee</a>. This means that there will be bills related to jobs policy along with Veterans and Military Affairs bills. The committee’s vice chair will be Rep. Tou Xiong of Maplewood. There are two GOP minority leads due to the increase in policy areas, Rep. Bob Dettmer of Forest Lake will lead on Veterans and Military Affairs bills and Rep. Joe McDonald of Delano will lead on jobs bills. The committee will meet on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Minnesota Senate retained the <a href="https://www.senate.mn/committees/committee_bio.php?cmte_id=3103&ls=92" title="Veterans and Military Affairs Finance and Policy Committee" target="_blank">Veterans and Military Affairs Finance and Policy committee</a>. The difference is that Sen. Andrew Lang of Olivia is now the chair of the committee after serving as the vice chair for the previous four years. Former chair Bruce Anderson of Buffalo is now the vice chair. Sen. Jerry Newton of Coon Rapids will once again serve as the DFL lead on the committee. The committee will meet on Thursday mornings at 8:30 until 10. The Senate Veterans committee met on Thursday and introduced members of the committee. It also heard agency overviews from MDVA and the Department of Military Affairs. For the time being, <a href="https://www.leg.mn.gov/cal?type=all" title="leg.mn.gov" target="_blank">all legislative committee hearings will be held remotely</a>. Links to view the meetings are available on the House and Senate websites. No Veterans bills were introduced this week.4630002021-01-13T20:57:41ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307The 2020 legislative session came to an end on Sunday night with no deals reached on a bonding bill, supplemental budget or more aid to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. All the MDVA initiatives that were mentioned last update didn’t have any legislative action along with the headline grabbing items.Legislative Update - May 22engState268309Appropriations and Programming268320Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621Legislative Update - May 222020-05-22-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-433289" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2020-05-22T13:00:00ZThe 2020 legislative session came to an end on Sunday night with no deals reached on a bonding bill, supplemental budget or more aid to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. All the MDVA initiatives that were mentioned last update didn’t have any legislative action along with the headline grabbing items.1066The 2020 legislative session came to an end on Sunday night with no deals reached on a bonding bill, supplemental budget or more aid to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. All the MDVA initiatives that were <a href="http://mn.gov/mdva/news/legislative-updates/index.jsp?id=1066-431396" target="_blank">mentioned last update</a> didn’t have any legislative action along with the headline grabbing items. Even though the regular session is over, the House and Senate expect to come back around June 12 for a special session to coincide with a potential continuation of the governor’s peacetime emergency orders. Both the House and the Senate attempted to pass bonding bills to provide funding for infrastructure repair and development throughout the state. The bills both failed on the floors of the House and the Senate. The House bill included funding for MDVA infrastructure projects. That funding was $10 million for asset preservation for the five Minnesota Veterans Homes, $4.2 million for security upgrades for the homes in Greater Minnesota and funding to complete the greenhouse at the Minnesota Veterans Home – Fergus Falls. There was also funding for a Veterans memorial in Martin County and a Veterans Memorial Greenway in Dakota County. The Senate version contained $9 million for asset preservation for the Minnesota Veterans Homes and funding for the Fergus Falls greenhouse. The bill also funded the Martin County Veterans memorial and funding to create the Veterans State Trail near Camp Ripley. If a bonding bill passes during the special session, it will likely contain a mixture of the MDVA and Veterans initiatives that each bill had. Finally, one piece of legislation that was passed by the legislature was a bill providing outdoor heritage funds. Within HF2682, carried by Rep. Leon Lillie and Sen. Carrie Ruud, a section of the bill reauthorizes funding for the Medal of Honor memorial that will be built outside of the Veterans Service Building in St. Paul.4332892020-05-22T18:54:06ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307The Minnesota Legislature is scheduled to adjourn on Monday, May 18. This gives the House and the Senate nearly 10 days to finish outstanding work that includes a supplemental budget, bonding bill and any more bills dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.Legislative Update - May 8, 2020engState268309Appropriations and Programming268320Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621Legislative Update - May 8, 20202020-05-08-weekly-state-legislative-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-431396" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2020-05-08T18:00:00ZThe Minnesota Legislature is scheduled to adjourn on Monday, May 18. This gives the House and the Senate nearly 10 days to finish outstanding work that includes a supplemental budget, bonding bill and any more bills dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.1066The Minnesota Legislature is scheduled to adjourn on Monday, May 18. This gives the House and the Senate nearly 10 days to finish outstanding work that includes a supplemental budget, bonding bill and any more bills dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. MDVA has a few priorities that are still under consideration including its own supplemental budget items, policy changes, and bonding requests. The supplemental budget items are reflected in HF 4600 and SF 4574, the bills are authored by Rep. Rob Ecklund and Sen. Bruce Anderson, the chairs of their respective chamber’s Veterans committee. The bills would provide funding to MDVA to establish a Veterans Suicide Office and housing vouchers to lessen homelessness among Veterans and other former service members. While the bills have been introduced recently, they have yet to receive a hearing. HF 998 and SF 1153 is the Veterans Restorative Justice Act, authored by Rep. Ecklund and Sen. Roger Chamberlain. The House has passed the bill through three committees and is awaiting a vote in the Ways and Means committee. It also passed in the House of Representatives last year as part of the State Government Finance bill but was not included in a final compromise with the Senate. Meanwhile, it has stalled in the Senate Judiciary Committee since February 2019. Three of MDVA’s policy changes are awaiting votes on the floor of the House and the Senate. HF4221/SF4193 makes technical changes to the Minnesota GI Bill statute. HF4222/SF4159 authorizes MDVA to provide dental service at the Minnesota Veterans Homes. HF4223/SF4158 authorizes MDVA to provide adult day care programs for Veterans and services for caregivers at the Minnesota Veterans Homes. The other policy change, HF4224/SF4180 establishes a stable housing initiative that allows resources and support for Veterans experiencing homelessness to be more streamlined. It would also allow MDVA to share or disclose data to coordinate homeless prevention efforts for Veterans that are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Both bills await hearings in the House and Senate Judiciary committees. MDVA has many requests for any bonding bill that the legislature could pass before adjourning. Requests include money for asset preservation and security upgrades for residents and staff at the Minnesota Veterans Homes. In addition to that, state funding is needed to complete a greenhouse at the MVH - Fergus Falls that has already raised private donations. Since this is the second year of the legislative biennium, no bills can be passed on May 18. Any legislation that needs to be finished before adjournment must pass before midnight on Sunday, May 17, unless a special session is called by the governor.4313962020-05-08T20:46:17ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307Veterans with service-connected trauma, substance abuse, or mental health conditions, who are accused of committing all but the most serious crimes, could receive probation and social services instead of serving jail time.Diversion Program would Offer Veterans Help Instead of Jail TimeengState268309Diversion Program would Offer Veterans Help Instead of Jail Time2020-04-28-diversion-program<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-430519" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2020-04-28T17:00:00ZVeterans with service-connected trauma, substance abuse, or mental health conditions, who are accused of committing all but the most serious crimes, could receive probation and social services instead of serving jail time.1066By Tim Walker From the House Legislation Session Summary Original <a href="https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/SessionDaily/Story/15251" target="_blank">available here</a> Veterans with service-connected trauma, substance abuse, or mental health conditions, who are accused of committing all but the most serious crimes, could receive probation and social services instead of serving jail time. Passed Thursday by the House Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform Finance and Policy Division, <a href="https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/bills/billnum.asp?Billnumber=HF717&ls_year=91&session_year=2019&session_number=0" title="H717" target="_blank">HF717</a>, <a href="https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/comm/docs/9114b3c1-47da-45ce-927d-3f741c304da6.pdf" title="Amendment" target="_blank">as amended</a>, would require courts to send such veterans who plead guilty to their offenses to probation while staying adjudication of the case. Sponsored by <a href="http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/members/membersR.asp?id=Rep_Carlos_Mariani" title="Rep. Carlos Mariani" target="_blank">Rep. Carlos Mariani (DFL-St. Paul)</a>, the bill was amended with delete-all language from <a href="https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/bills/billnum.asp?Billnumber=HF998&ls_year=91&session_year=2019&session_number=0" title="HF998">HF998</a>, <a href="https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/SessionDaily/Story/13621" title="Session Daily" target="_blank">introduced last year</a> by <a href="http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/members/membersR.asp?id=Rep_Rob_Ecklund" title="Rep. Rob Ecklund" target="_blank">Rep. Rob Ecklund</a> (DFL-International Falls). Offenders would need to plead guilty, take responsibility for committing the crime, and must submit to rehabilitative efforts and oversight deemed necessary by a court to protect the public’s safety. “It is not a free ride,” said Ecklund. The bill would only apply to veterans accused of less-severe offenses, specifically those at Level 7 or less on the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission’s <a href="http://mn.gov/msgc-stat/documents/Guidelines/2019/StandardGrid.pdf" title="Sentencing Grid" target="_blank">sentencing grid</a>. Veterans would be prohibited from entering this program if the criminal charge would require predatory offender registration. In addition, the defendant must claim the offense was committed due to a service-connected sexual trauma, traumatic brain injury, PTSD, substance abuse or mental health condition. The veteran would be given probation while the courts investigate the claim. The bill, passed on a 10-7 party-line vote, was sent to the House Ways and Means Committee. Its companion, <a href="https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/bills/billnum.asp?Billnumber=SF1153&ls_year=91&session_year=2019&session_number=0" title="SF1153" target="_blank">SF1153</a>, is sponsored by <a href="http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/members/membersR.asp?id=Sen_Roger_Chamberlain" title="Sen. Roger Chamberlain" target="_blank">Sen. Roger Chamberlain</a> (R-Lino Lakes) and awaits action by the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee. The bill has been named the Military Veteran Offenders Restorative Justice Act, and states that: “It is in the interests of justice to restore a defendant who acquired a criminal record due to a mental health condition stemming from service in the United States military to the community of law abiding citizens.” “We owe it to them to make every effort we can to make sure they can reintegrate into society,” said Ecklund. A defendant who wishes to take advantage of the special provisions for veterans in the bill would have to grant the courts access to his or her military records to determine whether the defendant’s actions were service-related. Records on how the court case is decided would remain sealed and would not be made public. <a href="http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/members/membersR.asp?id=Rep_Marion_O_Neill" title="Rep. Marion O'Neil" target="_blank">Rep. Marion O'Neill</a> (R-Maple Lake) opposes the provision to seal court records, especially in cases of domestic assault. “That will absolutely endanger victims,” she said. John Kingrey, board chair of the Veterans Defense Project, testified that although court records under this program would be sealed, they would still be retained by the courts and the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Those agencies could still access the criminal records of a veteran who reoffends after completing this diversion program, he said. O’Neill and several other Republicans expressed concern the bill would replace the existing veterans treatment courts already in place in several counties. Kingrey, who also serves as a mentor in Ramsey County’s veterans treatment court, said the intent of the bill is not to replace what now exists, but to provide uniform standards for existing <a href="http://www.mncourts.gov/Help-Topics/Treatment-Courts.aspx#Tab03Courts" title="veterans treatment courts" target="_blank">veterans treatment courts</a> and to give guidance to counties considering starting them. Currently, only 16 of Minnesota’s 87 counties have these courts. “This bill is designed to bring services primarily to Greater Minnesota where there are not veterans’ courts,” said <a href="http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/members/membersR.asp?id=Rep_Jack_Considine" title="Rep. Jack Considine Jr." target="_blank">Rep. Jack Considine Jr.</a> (DFL-Mankato). To accomplish that goal, counties and cities would be authorized to establish and operate these pretrial diversion programs for eligible veterans.4305192020-04-30T20:52:44ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307Two committees in the Minnesota House of Representatives heard Veterans related legislation during remote hearings this week. The Veterans and Military Affairs committee heard bills related to MDVA. The Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform committee heard the Veterans Restorative Justice Act.Weekly State Update - April 24, 2020engState268309Appropriations and Programming268320Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621Weekly State Update - April 24, 20202020-04-24-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-429834" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2020-04-24T20:00:00ZTwo committees in the Minnesota House of Representatives heard Veterans related legislation during remote hearings this week. The Veterans and Military Affairs committee heard bills related to MDVA. The Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform committee heard the Veterans Restorative Justice Act.1066Two committees in the Minnesota House of Representatives heard Veterans related legislation during remote hearings this week. The Veterans and Military Affairs committee heard bills related to MDVA. The Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform committee heard the Veterans Restorative Justice Act. On Tuesday, the House Veterans and Military Affairs received updates from the Minnesota Departments of Military Affairs and Veterans Affairs regarding each agency’s role in the statewide response to COVID-19. They also heard three bills related to MDVA policy changes. HF 4221 is authored by Chair Rob Ecklund (International Falls). The bill makes technical changes to the MN GI Program that is administered by MDVA. The bill was approved by the committee and sent to the House floor. HF 4222 is authored by Rep. Heather Edelson (Edina). The bill clarifies in statute and authorizes MDVA to provide a dental program to residents of the Minnesota Veterans Homes. The bill was approved by the committee and sent to the House floor. HF 4223 is authored by Rep. Todd Lippert (Northfield). The bill clarifies in statute and authorizes MDVA to provide adult day center programming for Veterans and support for their caregivers. The bill was approved by the committee and sent to the House floor. On Wednesday, the House Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform committee, chaired by Rep. Carlos Mariani (St. Paul). HF 998, authored by Rep. Ecklund, was given a hearing. This bill is the Veterans Restorative Justice Act, which would create sentencing guidelines for Veterans in the criminal justice system for service-related charges. The bill passed the committee on a 10-7 vote and re-referred to the Ways and Means committee. There are no Veterans related bills scheduled to be heard the week of April 27 – May 1 as of Friday, April 24.4298342020-04-27T13:18:35ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307The Minnesota Legislature is slowly ramping back up and returning to a new normal after a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Easter/Passover break.Legislative Update - April 17, 2020engState268309Minnesota Senate270621Minnesota House270620Appropriations and Programming268320Legislative Update - April 17, 20202020-04-17-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-428969" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2020-04-17T19:00:00ZThe Minnesota Legislature is slowly ramping back up and returning to a new normal after a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Easter/Passover break.1066The Minnesota Legislature is slowly ramping back up and returning to a new normal after a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Easter/Passover break. Physical distancing will still be in place with all committee hearings being held remotely through tele- or video-conferences. Floor sessions are being held with members participating in person (at distances of at least 6-feet apart) or remotely. During the hiatus, the legislature met a few times to pass legislation related to COVID-19, including an appropriation for grants for Veterans that have been affected by COVID-19. More information regarding these grants <a href="http://mn.gov/mdva/blog/index.jsp?id=1066-425565" title="COVID-19 Financial Grants">can be found here</a>. The House Veterans and Military Affairs committee is scheduled to resume its work on Tuesday, April 21 with a remote meeting. The committee will hear updates from the Minnesota Departments of Veterans Affairs and Military Affairs about their efforts in fighting COVID-19. The committee will also hear three bills, HFs 4221-4223. Details regarding those bills can be found <a href="/mdva/news/legislative-updates/state-bill-tracker/index.jsp" title="State Bill Tracker" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:title="010-State-Bill-Tracker-Intro">on the state bill tracker</a>. More bills and hearings could be added to the legislature’s schedule next week. All hearings will be available to the public and can be accessed through the House or Senate website.4289692026-05-08T15:59:16ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307The Minnesota Legislature adjourned around 3 a.m. on Tuesday, March 17 after passing a bill to provide funding for health care providers in the fight against COVID-19. The House and the Senate may not return until April 14.Legislative Update - March 17, 2020engAppropriations and Programming268320Minnesota Senate270621Minnesota House270620State268309Legislative Update - March 17, 20202020-03-17-legislative-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-423499" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2020-03-17T20:30:00ZThe Minnesota Legislature adjourned around 3 a.m. on Tuesday, March 17 after passing a bill to provide funding for health care providers in the fight against COVID-19. The House and the Senate may not return until April 14.1066The Minnesota Legislature adjourned around 3 a.m. on Tuesday, March 17 after passing a bill to provide funding for health care providers in the fight against COVID-19. The House and the Senate may not return until April 14. The hiatus is one attempt at adhering to the Minnesota Department of Health’s guidance for social distancing. Legislators will still be available for their constituents needs through emails, phone calls and other forms of communication. Legislative activity will be dramatically scaled back. Committees and full floor sessions will happen on an on-call basis. The goal is to provide alerts to Senators and Representatives, as well as the public with 48-hours’ notice of meetings. Moving forward, the type of bills that will be considered are put into three categories: <ol xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Bills to fight and in response to COVID-19.</li> <li>“Critical bills” such as a bonding bill to support state assets like MDVA facilities.</li> <li>Bills with bipartisan agreement among the caucuses and between both chambers of the legislature.</li> </ol> This is a rapidly shifting situation. The Legislative Office for the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs will continue to monitor and provide updates as they occur. Related updates will be posted to the <a href="/mdva/news/legislative-updates/index.jsp" title="010 Legislative Affairs Intro" xlink:title="010 Legislative Affairs Intro" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Legislative Affairs main page</a> as they are available, or you can <a href="https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNDVA/subscriber/new?topic-id=MNDVA-4%27%3EClick-to-subscribe%3C/a%3E" title="Email Updates" target="_blank">sign up here for email updates</a>.4234992026-07-15T15:20:57ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307This Wednesday (March 11) marked one month since the legislature came into session for 2020. For the week, there were seven Veterans related bills heard in three different committees.Weekly State Update - March 13, 2020engState268309Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621Appropriations and Programming268320Weekly State Update - March 13, 20202020-03-12-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-423038" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2020-03-13T21:23:30ZThis Wednesday (March 11) marked one month since the legislature came into session for 2020. For the week, there were seven Veterans related bills heard in three different committees.1066<img src="/mdva/assets/2020-03-10-leg_tcm1066-423035.jpg" title="MDVA Staff at Committee Hearing" alt="MDVA Staff at Committee Hearing" style="float: right; width: 50%; height: auto; margin: 10px;" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:title="2020-03-10-leg" />This Wednesday (March 11) marked one month since the legislature came into session for 2020. For the week, there were seven Veterans related bills heard in three different committees. On Tuesday afternoon the House Veterans and Military Affairs committee heard two Veterans bills. Rep. Bob Dettmer’s HF 3266 would provide funding for the Disabled Veterans Rest Camp in Washington County for various improvements around the campsite. The committee approved the bill and re-referred it to the Legacy committee. HF 4224 is authored by Rep. Shelly Christensen of Stillwater. It is a bill that would authorize a stable housing initiative for Veterans experiencing homelessness. It also allows MDVA to share data to coordinate homelessness prevention efforts with other entities that combat homelessness to respond quickly to a Veteran experiencing homelessness or at risk of it. This is a policy initiative of MDVA. It was approved by the committee and re-referred to the Judiciary and Civil Law committee. SF 3319 was heard in the Senate Education committee on Wednesday afternoon. It is authored by Sen. Mark Johnson and would award a high school diploma to Veterans who left their education early to fight in World War Two, the Korean War or the Vietnam War. Due to paperwork issues, the bill had to be tabled by the committee and was not approved. The Senate Veterans and Military Affairs committee met Thursday morning and considered four bills, all of which were MDVA policy initiatives. Sen. Andrew Lang carried SFs 4158 and 4159. Both bills would put into law two programs that MDVA already administers. They are the adult day care program and resident dental services, both of which are at the Minnesota Veterans Home – Minneapolis. The committee approved the bills and sent them to the Senate floor. SF 4159 is authored by Sen. Bruce Anderson and makes technical changes that clarify the Minnesota GI Bill statute. It was approved by the committee and sent to the Senate floor. Sen. Jerry Newton authors SF 4180, which is the Senate version of Rep. Christensen’s HF 4224. Like the House version, it was approved and re-referred to the Judiciary and Public Safety committee. At this point, the legislature plans to meet next week and both Veterans committees in the House and the Senate are expected to hold hearings. That could change due to the COVID-19/coronavirus pandemic. The House Veterans and Military Affairs committee will meet at 4 p.m. instead of 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday in room 120 of the State Capitol and hear four bills. The Senate Veterans and Military should meet at its normally scheduled time Thursday morning at 8:30 in room 1100 of the Minnesota Senate Building.4230382020-03-13T21:47:32ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307Eight Veterans related bills made progress this week as both Veterans and Military Affairs committees in the House and Senate held hearings. Due to scheduling conflicts, this was the first time this year that both committees met since session began on Feb. 11.Weekly State Update - March 6, 2020engState268309Appropriations and Programming268320Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621Weekly State Update - March 6, 20202020-03-06-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-422307" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2020-03-06T20:33:10ZEight Veterans related bills made progress this week as both Veterans and Military Affairs committees in the House and Senate held hearings. Due to scheduling conflicts, this was the first time this year that both committees met since session began on Feb. 11.1066Eight Veterans related bills made progress this week as both Veterans and Military Affairs committees in the House and Senate held hearings. Due to scheduling conflicts, this was the first time this year that both committees met since session began on Feb. 11. First up, the House Capital Investment committee heard HF 3608, authored by Rep. Greg Davids. This bill would provide additional money to the proposed Veterans Home in Preston. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in the bonding bill. The House Veterans and Military Affairs committee heard four bills on Tuesday afternoon. HF3324, authored by Rep. John Persell, provides funding for a Veterans retreat, called Camp Bliss in Walker. The bill was approved by the committee and re-referred to Ways and Means. HF 3204, authored by Rep. Dan Fabian would award high school diplomas to Veterans who actively served in World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam War. The committee approved the bill and re-referred to Education Policy. HF 3176 authored by Rep. Laurie Pryor would establish a license plate for Air Medal Veterans recipients. It was re-referred to Transportation Finance. HF 3552 is authored by Rep. Kristin Bahner. It would provide exemptions to plate fees for Motor Vehicles bearing Purple Heart medals license plates. Ryan Sabinish, former State Commander of the Military Order of the Purple Heart testified in favor of the bill. The bill was re-referred to Transportation Finance. The Senate Veterans and Military Affairs committee met Thursday morning and heard three bills. SF 3319 authored by Sen. Mark Johnson is the companion to Rep. Fabian’s HF 3204. The bill was approved and re-referred to the Education committee. SF 2863 is authored by Sen. Karin Housley and would provide an appropriation to the Disabled Veterans Rest Camp in Washington County. It was laid over for possible inclusion in a supplemental budget bill. SF 2983 is authored by Sen. Steve Cwodzinski and is the companion to HF 3176. It was re-referred to Transportation. The Senate Capital Investment committee will meet on Tuesday, March 10 at 8:30 a.m. in 1150 of the Minnesota Senate Building. MDVA will present its bonding proposals to the committee. The House Veterans and Military Affairs committee will meet on Tuesday, March 10 at 2:30 p.m. in room 120 of the State Capitol. The committee will hear four bills. The Senate Veterans and Military Affairs committee is expected to meet on Thursday, March 12 at 8:30 a.m. in room 1100 of the Minnesota Senate Building.4223072020-03-06T20:34:12ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307The Minnesota Legislature continued its work for the 2020 session with committee meetings and floor sessions throughout the week. Part of the week was interrupted by precinct caucuses so legislators could attend those meetings in their home districts.Weekly State Update - February 28, 2020engState268309Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621Appropriations and Programming268320Weekly State Update - February 28, 20202020-02-28-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-421492" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2020-02-28T20:00:00ZThe Minnesota Legislature continued its work for the 2020 session with committee meetings and floor sessions throughout the week. Part of the week was interrupted by precinct caucuses so legislators could attend those meetings in their home districts.1066The Minnesota Legislature continued its work for the 2020 session with committee meetings and floor sessions throughout the week. Part of the week was interrupted by precinct caucuses so legislators could attend those meetings in their home districts. On Thursday, the Senate Veterans and Military Affairs committee held its weekly scheduled meeting. They heard SF 3091, authored by Chair Bruce Anderson. The bill would exempt all buildings owned by Congressionally Chartered Veterans organizations from property taxes. The bill was approved and sent to the tax committee. In addition to that bill, the committee heard a presentation from MDVA regarding Veterans Health Care side of the agency and information about the Service CORE program, administered by Lutheran Social Services. HF 998 was also heard on Thursday morning in the House Judiciary Committee. That bill is authored by Rep. Rob Ecklund and would create sentencing guidelines for Veterans in the criminal justice system for service-related charges. The bill is commonly known as the Veterans Restorative Justice Act. The committee approved the bill without opposition and referred it to the Ways and Means committee. Next week the House Veterans and Military Affairs committee will meet after a one-week hiatus on Tuesday afternoon. They will hear four Veterans related bills including HFs 3176, 3204, 3324 and 3552. More information for those bills can be found in the state bill tracker. The Senate Veterans and Military Affairs committee will meet next Thursday morning. It will hear a presentation from the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans and three Veterans related bills (SFs 2863, 2983 and 3319).4214922020-02-28T20:14:00ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307In the first full week of the 2020 legislative session, both the House and Senate Veterans and Military Affairs committees held hearings, but Veterans legislation wasn’t the focus. Rather, both committees used most of their time to collect information from presenters.Weekly State Update - February 21, 2020engState268309Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621Appropriations and Programming268320Weekly State Update - February 21, 20202020-02-21-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-420808" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2020-02-21T20:15:00ZIn the first full week of the 2020 legislative session, both the House and Senate Veterans and Military Affairs committees held hearings, but Veterans legislation wasn’t the focus. Rather, both committees used most of their time to collect information from presenters.1066<img src="/mdva/assets/2020-02-19-dir-johnson-and-comm-herke-500_tcm1066-420806.jpg" title="2020-02-19-dir-johnson-and-comm-herke" alt="2020-02-19-dir-johnson-and-comm-herke" style="float: right; width: 50%; height: auto; margin: 10px;" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:title="2020-02-19-dir-johnson-and-comm-herke" />In the first full week of the 2020 legislative session, both the House and Senate Veterans and Military Affairs committees held hearings, but Veterans legislation wasn’t the focus. Rather, both committees used most of their time to collect information from presenters. On Tuesday, the House Veterans and Military Affairs committee heard presentations from the Minnesota Departments of Veterans Affairs and Military Affairs, as well as the University of Minnesota’s Student Veterans Association. The committee will not meet next week due to the scheduled precinct caucuses throughout the state. The Senate Veterans and Military Affairs committee met on Thursday morning. It heard a presentation from the Department of Military Affairs and approved a few national guard related bills. The one Veterans related bill that did move was SF 3269 authored by Sen. Jason Rarick. The bill simply adds the words ‘prevention’ and ‘and’ to create ‘Veterans Suicide Prevention and Awareness Day’, which was passed into law last year. SF3269 was approved by the Senate Veterans committee and was moved to the Senate floor where it will await a full vote by the chamber. The Senate committee will meet next week and hear presentations from MDVA regarding the CORE Program and Veterans Health Care reserve fund and staffing report. The committee will meet on Thursday, Feb. 27 at 8:30 in room 1100 of the Minnesota Senate Building. The House Judiciary Committee will hear HF 998, authored by Rep. Rob Ecklund. This bill is known as the Veterans Restorative Justice Act. The meeting will take place at 9:45 a.m. in Room 10 of the State Office Building.4208082020-02-21T20:59:59ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307The second half of the 91st session of the Minnesota Legislature began on Tuesday, Feb. 12 when both the House and the Senate gaveled in around noon.Weekly State Update - February 14, 2019engState268309Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621Appropriations and Programming268320Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621Appropriations and Programming268320Weekly State Update - February 14, 20202020-02-14-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-420308" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2020-02-14T20:00:00ZThe second half of the 91st session of the Minnesota Legislature began on Tuesday, Feb. 12 when both the House and the Senate gaveled in around noon.1066The second half of the 91st session of the Minnesota Legislature began on Tuesday, Feb. 12 when both the House and the Senate gaveled in around noon. Both chambers took time to recognize and honor the three members of the Minnesota National Guard who lost their lives in a helicopter crash on Dec. 5. The House also swore in two new members including Rep. Sydney Jordan of Northeast Minneapolis and Rep. Paul Novotny of Elk River. No Veterans legislation was heard in committee, but several bills were introduced. To see them, check out this week’s updates to <a href="/mdva/news/legislative-updates/state-bill-tracker/index.jsp" title="State Bill Tracker" target="_blank" xlink:title="010-State-Bill-Tracker-Intro" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">the state bill tracker</a>. Next week, the House Veterans and Military Affairs committee will meet on Tuesday, Feb. 18 at 2:30 p.m. and hear presentations from the Departments of Military Affairs and Veterans Affairs as well as the Student Veterans Association of Minnesota. The Senate Veterans and Military Affairs committee will meet on Thursday, Feb. 20 at 8:30 a.m. and will hear a presentation from the Department of Military Affairs. It will not hear Veterans related bills.4203082026-05-08T15:59:13ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Tom Emmer (MN-06) introduced the Same-Day Accountability Veterans Enhancement (SAVE) Act to ensure the Veterans Administration has accountability mechanisms in place to successfully offer same-day physical and mental health treatment to Veterans in need. This legislation will ensure the implementation and progress of this initiative are tracked and documented for oversight and accountability. Emmer Introduces Legislation to Ensure Veterans Receive Quality Same-Day ServicesengFederal268310Tom Emmer418747Emmer Introduces Legislation to Ensure Veterans Receive Quality Same-Day Services2020-02-04-emmer-introduces-same-day-services<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-418749" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2020-01-30T20:00:00ZWashington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Tom Emmer (MN-06) introduced the Same-Day Accountability Veterans Enhancement (SAVE) Act to ensure the Veterans Administration has accountability mechanisms in place to successfully offer same-day physical and mental health treatment to Veterans in need. This legislation will ensure the implementation and progress of this initiative are tracked and documented for oversight and accountability. 1066Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Tom Emmer (MN-06) introduced the Same-Day Accountability Veterans Enhancement (SAVE) Act to ensure the Veterans Administration has accountability mechanisms in place to successfully offer same-day physical and mental health treatment to Veterans in need. This legislation will ensure the implementation and progress of this initiative are tracked and documented for oversight and accountability. "Our Veterans deserve the best possible care this country can provide," Emmer said. '"Their sacrifice has earned them the respect and attention of their fellow Americans. I introduced this legislation to ensure they are receiving the timely care they need. Whether it be a debilitating physical ailment or the struggle of an invisible mental illness, they need to be treated immediately." "Accountability and oversight are vital and I will continue to ensure the Veterans Administration is holding to their promise to care for our Veterans. I look forward to working with my colleagues to further serve our nation's heroes." Emmer concluded. Background: In 2014, Congress conducted hearings to address the high volume of complaints from Veterans nationwide who were experiencing prolonged delays in care at Veterans Affairs medical centers. The Veterans Administration proposed an initiative to provide same-day services as a solution to this unacceptable pattern. While this is a noble effort by the Veterans Administration, a 2019 U.S. Government Accountability Office report showed that the Veterans Health Administration lacked documented objectives and performance goals, leaving progress difficult to track. The lack of documentation has complicated implementation and oversight of this initiative. The SAVE Act would apply these accountability measures and ensure the implementation of same-day delivery, with specific emphasis on Veterans struggling with mental illness who are in need of immediate crisis care. This legislation has received the support of the Paralyzed Veterans of America, the Disabled Veterans of America, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Read the <a href="https://emmer.house.gov/_cache/files/f/0/f0c78d6a-1a36-4eb6-bd20-82c459a2772f/FCC72C770F5D0BB0F6AF335874B88A6D.emmer-029-xml.pdf" target="_blank">text of the Same-Day Accountability Veterans Enhancement (SAVE) Act here</a>. ###4187492020-02-04T20:22:49ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307Klobuchar’s staff will hold discussions alongside representatives from the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs, County Veterans Service Officers, and Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development to highlight earned benefits available to Veterans and offer assistance on benefit applications Members of the public, particularly Veterans and those caring for Veterans, are invited to join these discussionsNOVEMBER 19-20: Klobuchar Staff to Hold Public Veterans Services Roundtable DiscussionsengFederal268310Amy Klobuchar269749NOVEMBER 19-20: Klobuchar Staff to Hold Public Veterans Services Roundtable Discussions2019-11-18-sen-klobuchar-roundtable-discussions<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-410680" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2019-11-18T19:15:37ZKlobuchar’s staff will hold discussions alongside representatives from the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs, County Veterans Service Officers, and Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development to highlight earned benefits available to Veterans and offer assistance on benefit applications Members of the public, particularly Veterans and those caring for Veterans, are invited to join these discussionsKlobuchar’s staff will hold discussions alongside representatives from the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs, County Veterans Service Officers, and Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development to highlight earned benefits available to Veterans and offer assistance on benefit applications Members of the public, particularly Veterans and those caring for Veterans, are invited to join these discussions1066MINNEAPOLIS– On Tuesday, November 19 and Wednesday, November 20, representatives from U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar’s office will hold a series of discussions alongside the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs, County Veterans Service Officers, and Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development in Southern Minnesota to highlight the earned benefits available to Veterans and to offer assistance on benefit applications. On Tuesday, November 19, Klobuchar’s staff will host discussions in Jackson, Fairmont, and Albert Lea. On Wednesday, November 20, Klobuchar’s staff will host discussions in Rochester and Winona. These events are free and members of the public, particularly Veterans and those caring for Veterans, are encouraged to attend. Tuesday, November 19 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. County Government Center Cafeteria 402 White Street Jackson, MN 56143 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Martin County Library 110 North Park Street Fairmont, MN 56031 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. American Legion Post 56 142 North Broadway Avenue Albert Lea, MN 56007 Wednesday, November 20 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. American Legion Post 92 915 21st Avenue Southeast Rochester, MN 55904 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. American Legion Post 9 302 East Sarnia Street Winona, MN 55987 This month, Klobuchar led a letter to the United States Department of the Air Force and the Air Force Reserve Personnel Command (ARPC) expressing concern regarding delays in determining Veterans’ military pensions and asking for immediate action to ensure that our retired servicemembers receive the benefits they have earned. Throughout her time in the Senate, Klobuchar has worked across the aisle to modernize G.I. Bill benefits for our troops, strengthen funding for Veterans’ health care and improve mental health care for our nation’s soldiers. She has also authored bipartisan bills on behalf of our nation’s Veterans and their families to expand job training and employment opportunities, cut red tape and wait times for Veterans scheduling appointments at VA Medical Facilities, and reduce Veterans’ homelessness. In January, Klobuchar and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) introduced the bipartisan Veterans Access to Care Act, which would help improve Veterans’ medical care by allowing facilities with a need for additional health care professionals to apply to be designated as a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA). Once designated, these facilities would have access to the National Health Service Corps, which provides service-obligated scholarships and loan forgiveness to health professional students who pledge to practice in a HPSA for at least two years. In September 2018, the Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act was signed into law and included Klobuchar and Senator Thom Tillis’ (R-NC) legislation to help servicemembers who have been affected by harmful burn pits. The Helping Veterans Exposed to Burn Pits Act created a center of excellence within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to better understand the health effects associated with burn pits and treat Veterans who become sick after exposure. And last year, Klobuchar and Senator Todd Young (R-IN) introduced the Department of Veterans Affairs Oversight Enhancement Act of 2018, bipartisan legislation to increase Congressional oversight of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in collaboration with the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). She and Young also led a bipartisan letter urging the VA to give prompt consideration to the recommendations for improving Veterans’ access to mental health services as noted in the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, which highlighted the substantial unmet need for mental health services for Veterans who served in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. ###4106802019-11-18T19:29:07ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307WASHINGTON, D.C. [11/07/19]—With Veterans Day around the corner, today U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) introduced legislation to reduce the red tape many Veterans face when trying to get care for hearing loss as a result of their service—something many Veterans say is an enormous burden despite being the most common service-connected ailment. Sen. Smith heard about this problem through her office’s Veterans’ health care tour last year, which visited some 10 communities throughout Minnesota to hear what health challenges Veterans face.Ahead of Veterans Day, U.S. Senator Tina Smith Introduces Bill to Help Veterans Get Care for Hearing Loss, Their Most Common Service-Related Health IssueengFederal268310Tina Smith332173Ahead of Veterans Day, U.S. Senator Tina Smith Introduces Bill to Help Veterans Get Care for Hearing Loss, Their Most Common Service-Related Health Issue2019-11-07-sen-smith-hearing<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-413291" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2019-11-07T15:00:00ZWASHINGTON, D.C. [11/07/19]—With Veterans Day around the corner, today U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) introduced legislation to reduce the red tape many Veterans face when trying to get care for hearing loss as a result of their service—something many Veterans say is an enormous burden despite being the most common service-connected ailment. Sen. Smith heard about this problem through her office’s Veterans’ health care tour last year, which visited some 10 communities throughout Minnesota to hear what health challenges Veterans face.Senator’s “Veterans Hearing Benefits Act” Would Help Veterans Suffering From Both Hearing Loss and Tinnitus Incurred in Line of Duty Receive Benefits They’ve Earned1066WASHINGTON, D.C. [11/07/19]—With Veterans Day around the corner, today U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) introduced legislation to reduce the red tape many Veterans face when trying to get care for hearing loss as a result of their service—something many Veterans say is an enormous burden despite being the most common service-connected ailment. Sen. Smith heard about this problem through her office’s Veterans’ health care tour last year, which visited some 10 communities throughout Minnesota to hear what health challenges Veterans face. You can access a summary of the bill <a href="https://smithsenate.app.box.com/s/bbfx2dewc80tznpwadmdxt3i9ss87tzb" title="Bill Summary" target="_blank">here</a> and text of the bill <a href="https://smithsenate.app.box.com/s/qmuwlgy5z2wax8gu3pm8dgf4yc9dlgae" title="Bill Text" target="_blank">here</a>. Currently, Veterans receiving benefits through the VA must document hearing loss or tinnitus incurred while in the line of duty in order to qualify for benefits when seeking treatment for these conditions. However, many Veterans are not diagnosed until after they are discharged. This places a significant burden on Veterans to prove that their hearing loss or tinnitus is the result of their time in the military. Sen. Smith’s legislation—the Veterans Hearing Benefit Act—would provide presumption for hearing loss and tinnitus to Veterans who served in combat or in a military specialty where they were exposed to repeated loud noises, such as those who worked around heavy artillery, thus making it easier for Veterans to establish service-connection and get the benefits they’ve earned. “The agreement for the men and women who serve in our military is this: if you’ve experienced a health related issue because of your sacrifice, it’s our job to take care of you,” said Sen. Smith. “I’ve heard from Minnesotans who have to jump through hoops before getting access to care for hearing loss—which is widespread among Veterans—and I’ve introduced this bill to make sure veterans in Minnesota and states across the country get the care they deserve.” The Veterans Hearing Benefits Act would also amend the Schedule for Rating Disabilities to provide a minimum compensable evaluation for any service connected hearing loss for which a hearing aid is medically required. Last year, Sen. Smith tasked her staff with traveling across the state as part of her “Veterans Listening Tour” to hear about the challenges Veterans face in securing benefits, and to explain how her office can advocate on their behalf. In these meetings, Minnesota Veterans brought up having trouble receiving coverage for hearing loss. In addition to her legislation introduced today, Sen. Smith has pressed for legislation to provide resources to help Veterans gain access to employment and child care benefits, as well as measures that would address homelessness among Veterans and increase medical research that impact Veterans’ health. Sen. Smith’s bill is companion legislation to U.S. Representative Nydia Velazuez’s bill (D-N.Y. 7) in the House. You can access a summary of Sen. Smith’s bill <a href="https://smithsenate.app.box.com/s/bbfx2dewc80tznpwadmdxt3i9ss87tzb" title="Bill Summary" target="_blank">here</a> and text of the bill <a href="https://smithsenate.app.box.com/s/qmuwlgy5z2wax8gu3pm8dgf4yc9dlgae" title="Bill Text" target="_blank">here</a>. 4132912019-12-16T19:18:31ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307[WASHINGTON, 07/17/19] – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) said U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is making up to $16 million available to eligible groups and organizations to fund efforts to get veterans and non-traditional farmers in Minnesota and across the country get into agriculture. U.S. Sen. Tina Smith: $16 Million in USDA Funding Available To Organizations Helping Veterans, Non-Traditional Farmers Get Into AgricultureengFederal268310Tina Smith332173U.S. Sen. Tina Smith: $16 Million in USDA Funding Available To Organizations Helping Veterans, Non-Traditional Farmers Get Into Agriculture2019-07-19-sen-smith-16-million-in-usda-funding-available-to-organizations-helping-veterans<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-393601" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2019-07-17T17:00:00Z[WASHINGTON, 07/17/19] – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) said U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is making up to $16 million available to eligible groups and organizations to fund efforts to get veterans and non-traditional farmers in Minnesota and across the country get into agriculture. Senator Pushed to Authorize Funds in 2018 Farm Bill That Became Law in December1066[WASHINGTON, 07/17/19] – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) said U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is making up to $16 million available to eligible groups and organizations to fund efforts to get veterans and non-traditional farmers in Minnesota and across the country get into agriculture. Sen. Smith, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, said she pushed to reauthorize the funding during the debate over the 2018 Farm Bill - which was signed into law late last year. The funding is available through the USDA’s Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Program (also known as the 2501 Program). “Too often, Minnesota Veterans or residents from communities who traditionally have not been involved in agriculture, find barriers to getting into farming,” said Sen Smith. “The 2018 Farm Bill authorized funding to remedy that. These funds are available to groups, organizations, and higher education institutions that want to assist them in getting started. I encourage those eligible to apply for this opportunity.” Eligible applicants include not-for-profit organizations, community-based organizations, and a range of higher education institutions serving African-American, American Indian, Alaska Native, Hispanic, Asian, and Pacific Islander communities. The deadline for applications is August 15, 2019. See the <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/07/16/2019-14825/office-of-partnerships-and-public-engagement-outreach-and-assistance-for-socially-disadvantaged" title="request for applications" target="_blank">request for applications</a> for full details. <h3 style="text-align: center;" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">USDA Teleconferences to Help With Application Process</h3> USDA will host two teleconferences during the open period of this announcement to answer questions from interested applicants. July 23, 2019, 2:00 p.m. EDT, 800-230-1085, passcode: 469845 August 6, 2019, 2:00 p.m. EDT, 800-230-1059, passcode:4698463936012019-07-19T18:14:13ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307While the State Government Finance and Veterans bill featured many Veterans-related provisions, it wasn’t the only piece of legislation passed during the one-day Special Session that included Veterans policies. There were four other bills that featured elements which benefit Veterans and their families.Other Veterans policy passed in budget billsengState268309Appropriations and Programming268320Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621Other Veterans policy passed in budget bills2019-05-30-other-policies-passed<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-386484" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2019-05-30T17:54:20ZWhile the State Government Finance and Veterans bill featured many Veterans-related provisions, it wasn’t the only piece of legislation passed during the one-day Special Session that included Veterans policies. There were four other bills that featured elements which benefit Veterans and their families.1066While the State Government Finance and Veterans bill featured many Veterans-related provisions, it wasn’t the only piece of legislation passed during the one-day Special Session that included Veterans policies. There were four other bills that featured elements which benefit Veterans and their families. Tax bill <a href="https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?f=HF5&y=2019&ssn=1&b=house" title="Tax Bill">2019, 1st Special Session HF5 is the Omnibus Tax bill</a>. This piece of legislation included the elimination of the 8-year limit for surviving spouses to use the disabled Veteran Homestead Market Exclusion. This will allow widows and widowers to stay in their home as long as they want after the death of their Veteran spouse. Secondly, the tax bill included a provision to allow County Assessors to communicate with County Veterans Service Officers so that they can administer the Homestead Market Exclusion more efficiently. The application date for the Homestead Market Exclusion is also changing from July 1 to Dec. 15 starting with assessment year 2019. Finally, the investment threshold for Veteran-owned small businesses to earn the angel investor credit is lowered from $10,000 to $7,500. Legacy bill <a href="https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?f=SF3&y=2019&ssn=1&b=senate" title="Legacy Bill" target="_blank">Special Session SF3 is the Legacy funding bill</a>. This bill uses money from the Outdoor Heritage, Clean Water, Parks and Trails, and Arts and Cultural Heritage fund that were established after Minnesota voters passed the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment in 2008. For Veterans, the bill provides funding to the Minnesota Military Museum to document the service of post-9/11 Veterans in anticipation of the 20th anniversary in 2021. Funding is also appropriated to the museum to care for, catalog and display the collection of General John Vessey. Martin County received funding for the design and construction of a Veterans memorial. Finally, the bill included funding for the Association of Minnesota Public Educational Radio Stations (AMPERS) for the Veterans’ Voices program to document the stories of Korean War Veterans. Jobs bill <a href="https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=house&f=hf2&ssn=1&y=2019" title="Jobs Bill">Special Session HF2 is the Jobs, Energy and Commerce finance bill</a>. The bill includes a grant to the Construction Careers Foundation for the Helmet to Hard Hats initiative which helps Veterans participate in apprenticeship programs in the building and construction industry. The apprenticeship programs must be registered with the Department of Labor and Industry. Judiciary bill <a href="https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=senate&f=sf8&ssn=1&y=2019" title="Judiciary Bill" target="_blank">Special Session SF8 is the Judiciary and Public Safety finance bill</a>. It includes a one-time grant to a domestic abuse prevention program for Veterans and current and former service members, and their families. Governor Walz is expected to sign all of the bills passed during the Special Session.3864842019-05-30T18:04:11ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307In accordance with the Minnesota constitution, the 2019 legislative session came to an end on Monday, May 20 with major components of the two-year state budget left unfinished. A one-day special session was called for Friday, May 24 so that the Minnesota House and Senate could finish passing budget bills. Included in that session was the State Government and Veterans Finance bill, which funds the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) and also has Veteran related policy changes.Senate File 10 - Special Session SummaryengState268309Appropriations and Programming268320Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621Senate File 10 - Special Session Summary2019-05-30-special-session-summary<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-386480" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2019-05-30T17:41:09ZIn accordance with the Minnesota constitution, the 2019 legislative session came to an end on Monday, May 20 with major components of the two-year state budget left unfinished. A one-day special session was called for Friday, May 24 so that the Minnesota House and Senate could finish passing budget bills. Included in that session was the State Government and Veterans Finance bill, which funds the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) and also has Veteran related policy changes.1066In accordance with the Minnesota constitution, the 2019 legislative session came to an end on Monday, May 20 with major components of the two-year state budget left unfinished. A one-day special session was called for Friday, May 24 so that the Minnesota House and Senate could finish passing budget bills. Included in that session was the State Government and Veterans Finance bill, which funds the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) and also has Veteran related policy changes. The State Government, Veterans & Military Affairs Finance bill was <a href="https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?f=SF10&y=2019&ssn=1&b=senate" title="SF10 - 1st Special Session" target="_blank">SF10 – 1st Special Session</a>. In the Senate it was authored by Sen. Mary Kiffmeyer and by Rep. Michael Nelson in the House. The bill funded all of MDVA’s requested funding increases including operations adjustments for the Programs & Services division, the state cemeteries and an increase in the Case Management, Outreach, Referral, and Education (C.O.R.E.) program. The bill also appropriates money for the Armed Forces Service Center at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport so that the center can replace furniture and beds for users of the facility as they move into new space in Terminal One. The Medal of Honor Memorial on the Capitol Grounds was also funded, so long as a certain threshold of private donations are received. There were a few policy changes included in SF10 including the establishment of POW and MIA Recognition Day (first Friday in September), Veterans Suicide Awareness Day (first Saturday of October) and American Allies Day (June 30) and the Hmong Special Guerrilla Units Remembrance Day (May 14). The bill also clarifies the duties of the MDVA commissioner, which is solely a technical change. The Senate passed SF10 with a vote of 65-2. The House approved it on a 77-49 vote. Governor Walz received the bill from the legislature on Tuesday, May 28 and is expected to sign it.3864802019-05-31T20:44:26ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307WASHINGTON, D.C. [05/16/2019]—United States Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) is pushing to get servicemembers the student loan payments they have been incorrectly denied under existing law. In a letter to Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan, Sen. Smith expressed her support for a proposed “matching agreement” with the Department of Education which would enable servicemembers to automatically get the refunds they are owed. The letter was led by Sens. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).U.S. Senator Tina Smith Pushes for Service Members to Receive Owed Student Loan BenefitsengFederal268310U.S. Senator Tina Smith Pushes for Service Members to Receive Owed Student Loan Benefits2019-05-17-smith-pushes-for-service-members-to-receive-owed-student-loan-benefits<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-384948" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2019-05-16T19:21:52ZWASHINGTON, D.C. [05/16/2019]—United States Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) is pushing to get servicemembers the student loan payments they have been incorrectly denied under existing law. In a letter to Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan, Sen. Smith expressed her support for a proposed “matching agreement” with the Department of Education which would enable servicemembers to automatically get the refunds they are owed. The letter was led by Sens. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).Eligible Servicemembers Have Potentially Overpaid Tens of Millions in Federal Student Loan Interest Payments Because of Lack of Communication Between Federal Agencies1066WASHINGTON, D.C. [05/16/2019]—United States Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) is pushing to get servicemembers the student loan payments they have been incorrectly denied under existing law. In a letter to Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan, Sen. Smith expressed her support for a proposed “matching agreement” with the Department of Education which would enable servicemembers to automatically get the refunds they are owed. The letter was led by Sens. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). "The new matching agreement should allow all eligible servicemembers and veterans-including those who were formerly eligible-to automatically receive refunds for any interest amounts that they paid to the federal government, but never owed," wrote the senators." Student loan indebtedness can adversely impact the readiness of our military personnel, which is why your work to establish this matching agreement is critical." This letter continues Sen. Smith’s fight to protect the economic security of our servicemembers. Earlier this year, <a href="https://www.smith.senate.gov/us-senator-tina-smith-fights-protect-veterans-economic-security">she pushed for bipartisan reform to bankruptcy law</a> to protect veterans experiencing financial hardship. She also has <a href="https://www.smith.senate.gov/sens-tina-smith-thom-tillis-lead-bipartisan-reintroduction-bill-support-health-care-atomic-veterans">led a bipartisan effort</a> to deliver compensation for veterans who cleaned up nuclear testing sites in the Marshall Islands during the late 1970’s. In addition to Sens. Smith, Murray, and Warren, the letter was also signed by Sens. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Doug Jones (D-Ala.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). You can read a full copy of the letter <a href="https://smithsenate.box.com/shared/static/wq3858bwubflohd3njyj83xxyb2y5i36.pdf&data" target="_blank">here</a>. ### 3849482019-05-17T19:36:33ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307Starting this past Monday, conference committees started their work to find consensus among the finance bills that were passed by the Minnesota House and Senate. The committee for SF 2227, the State Government Finance and Veterans bill met three times this week to begin its consideration of the bill.Weekly State Update - May 10, 2019engState268309Weekly State Update - May 10, 20192019-05-10-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-384489" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2019-05-10T14:35:05ZStarting this past Monday, conference committees started their work to find consensus among the finance bills that were passed by the Minnesota House and Senate. The committee for SF 2227, the State Government Finance and Veterans bill met three times this week to begin its consideration of the bill.1066Starting this past Monday, conference committees started their work to find consensus among the finance bills that were passed by the Minnesota House and Senate. The committee for SF 2227, the State Government Finance and Veterans bill met three times this week to begin its consideration of the bill. The committee held its first meeting and went through the entirety of each version passed by the House and the Senate. The next day, they took public testimony from a wide range of people including Commissioner Larry Herke. Finally on Thursday, the committee went through same-and-similar language. Nothing has been adopted for a final compromise bill. Work is expected to continue on Monday (May 13) afternoon. The Minnesota House of Representatives passed HF 810, authored by Rep. John Heinrich. This bill allows the Capitol Area Architectural and Planning Board to install a new memorial plaque to be placed in the court of honor on the Capitol grounds, replacing the current plaque, to honor all Minnesota Veterans who served during World War I. The replacement plaque and design would come at no cost. The vote on the bill was 116-0.3844892019-05-14T15:04:59ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307This week the legislature finished its work on each chamber’s respective budget bills. Conference committees have now been formed to iron out the differences between the bills passed by the House and the Senate.Weekly State Update - May 3, 2019engState268309Weekly State Update - May 3, 20192019-05-03-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-383442" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2019-05-03T18:39:12ZThis week the legislature finished its work on each chamber’s respective budget bills. Conference committees have now been formed to iron out the differences between the bills passed by the House and the Senate.1066This week the legislature finished its work on each chamber’s respective budget bills. Conference committees have now been formed to iron out the differences between the bills passed by the House and the Senate. On Tuesday, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed its version of SF 2227, the State Government Finance bill. Rep. Michael Nelson of Brooklyn Park is the bill author. The bill passed with no major changes to Veterans policy or for MDVA. The vote was 73-58. By the end of Wednesday, the conference committee members were named. The House will be led by Reps. Nelson, Rob Ecklund (International Falls), Mike Freiberg (Golden Valley), Ray Dehn (Minneapolis) and Debra Kiel (Crookston). Senate members include Senators Mary Kiffmeyer (Big Lake), Bruce Anderson (Buffalo), Mark Koran (North Branch), Andrew Mathews (Milaca) and Jim Carlson (Eagan). Sen. Kiffmeyer and Rep. Nelson will alternate who leads the committee each day, starting with Kiffmeyer. Finally, the Minnesota Senate passed SF 242 with a vote of 65-0. The bill, authored by Sen. Dan Hall, would establish every third Friday in September as POW and MIA Recognition Day in Minnesota. The House version of this bill is awaiting a full vote of the chamber.3834422019-05-03T19:05:26ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307The legislature returned from its time off to recognize Easter and Passover. Both the House and Senate worked almost exclusively on finance bills to fund state government. Both chambers are expected to finish work on every finance bill by Wednesday, May 1 so that conference committees can begin working out the differences between bills.Weekly State Update - April 26, 2019engState268309Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621Appropriations and Programming268320Weekly State Update - April 26, 20192019-04-26-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-382472" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2019-04-26T22:58:49ZThe legislature returned from its time off to recognize Easter and Passover. Both the House and Senate worked almost exclusively on finance bills to fund state government. Both chambers are expected to finish work on every finance bill by Wednesday, May 1 so that conference committees can begin working out the differences between bills.1066The legislature returned from its time off to recognize Easter and Passover. Both the House and Senate worked almost exclusively on finance bills to fund state government. Both chambers are expected to finish work on every finance bill by Wednesday, May 1 so that conference committees can begin working out the differences between bills. On Tuesday, the Senate Finance committee added the language from Sen. Bruce Anderson’s SF 2358, the Veterans and Military Affairs omnibus bill into SF 2227, the State Government Finance bill authored by Sen. Mary Kiffmeyer. The committee also appropriated additional money to the Care Management, Outreach, Referral, and Education (C.O.R.E.) program. With that change in place, the bill was sent to the Senate floor. On Thursday, the full Senate took up SF 2227. No significant Veterans related changes were made. With a 37-28 vote, the Senate passed the State Government Finance bill. The Minnesota House is expected take up its version of the bill on Tuesday, April 30. The Senate also unveiled its tax bill this week, SF 5 is authored by Sen. Roger Chamberlain. It included changes to the Homestead Market Exclusion for disabled Veterans. The first is changing the application due date from July 1 to Dec. 15. The second change gives county Veterans service officers and county assessors permission to share data in order to administrate the exclusion. Finally, it eliminated the 8-year limit that surviving spouses can use the exclusion upon death of the Veteran.3824722019-04-26T23:07:28ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307This week featured the third deadline at the Minnesota Legislature. This means that budget bills need to be passed out of their respective committees as well as the Ways and Means committee in the House and the Senate Finance committee. The next step is for each of the finance bills to be given a full vote in each chamber by the end of April.Weekly State Update - April 12, 2019engState268309Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621Appropriations and Programming268320Weekly State Update - April 12, 20192019-04-12-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-379816" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2019-04-12T17:55:49ZThis week featured the third deadline at the Minnesota Legislature. This means that budget bills need to be passed out of their respective committees as well as the Ways and Means committee in the House and the Senate Finance committee. The next step is for each of the finance bills to be given a full vote in each chamber by the end of April.1066This week featured the third deadline at the Minnesota Legislature. This means that budget bills need to be passed out of their respective committees as well as the Ways and Means committee in the House and the Senate Finance committee. The next step is for each of the finance bills to be given a full vote in each chamber by the end of April. On Wednesday and Thursday, the Senate Finance committee heard Sen. Bruce Anderson’s SF 2358, the Omnibus Veterans and Military Affairs bill. The committee considered and passed an amendment which shifted funding from the Veterans Health Care division to the Programs & Services Division and added language to include an explicit appropriation to the State’s Veterans Cemeteries. The State Cemeteries are now being funded at MDVA’s requested amount, while the Programs and Services request still falls short. The committee approved the bill and sent it to the Senate floor. On Friday, the House Ways and Means committee heard the companion to SF 2358. HF 2086 is authored by Rep. Rob Ecklund. The bill was passed and laid over for incorporation into HF 1935, the State Government Finance omnibus bill. HF 1935 was approved and sent to the House floor. The Legislature will begin Easter/Passover break on Saturday, April 13 and will reconvene on Tuesday, April 23. During this time committees will not meet and legislative action will not take place.3798162019-04-12T18:11:15ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307On Thursday, the Senate Veterans and Military Affairs committee held a hearing on Sen. Bruce Anderson’s SF 2358, the Veterans and Military Affairs finance and policy bill. It was approved by the committee and re-referred to the Finance committee. The bill is expected to be combined with the State Government Finance omnibus bill.Summary: Senate Veterans and Military Affairs OmnibusengState268309Appropriations and Programming268320Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621Summary: Senate Veterans and Military Affairs Omnibus2019-04-04-summary-senate-veterans-and-military-affairs-omnibus<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-378631" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2019-04-04T20:24:45ZOn Thursday, the Senate Veterans and Military Affairs committee held a hearing on Sen. Bruce Anderson’s SF 2358, the Veterans and Military Affairs finance and policy bill. It was approved by the committee and re-referred to the Finance committee. The bill is expected to be combined with the State Government Finance omnibus bill.1066On Thursday, the Senate Veterans and Military Affairs committee held a hearing on Sen. Bruce Anderson’s SF 2358, the Veterans and Military Affairs finance and policy bill. It was approved by the committee and re-referred to the Finance committee. The bill is expected to be combined with the State Government Finance omnibus bill. The first part of the bill provides agency funding for MDVA and Military Affairs. It funds MDVA at its base level, but does not include operating adjustment funding for the Programs and Services division, State Veterans Cemeteries and the Minnesota Service C.O.R.E. program administered by Lutheran Social Services. The bill also provides refurbishment funding for the Armed Forces Service Center at the Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport so that they can purchase new furniture and beds as they move to a bigger space at Terminal 1. The final piece of funding is for the Medal of Honor Memorial that will be built on the Capitol Complex. There are three new Veterans appreciation days established in the bill. POW/MIA Day would take place each year on the third Friday in September. Veterans Suicide Awareness Day would take place the first Saturday in every October moving forward. Finally, American Allies Day would take place on June 30 each year. The bill also authorizes a change to the World War I plaque in the Court of Honor in the Capitol Complex. The change seeks to honor all Minnesota Veterans who have served during The Great War at home and abroad. There would be no cost to the state to make this change as it would be funded privately. Finally, the last piece of the bill clarifies the duties of the commissioner to implement the programs of MDVA, Programs and Services, and the Minnesota Veterans Homes. This is solely a technical change.3786312019-04-04T20:29:47ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307On Tuesday, the House Veterans and Military Affairs committee held a hearing on HF 2086, the Veterans and Military Affairs finance and policy bill. It was approved by the committee and re-referred to the Ways and Means committee. The bill is expected to be combined with the State Government Finance omnibus bill.Summary: House Veterans and Military Affairs OmnibusengState268309Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621Appropriations and Programming268320Summary: House Veterans and Military Affairs Omnibus2019-04-03-summary-house-veterans-and-military-affairs-omnibus<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-378388" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2019-04-03T16:09:59ZOn Tuesday, the House Veterans and Military Affairs committee held a hearing on HF 2086, the Veterans and Military Affairs finance and policy bill. It was approved by the committee and re-referred to the Ways and Means committee. The bill is expected to be combined with the State Government Finance omnibus bill.1066On Tuesday, the House Veterans and Military Affairs committee held a hearing on HF 2086, the Veterans and Military Affairs finance and policy bill. It was approved by the committee and re-referred to the Ways and Means committee. The bill is expected to be combined with the State Government Finance omnibus bill. The bill features 11 components. The first two fund MDVA and the department of Military Affairs. MDVA’s funding request was met in this bill and even had more money to fund additional programs and services. The other nine pieces of this bill are the inclusion of the following bills that were heard by the committee: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>HF 143 is authored by Chair Rob Ecklund, it appropriates money for the Armed Forces Service Center at the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport so that the center can replace furniture and beds for users of the facility.</li> <li>HF 203 gives county Veterans service officers and county assessors permission to share data in order to administrate the exclusion. This is authored by Rep. Marion O’Neill and is also included in the Property Tax Division report, which will become a part of the tax bill.</li> <li>The omnibus includes a modified version of HF 430, authored by Rep. Jay Xiong. It appropriates money for a Veterans justice grant program. The money used will support Veterans through education, outreach and legal training for those involved in the criminal justice system.</li> <li>HF 889 is also authored by Rep. Xiong. It revises the definition of “Veteran” for purposes of Minnesota GI Bill benefits. It better aligns the statutory definition of Veteran with the program. This change is technical and does not expand or restrict the program.</li> <li>HF 998 is authored by Chair Ecklund. It provides sentencing guidelines for Veterans charged with criminal offenses related to a service-related disorder.</li> <li>HF 1189 is also authored by Chair Ecklund. It funds the Care Management, Outreach, Referral, and Education (C.O.R.E.) program that is administrated by Lutheran Social Services through a grant from MDVA.</li> <li>HF 1773 is authored by Rep. Bob Dettmer. It would give funding for a memorial commemorating Minnesota Medal of Honor recipients. The funding would only be accessible if a certain threshold of private donations are raised.</li> <li>HFs 1958 and 1959 are both authored by Rep. Ecklund, they are MDVA sponsored initiatives. The first bill allows the agency to use funds to contract with publicity representatives. The second seeks to clarify the duties of the commissioner to implement the programs of MDVA, Programs and Services, and the Minnesota Veterans Homes. This is solely a technical change.</li> </ul>3783882019-04-03T17:16:19ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307Despite the second committee deadline taking place on Friday, March 29, the legislature was fairly quiet in terms of Veterans related policy. That should change next week because budget bills have started to roll out and will be heard in committees.Weekly State Update - March 29engState268309Appropriations and Programming268320Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621Weekly State Update - March 292019-03-29-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-377954" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2019-03-29T20:56:41ZDespite the second committee deadline taking place on Friday, March 29, the legislature was fairly quiet in terms of Veterans related policy. That should change next week because budget bills have started to roll out and will be heard in committees.1066Despite the second committee deadline taking place on Friday, March 29, the legislature was fairly quiet in terms of Veterans related policy. That should change next week because budget bills have started to roll out and will be heard in committees. On Tuesday, the House Veterans and Military Affairs committee held its regularly scheduled meeting. It received an introduction to Major General John Jensen, heard a presentation from the United Veterans Legislative Council along with two bills. The first bill was HF 143, authored by Rep. Rob Ecklund. It would appropriate money for the Armed Forces Service Center at the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport so that the center can replace furniture and beds for users of the facility. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in the finance bill. The second bill was a resolution from Rep. John Persell. It urges the federal government to fund the construction costs for the three new Veterans homes in Bemidji, Montevideo and Preston. It was approved and sent to the House floor. The Senate Veterans and Military Affairs committee did not meet at its regularly scheduled time on Thursday morning. The House Property Tax Division unveiled what they call a division report, which will eventually become a part of the House Tax bill. This included a few changes to the Homestead Market Exclusion for disabled Veterans. The first is changing the application due date from July 1 to Dec. 15. The second change gives county Veterans service officers and county assessors permission to share data in order to administrate the exclusion. Finally, it makes a change to allow Veterans to apply for a refund of taxes paid in 2017 and 2018 if the Veteran met the disability rating requirements in assessment years 2016 and 2017, but did not receive the exclusion in the following taxes payable year. The Property Tax Division will take up this bill next week before sending it to the full tax committee. The House Veterans and Military Affairs committee will meet at its scheduled time on Tuesday, April 2. It will give a hearing to the Veterans and Military Affairs omnibus bill. After a week off, the Senate Veterans and Military Affairs committee will likely meet on Thursday, April 4.3779542019-03-29T21:00:26ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307As Veterans from Minnesota descended upon the State Capitol for Veterans Day on the Hill on Wednesday, the House and Senate worked on a handful of bills related to Veterans. That will continue into next week as the second committee deadline approaches on March 29.Weekly State Update - March 22engState268309Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621Appropriations and Programming268320Weekly State Update - March 222019-03-22-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-376801" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2019-03-22T19:48:36ZAs Veterans from Minnesota descended upon the State Capitol for Veterans Day on the Hill on Wednesday, the House and Senate worked on a handful of bills related to Veterans. That will continue into next week as the second committee deadline approaches on March 29.1066<img src="/mdva/assets/2019-03-20-vets-day-on-the-hill_tcm1066-376800.jpg" title="Veterans overlooking the Capitol Rotunda" alt="Veterans overlooking the Capitol Rotunda" style="padding: 15px; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; height: auto;" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:title="2019-03-20-vets-day-on-the-hill" /> As Veterans from Minnesota descended upon the State Capitol for Veterans Day on the Hill on Wednesday, the House and Senate worked on a handful of bills related to Veterans. That will continue into next week as the second committee deadline approaches on March 29. The following bills were heard throughout committees of the legislature: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>HF 430 provides funding for the Veterans Defense Project to provide services to Veterans involved in the criminal justice system through education, outreach and legal training. Rep. Jay Xiong is the author of the bill and it was heard in State Government Finance. The bill was then sent to the Judiciary and Civil Law committee.</li> <li>HF 731 is authored by Rep. Jeff Brand and was heard in the House Veterans and Military Affairs committee. It provides exemptions from various fees and taxes on motor vehicle registration and titling as well as driver’s licenses and Minnesota identification cards, for Veterans that have a total service-connected disability. It was approved and sent to Ways and Means where it should be referred to the committee on Transportation.</li> <li>HF 1259 was heard in the Property Tax Division and is authored by Rep. Julie Sandstede. It moves the application deadline for the disabled veterans homestead exclusion from July 1 to December 15. This bill also allows a veteran to apply for a refund of taxes paid in 2017 and 2018 if the veteran met the disability rating requirements in assessment years 2016 and 2017, but did not receive the exclusion in the following taxes payable year.</li> <li>Rep. Robert Bierman’s HF 1471 was heard in the House Veterans and Military Affairs committee. This bill allows the Capitol Area Architectural and Planning Board to install a new memorial plaque, using private donations to be placed in the court of honor on the Capitol grounds, replacing the current plaque, to honor all Minnesota Veterans who served during World War I. The bill was approved and re-referred to State Government Finance.</li> <li>HF 1698 is also authored by Rep. Jay Xiong. It was heard in the State Government Finance committee. It would fund the Association of Minnesota Public Educational Radio Stations for programming to promote the Veterans’ Voices program. They will use the funds to create programming with an emphasis on Korean War Veterans. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in the House State Government Finance bill.</li> <li>HF 1773, authored by Rep. Bob Dettmer was given a hearing in the House Veterans and Military Affairs committee. It would give funding for a memorial commemorating Minnesota Medal of Honor recipients. The funding would only be accessible if a certain threshold of private donations are raised. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in a Veterans and Military Affairs finance bill.</li> <li>SF 2440 is a bill brought forth by MDVA. It allows the agency to use funds to contract with publicity representative vendors. The bill is being carried by Sen. Jerry Newton and was heard in the Senate Veterans and Military Affairs committee. It was laid over for possible inclusion in a Veterans and Military Affairs omnibus bill.</li> </ul> In addition to the second deadline, the House Veterans Affairs committee will meet at its scheduled time on Tuesday afternoon in Room 120 of the Capitol. They will get an introduction from Major General Jon Jensen, The Adjutant General of the Minnesota National Guard. A presentation from the United Veterans Legislative Council will follow. Finally, the committee will give HF 143 a hearing. The Senate Veterans committee will also meet at its scheduled time on Thursday morning, no agenda has been set.3768012019-03-22T20:03:19ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307The first committee deadline for bills in the legislature led to a lot of bills being heard around the clock in the House and Senate hearing rooms. For Veterans related initiatives, there were 11 bills heard. The second committee deadline, which will eliminate more bills from moving forward is in two weeks on March 29.Weekly State Update - March 15, 2019engState268309Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621Appropriations and Programming268320Weekly State Update - March 15, 20192019-03-15-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-376129" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2019-03-15T19:19:24ZThe first committee deadline for bills in the legislature led to a lot of bills being heard around the clock in the House and Senate hearing rooms. For Veterans related initiatives, there were 11 bills heard. The second committee deadline, which will eliminate more bills from moving forward is in two weeks on March 29.1066The first committee deadline for bills in the legislature led to a lot of bills being heard around the clock in the House and Senate hearing rooms. For Veterans related initiatives, there were 11 bills heard. The second committee deadline, which will eliminate more bills from moving forward is in two weeks on March 29. The following bills were heard throughout the legislature from March 11-15: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>HF 172 is authored by Rep. Matt Grossell. It designates the third Friday in September as POW and MIA Recognition Day. The bill was approved by the Government Operations committee and sent to the House floor.</li> <li>SF 331 would establish Veterans Preference in hiring for positions at the legislature and in the state court system, those two entities are currently exempt from Veterans Preference laws. The committee approved the bill and re-referred it to State Government Finance and Elections. Sen. Jerry Newton is the bill author.</li> <li>HF 586 is the bill authored by Rep. Jamie Becker-Finn that designates the first Saturday of October as Veterans Suicide Awareness Day. This bill was heard on the floor of the House of Representatives and received a unanimous vote in passing 127-0.</li> <li>Rep. Jay Xiong’s HF 888 was heard in the House Veterans and Military Affairs committee. It expands the class of citizens who are eligible to have a Veterans’s identifier included on a state-issued ID card. The bill removes the requirement that a former service member have at least 181 consecutive days of active service. The bill was approved by the committee and sent to the Transportation committee.</li> <li>HF 998, authored by Rep. Rob Ecklund, continued its hearing in the House Judiciary and Civil Law committee on Monday and again on Thursday. It was passed and re-referred to Ways and Means. This is the bill that establishes sentencing guidelines for Veterans who commit criminal offenses connected to a service-related disorder.</li> <li>SF 1322 is authored by Sen. Andrew Lang. It funds the Care Management, Outreach, Referral, and Education (C.O.R.E.) program that is administrated by Lutheran Social Services through a grant from MDVA. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in a Veterans and Military Affairs finance bill.</li> <li>HF 1420 allows disabled Veterans to participate in the state’s medical marijuana program. The bill is authored by Rep. Jack Considine and was passed by the committee. It was re-referred to the Health and Human Services policy committee.</li> <li>HFs 1958 and 1959 are both authored by Rep. Ecklund. They are initiatives brought forth by MDVA. The first bill allows the agency to use funds to contract with publicity representatives. The second seeks to clarify the duties of the commissioner to implement the programs of MDVA, Programs and Services, and the Minnesota Veterans Homes. Both bills were laid over for possible inclusion in a Veterans and Military Affairs omnibus bill.</li> <li>SF 2079 is authored by Rep. Jerry Newton and is the companion to HF 888 which was mentioned above. The committee laid the bill over for possible inclusion in a Veterans and Military Affairs omnibus bill.</li> <li>SF 2147 is authored by Sen. Bruce Anderson. It is the companion bill to HF 1959. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in a Veterans and Military Affairs omnibus bill.</li> </ul> Next week the House Veterans and Military Affairs committee will meet on Tuesday, March 19 and will hear eight bills. The Senate Veterans and Military Affairs committee will meet on Thursday, March 21.3761292019-03-15T19:25:21ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307WASHINGTON, D.C. [03/07/19]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) pushed for reforms to current bankruptcy law in order to protect veterans experiencing financial hardship in Minnesota and across the country. The bipartisan Honoring American Veterans in Extreme Need (HAVEN) Act, led by Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) and John Cornyn (R-Tex.) excludes Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense disability benefits from veterans’ monthly income calculations, preventing those funds from being taken by creditors.U.S. Senator Tina Smith Fights to Protect Veterans’ Economic SecurityengFederal268310Tina Smith332173U.S. Senator Tina Smith Fights to Protect Veterans’ Economic Security2019-03-11-smith-fights-to-protect-veterans-economic-security<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-375515" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2019-03-11T10:00:00ZWASHINGTON, D.C. [03/07/19]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) pushed for reforms to current bankruptcy law in order to protect veterans experiencing financial hardship in Minnesota and across the country. The bipartisan Honoring American Veterans in Extreme Need (HAVEN) Act, led by Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) and John Cornyn (R-Tex.) excludes Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense disability benefits from veterans’ monthly income calculations, preventing those funds from being taken by creditors.Bipartisan Reform Amends Current Bankruptcy Law to Better Support Veterans and Their Families Experiencing Financial Hardship1066WASHINGTON, D.C. [03/07/19]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) pushed for reforms to current bankruptcy law in order to protect veterans experiencing financial hardship in Minnesota and across the country. The bipartisan Honoring American Veterans in Extreme Need (HAVEN) Act, led by Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) and John Cornyn (R-Tex.) excludes Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense disability benefits from veterans’ monthly income calculations, preventing those funds from being taken by creditors. “Disability benefits are not a luxury. They are essential for ensuring veterans are compensated for serving our country and making sacrifices,” said Sen. Smith. “The benefits that veterans have earned should never be considered ‘disposable income’ that creditors can seize, and I’m proud to support this effort to have our laws reflect that.” "As a longtime advocate for the financial well-being of military families, I was surprised and dismayed to learn that a flaw in the bankruptcy code was denying disabled veterans the protections that it offered to all other Americans receiving disability income. The HAVEN Act fixes that flaw, and I’m happy to join its many bipartisan co-sponsors as an individual sponsor of the bill,” said Holly Petraeus, former Assistant Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Office of Servicemember Affairs. “As someone who has spent her life in the military community, I know that many veterans have paid for their dedicated service with lifelong disabilities. And it should be a priority for all of us to see that they are treated fairly under the law." “Paralyzed Veterans of America commends Senators Baldwin and Cornyn for introducing the Honoring Veterans in Extreme Need (HAVEN) Act,” said Susan Prokop, National Advocacy Director for the Paralyzed Veterans of America. “This legislation corrects a glaring inequity in the treatment of disability benefits under bankruptcy laws and will protect the economic security of countless vulnerable veterans with disabilities.” “DAV is proud to support the bipartisan HAVEN Act in order to protect disability compensation during bankruptcy proceedings,” said Joy Ilem, DAV National Legislative Director. “The HAVEN Act would exclude disability compensation when bankruptcy courts determine how much a veteran must pay to creditors, in the same way that Social Security disability payments are already excluded. We commend Senators Baldwin and Cornyn for introducing this legislation to protect some of our most vulnerable disabled veterans who have already given so much in defense of our nation.” The HAVEN Act follows recent congressional efforts to combat servicemember and veteran mental health issues, addiction, suicide, poverty and homelessness—all of which are exacerbated by financial hardship. This legislation is supported by the American Bankruptcy Institute, American College of Bankruptcy, The American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, Paralyzed Veterans of America, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Wounded Warrior Project, Association of the United States Army, Association of the United States Navy, Retired Enlisted Association, Society of Military Widows, Veterans for Common Sense, and the U.S Army Warrant Officers Association. In addition to Sens. Smith, Baldwin, and Cornyn, the bill is also supported by Sens. Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), Doug Jones (D-Ala.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Jerry Moran (R-Kans.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.). You can access more information about the HAVEN Act <a href="https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/HAVEN%20Act%20onepager%20w%20cosponsors%203.5.19.pdf" title="Information about the HAVEN Act" target="_blank">here</a> and full text of the bill <a href="https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/FINAL%20Baldwin-Cornyn%20HAVEN%20Act.pdf" title="Full Text" target="_blank">here</a>. ###3755152019-03-12T17:35:23ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307The first deadline for the legislature is a week from today and will significantly cut down on the number of bills that could be enacted into law. With that in mind, many committees are holding hearings outside of their scheduled meeting times to approve legislation.Weekly State Update - March 8, 2019engState268309Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621Appropriations and Programming268320Weekly State Update - March 8, 20192019-03-08-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-375017" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2019-03-08T20:30:00ZThe first deadline for the legislature is a week from today and will significantly cut down on the number of bills that could be enacted into law. With that in mind, many committees are holding hearings outside of their scheduled meeting times to approve legislation.1066The first deadline for the legislature is a week from today and will significantly cut down on the number of bills that could be enacted into law. With that in mind, many committees are holding hearings outside of their scheduled meeting times to approve legislation. This week, there were 12 Veteran related bills heard throughout the many committees of the legislature. Each of the bills descriptions and actions taken will follow: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>SFs 160 and 1940 were heard concurrently in the Senate Veterans and Military Affairs committee. SF 160 is authored by Sen. Greg Clausen and 1940 is authored by Sen. Jim Abeler. Both bills allow the Capitol Area Architectural and Planning Board to install a new memorial plaque to be placed in the court of honor on the Capitol grounds, replacing the current plaque, to honor all Minnesota Veterans who served during World War I. The bills were approved and sent to the Senate floor.</li> <li>Rep. Marion O’Neill’s HF 203 was heard in the House Judiciary and Civil Law committee. It allows County Veterans Service Officers and County Assessors the ability to share private data so that the county can properly apply the disabled Veterans Homestead valuation exclusion. The committee approved the bill and it was sent to Taxes.</li> <li>HFs 204 and 205 are authored by Rep. Bob Dettmer and were heard in the House Veterans and Military Affairs committee. They seek to modify the Homestead valuation exclusion benefit for disabled Veterans. HF 204 eliminates the 8-year limit for surviving spouses. HF 205 changes the deadline application to Dec. 15 rather than July 1. It also allows a one-time transfer of the exclusion to a new property of equal or lesser value. Both bills were approved by the committee and re-referred to Taxes.</li> <li>Sen. Jeff Howe’s SF 656 was heard in the Tax committee. It modifies the income definition to exclude certain Veterans benefits so that Veterans would be able to receive a higher Property Tax Refund. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in the tax bill.</li> <li>HF 731 is authored by Rep. Jeff Brand and was heard in the Environment and Natural Resources Finance committee. This bill provides exemptions from various fees and taxes on motor vehicle registration and titling as well as driver’s licenses and Minnesota identification cards, for Veterans that have a total service-connected disability. It was approved and sent to the Veterans and Military Affairs committee.</li> <li>Rep. John Heinrich’s HF 810 was heard in the House Veterans and Military Affairs committee. This bill allows the Capitol Area Architectural and Planning Board to install a new memorial plaque to be placed in the court of honor on the Capitol grounds, replacing the current plaque, to honor all Minnesota Veterans who served during World War I. The bill was approved and re-referred to State Government Finance.</li> <li>HF 826 was presented by Reps. Dan Fabian and Dave Lislegard in the House Veterans and Military Affairs committee. This piece of legislation is a resolution urging Congress and the President to hold a state funeral when the last Medal of Honor recipient of World War II passes away. There are just four awardees still living. The committee approved and sent it to the House floor where it will await a vote of the full House of Representatives.</li> <li> Rep. Rob Ecklund’s HF 998 was heard in the House Judiciary and Civil Law committee. This bill would establish sentencing guidelines for Veterans who commit criminal offenses connected to a service-related disorder. The committee tabled a decision on the bill until next week after a lengthy discussion.</li> <li>HF 1189 is authored by Chair Rob Ecklund. It funds the Care Management, Outreach, Referral, and Education (C.O.R.E.) program that is administrated by Lutheran Social Services through a grant from MDVA. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in a Veterans and Military Affairs finance bill.</li> <li>SF 1923 is authored by Sen. Bruce Anderson. It would give funding for a memorial commemorating Minnesota Medal of Honor recipients. The funding would only be accessible if a certain threshold of private donations are raised. The bill was laid over for possuible inclusion in a Veterans and Military Affairs finance bill.</li> </ul> In addition to bill hearings, MDVA provided the Senate Veterans and Military Affairs committee an overview of Governor Walz’s budget recommendations for the department. Next week the House Judiciary and Civil Law committee will wrap up its work on HF 998, it is scheduled to meet on Monday at 5 p.m. in Room 10 of the State Office Building. The House Veterans and Military Affairs committee is scheduled to hear six bills on Monday at 2:30 p.m. in Room 120 of the Capitol. The Senate Veterans and Military Affairs committee will be on Thursday at 8:30 a.m. in Room 1100 of the Minnesota Senate Building. An agenda wasn’t posted on Friday afternoon.3750172019-03-12T18:34:55ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307WASHINGTON, D.C. [02/26/19]—Today, U.S. Sens. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) reintroduced their bipartisan legislation to secure health care benefits for “Atomic Veterans” who were exposed to harmful radiation when they cleaned up nuclear testing sites during the late 1970s. U.S. Representative Grace Meng (N-NY) reintroduced the House companion bill, and the Mark Takai Atomic Veterans Healthcare Parity Act would allow veterans who participated in the cleanup of Enewetak Atoll on the Marshall Islands to receive the same health care and benefits given to other servicemembers who were involved in active nuclear tests. From 1946 to 1958 the U.S. military conducted more than 40 nuclear tests in the Islands, but the thousands of service members who cleaned up the area were never made eligible to receive health benefits under the Radiation Compensation Exposure Act.Sens. Tina Smith, Thom Tillis Lead Bipartisan Reintroduction of Bill to Support Health Care for “Atomic Veterans”engFederal268310Tina Smith332173Sens. Tina Smith, Thom Tillis Lead Bipartisan Reintroduction of Bill to Support Health Care for “Atomic Veterans”2019-02-28-smith-atomic-veterans<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-373816" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2019-02-26T20:19:47ZWASHINGTON, D.C. [02/26/19]—Today, U.S. Sens. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) reintroduced their bipartisan legislation to secure health care benefits for “Atomic Veterans” who were exposed to harmful radiation when they cleaned up nuclear testing sites during the late 1970s. U.S. Representative Grace Meng (N-NY) reintroduced the House companion bill, and the Mark Takai Atomic Veterans Healthcare Parity Act would allow veterans who participated in the cleanup of Enewetak Atoll on the Marshall Islands to receive the same health care and benefits given to other servicemembers who were involved in active nuclear tests. From 1946 to 1958 the U.S. military conducted more than 40 nuclear tests in the Islands, but the thousands of service members who cleaned up the area were never made eligible to receive health benefits under the Radiation Compensation Exposure Act.Senators Smith and Tillis, Congresswoman Meng Reintroduce Bill To Ensure Radiation-Exposed Veterans Who Cleaned Up Nuclear Testing Sites in Marshall Islands Receive Health Benefits1066WASHINGTON, D.C. [02/26/19]—Today, U.S. Sens. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) reintroduced their bipartisan legislation to secure health care benefits for “Atomic Veterans” who were exposed to harmful radiation when they cleaned up nuclear testing sites during the late 1970s. U.S. Representative Grace Meng (N-NY) reintroduced the House companion bill, and the Mark Takai Atomic Veterans Healthcare Parity Act would allow veterans who participated in the cleanup of Enewetak Atoll on the Marshall Islands to receive the same health care and benefits given to other servicemembers who were involved in active nuclear tests. From 1946 to 1958 the U.S. military conducted more than 40 nuclear tests in the Islands, but the thousands of service members who cleaned up the area were never made eligible to receive health benefits under the Radiation Compensation Exposure Act. “One of our most solemn duties is to take care of the men and women who serve in our armed forces,” said Sen. Smith. “And a big part of that means ensuring they can get the health care they need both during and after their service. The Americans who cleaned up the radiation-exposed Marshall Islands—where more than 40 nuclear tests took place in the 20th century—have been fighting for proper care for a long time, and it’s past time we stand up for them. I’m standing up by continuing to work on this commonsense, bipartisan fix that’s long overdue.” “In the 1970s, thousands of courageous servicemembers were tasked with the unfathomable mission of cleaning the fallout and debris from nuclear tests in the Marshall Islands without protective gear, causing countless health issues among those involved,” said Senator Tillis. “This bipartisan legislation will recognize those veterans and ensure they are able to receive access to the medical treatment for which their service should have entitled them to long ago.” “I’m pleased to reintroduce the bipartisan Mark Takai Atomic Veterans Healthcare Parity Act this Congress,” said Rep. Meng. “I want to also thank Senators Smith and Tillis for their leadership on this issue and for introducing the Senate version. This commonsense bill will provide much needed care to the veterans who participated in nuclear cleanup of Enewetak Atoll. These veterans served our nation with honor and distinction. It is long past time that we address the failure of our system to help them; it is simply the right thing to do. This bill is named after my good friend, the late Congressman Mark Takai, who passed away in 2016, and I hope this bill will quickly move through Congress.” “On behalf of the National Association of Atomic Veterans (NAAV), its members, and all Enewetak Atoll Radiological Cleanup Project personnel, I thank Congresswoman Grace Meng, Senator Tina Smith and Senator Thom Tillis and their respective staff for introducing this responsible, common sense legislation,” said National Association of Atomic Veterans National Commander Keith Kiefer. “I would also like to thank more than eleven veterans organizations and other veteran advocates that support this legislation. The Enewetak Atoll Cleanup Veterans have been denied recognition as Atomic Veterans, as well as being Occupation Exposure Veterans too long. The Mark Takai Atomic Veterans Healthcare Parity Act recognizes these veterans as Atomic Veterans, providing the healthcare coverage needed and promised. Despite the fact that the mission was titled ‘Enewetak Atoll Radiological Cleanup Project,’ and the mission was to remediate the islands so the native islanders could safely return to their homeland, and this mission failed, the VA (Veterans Administration) and DTRA (Defense Threat Reduction Agency) in concert deny these veterans ionization radiation exposure status. Despite contamination of the islands with Plutonium, Strontium, Cesium and other toxic materials from years of testing 43 atomic bombs, the veterans did not have proper PPG (Personal Protective Gear) or monitoring during removal and transportation of approximately 110,000 cubic yards contaminated soil, these bureaucracies continue to deny any exposure and proper care associated with that. About 4,000 veterans were part of this project. Of these, we have found about ten percent alive. Most of the survivors have cancer(s); at least one suffers with six unique cancers. These men are in their late 50s to 60s.” “Each veteran exposed to nuclear radiation deserves equal treatment and equal access to the veteran health benefits they’ve earned,” said Association of Mature American Citizens President Daniel Weber. “For too long, service members who cleaned up the Enewetak Atoll have been neglected by the VA and been forced to pay out of pocket for several radiation-related medical expenses. AMAC’s 1.7 million members are pleased to support Senator Tina Smith (D-MN), Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Representative Grace Meng (D-NY-06) as they seek to ensure every veteran gets the healthcare access they deserve.” The bipartisan Atomic Veterans Healthcare Parity Act was reintroduced by Sens. Smith and Tillis and is cosponsored by Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Angus King (I-Maine), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Jeffrey A. Merkley (D-Ore.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Christopher A. Coons (D-Del.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), and Jon Tester (D-Mont.). It’s named after the late Hawaii Congressman Mark Takai, a veteran of the U.S. Army and Hawaii Army National Guard who passed away in 2016 and was the original sponsor of the bill in the House of Representatives. The service members who participated in the Marshall Islands cleanup between 1977 and 1980 suffer from high rates of cancers due to their exposure to radiation and nuclear waste, but are currently unable to receive the same treatments and service-related disability presumptions that other “radiation-exposed veterans” receive. The Mark Takai Atomic Veterans Healthcare Parity Act would tackle this issue by extending key VA benefits to those who helped clean up the Marshall Islands, which remain partly uninhabitable due to high levels of radiation. ###3738162019-02-28T20:33:39ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307Another week has been completed at the Minnesota Legislature. Governor Walz unveiled his budget recommendations on Tuesday which is typically the kickoff of budget work. For details regarding MDVA’s budget request, go to the “Budget for One Minnesota” article under the Legislative Affairs page. Wednesday was significant because that marks three months left before the constitutionally set date of adjournment on May 20.Weekly State Update - Feb. 22, 2019engState268309Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621Appropriations and Programming268320Weekly State Update - Feb. 22, 20192019-02-22-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-372994" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2019-02-22T21:02:26ZAnother week has been completed at the Minnesota Legislature. Governor Walz unveiled his budget recommendations on Tuesday which is typically the kickoff of budget work. For details regarding MDVA’s budget request, go to the “Budget for One Minnesota” article under the Legislative Affairs page. Wednesday was significant because that marks three months left before the constitutionally set date of adjournment on May 20.1066Another week has been completed at the Minnesota Legislature. Governor Walz unveiled his budget recommendations on Tuesday which is typically the kickoff of budget work. For details regarding MDVA’s budget request, go to the “<a href="http://mn.gov/mdva/news/legislative-updates/index.jsp?id=1066-372083" title="Budget for One Minnesota">Budget for One Minnesota</a>” article under the Legislative Affairs page. Wednesday was significant because that marks three months left before the constitutionally set date of adjournment on May 20. The House Veterans and Military Affairs committee met on Tuesday, Feb. 19 and heard a presentation from the VFW – Minnesota and two Veterans related bills. HF 430 is authored by Rep. Jay Xiong. It appropriates money for the Veterans Defense Project nonprofit to serve Veterans through education, outreach and legal training. The bill was passed and re-referred State Government Finance. The other bill was Chair Rob Ecklund’s HF 998 which provides sentencing guidelines for Veterans charged with criminal offenses related to a service-related disorder. The bill was passed and re-referred to Ways and Means, where it will be sent to Judiciary and Civil Law. The Senate Committee on Veterans and Military Affairs met on Thursday, Feb. 21 and heard the three Veterans related bills. SF 1118 is authored by Chair Bruce Anderson and is the companion to Rep. Brian Johnson’s HF 530, which was heard last week in the House Veterans and Military Affairs committee. It appropriates money for a domestic abuse prevention program for Veterans and their families. The bill was approved and re-referred to Judiciary and Public Safety. SF 266 simplifies the definition of Veteran for purposes of administering the Minnesota GI Bill. The measure, authored by Sen. Jerry Newton was laid over for possible inclusion in a Veterans and Military Affairs finance bill. Finally, Sen. Roger Chamberlain’s SF 1153 was heard. This is the companion to HF 998, which is described above. The bill was passed and re-referred to Judiciary and Public Safety. Next week the House Veterans and Military Affairs committee will hear a presentation of the Governor’s budget proposal for MDVA, as well as the Department of Military Affairs. Following the presentation, it will hear HFs 172, 203 and 889. The Senate Veterans committee will hear SFs 225, 333, 814, 1404 and 1543. That committee is expected to hear the budget presentation at its March 7 meeting.3729942019-02-22T21:07:32ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307The Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) is dedicated to serving Minnesota Veterans and their families. Veterans face many challenges including translating their military skills and experiences to civilian occupations, unemployment & underemployment, short- and long-term medical issues resulting from their military duty and a continuous and growing need for long-term care.Budget for One Minnesota - Veterans AffairsengState268309Budget for One Minnesota2019-02-19-budget-for-one-minnesota<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-372083" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2019-02-19T19:00:00ZThe Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) is dedicated to serving Minnesota Veterans and their families. Veterans face many challenges including translating their military skills and experiences to civilian occupations, unemployment & underemployment, short- and long-term medical issues resulting from their military duty and a continuous and growing need for long-term care.Veterans Affairs1066A PDF version of this fact sheet <a href="/mdva/assets/2019-02-19-budget-veterans-affairs_tcm1066-372082.pdf" title="Budget for One Minnesota - Veterans Affairs" target="_blank" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:title="2019-02-19-budget-veterans-affairs">is available here to download</a> The Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) is dedicated to serving Minnesota Veterans and their families. Veterans face many challenges including translating their military skills and experiences to civilian occupations, unemployment & underemployment, short- and long-term medical issues resulting from their military duty and a continuous and growing need for long-term care. MDVA exists to fulfill the needs of the more than 327,000 Veterans and their families by providing innovative programs and services to maximize their quality of life, while monitoring and adapting to emerging needs. To carry on in this mission, MDVA is seeking additional funding to continue to contribute to achieving the following statewide outcomes: all Minnesotans have optimal health, Minnesotans have the education and skills needed to achieve their goals, and have strong and stable families and communities. <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">PROGRAMS & SERVICES OPERATING ADJUSTMENT</h2> Maintaining Access for Veterans to MDVA State Programs The Programs and Services Division is committed to assisting Veterans from all eras of conflict in securing the important benefits and resources they have earned through their service. Through MDVA’s state programs, Minnesota Veterans and their families can access support for housing, education, employment and other financial assistance. To maintain the current level of service, investing an additional $544,000 will allow MDVA to avoid cutting Veterans Services staff and continue outreach efforts which currently connect with Veterans in all 87 of Minnesota’s counties. Continuing Much Needed Programs to Diverse Populations Governor Walz’s budget will maintain some of the most needed resources for Veterans which include the Higher Education Program, Women Veterans Program, Claims and Field Outreach, Gold Star Family Program and the Tribal Veterans Service Officer Program. Without the necessary funding, these important programs - and more - will be in jeopardy. <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">STATE VETERANS CEMETERY OPERATING ADJUSTMENT</h2> Sustaining Minnesota’s Three State Veterans Cemeteries Governor Walz’s budget contains $775,000 in additional funds for the operating costs of Minnesota’s three State Veterans Cemeteries in Little Falls, Preston and Duluth. This funding will allow MDVA to manage both current operations capacity and anticipated future levels of burial services to Minnesota Veterans and their families. Currently the Cemeteries are forced to use funds from cemetery maintenance development accounts which are designated to cover emergency and routine equipment repairs, equipment replacement, facility repairs and other non-salary costs. This funding will reduce the demand on those accounts and would ensure consistent operations at each of the cemeteries, providing honorable burial services and lasting tributes to our nation’s heroes and their family members. <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">MINNESOTA CORE PROGRAM SERVICE ADJUSTMENT</h2> Bringing Essential, Community-Based Services Directly to Veterans Governor Walz’s budget includes $500,000 in additional funds to the Minnesota Service CORE (Case management, Outreach, Referral and Education) Program. CORE is dedicated to strengthening service members, Veterans and their families at no cost by providing access to care for mental and behavioral health, employment, housing and financial counseling. This unique, nationally recognized partnership between MDVA and Lutheran Social Services allows case workers to respond to Veterans and their families across the state and in their communities who are experiencing challenges of various aspects of life. The CORE program has experienced steady growth – last year the program served Veterans and their families in 63 of Minnesota’s 87 counties. This additional funding will support the increase in service needs and let Veterans know Minnesota stands behind them, ready to serve. <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">VETERANS HEALTHCARE MEDICAL SERVICE PROVIDER ADJUSTMENT</h2> Minnesota Veterans Homes Cost Savings The Governor recommends that MDVA develop and implement a more efficient and effective model for the provision of clinical services, while maintaining the highest levels of care. Realignment of existing medical provider services to residents at the Minneapolis, Hastings, and Silver Bay Veterans Homes – assigning responsibilities to the appropriate clinical discipline for which providers are currently trained and licensed – pursuant to a goal of securing a cost savings and decreased demand on operational funding at the Minnesota State Veterans Homes. Additional Budget for One Minnesota fact sheets regarding Education, Health Care, and Community Prosperity are <a href="https://mn.gov/governor/budget/" title="Budget for One Minnesota" target="_blank">available here at the Governor's website</a>.3720832019-02-19T20:18:30ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307The work at the Minnesota Legislature is close to full swing with the majority of committees now working on bills rather than having overviews and other presentations. That holds true with Veterans legislation as eight bills were heard across three committees this week.Weekly State Update - Feb. 15, 2019engState268309Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621Appropriations and Programming268320Weekly State Update - Feb. 15, 20192019-02-15-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-371996" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2019-02-15T20:58:16ZThe work at the Minnesota Legislature is close to full swing with the majority of committees now working on bills rather than having overviews and other presentations. That holds true with Veterans legislation as eight bills were heard across three committees this week.1066The work at the Minnesota Legislature is close to full swing with the majority of committees now working on bills rather than having overviews and other presentations. That holds true with Veterans legislation as eight bills were heard across three committees this week. The House Veterans and Military Affairs committee heard presentations from the Minnesota American Legion and DAV of Minnesota. After that they heard two Veterans related bills. Rep. Brian Johnson’s HF 530 would provide funding for a domestic abuse prevention program geared towards Veterans. It was passed and re-referred to the Public Safety committee. The next bill was HF 586, authored by Rep. Jamie Becker-Finn. It would set the first Saturday of every October as Veteran Suicide Awareness Day in Minnesota. The committee approved the legislation and sent it to the Government Operations committee. The House Government Operations committee heard two bills on Thursday. HF 826 and HF 562 are authored by Reps. Dave Lislegard and Dan Fabian, respectively and they would would urge the President and Congress to hold a state funeral for the last surviving Medal of Honor recipient from World War II. The bills were approved by the committee. It is expected that they will next be heard in Rep. Ecklund’s Veterans and Military Affairs committee. The Senate Veterans and Military Affairs committee heard four bills on Thursday. The first one was Sen. Mark Johnson’s SF 686 which is a bill to Rep. Fabian’s HF 562. It was approved and re-referred to the committee on Rules and Administration. Then SF 242, authored by Sen. Dan Hall, which would establish a POW and MIA Recognition Day in Minnesota was approved and sent to the Senate floor where it will await a vote by the full Senate. The third bill was SF 503 which was authored by Sen. Andrew Lang. The bill appropriates money for the Veterans Defense Project so that they can continue their work of helping Veterans that run have legal issues. The committee supported the bill and re-referred it to State Government Finance. The last bill was Sen. Michael Goggin’s SF 300 which would establish a tax credit for employers that hire unemployed or disabled Veterans. It was passed and re-referred to the Tax committee. <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Next week</h2> Governor Walz will be unveiling his budget on Tuesday, Feb. 19 at noon. This will include the budget for MDVA. The House Veterans and Military Affairs committee will meet on Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. Veterans of Foreign War will give the committee a presentation. There will be two bills heard, HF 430 authored by Rep. Jay Xiong and HF 998 which is authored by Rep. Rob Ecklund, the committee’s chair. The Senate Veterans and Military Affairs committee will meet on Thursday, Feb. 21 at 8:30 a.m. There will be three Veterans bills heard. SF 1118 is authored by Chair Bruce Anderson, SF 266 is authored by Sen. Jerry Newton and SF 1153 is authored by Sen. Roger Chamberlain. <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">New Senator</h2> On Wednesday, Jason Rarick was sworn in as the state senator representing district 11 after a special election was held on Feb. 5 to fill the seat of Tony Lourey who resigned to become the commissioner for the Department of Human Services. He was previously a member of the Minnesota House dating back to 2015. A special election will take place on March 19 to fill his House seat.3719962019-02-15T21:02:30ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307After dealing with cancellations last week, the legislature got back on track in terms of scheduling. Both Veterans and Military Affairs committees held meetings. The House and Senate also agreed on committee deadlines.Weekly State Update - Feb. 8, 2019engState268309Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621Appropriations and Programming268320Weekly State Update - Feb. 8, 20192019-02-08-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-371390" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2019-02-08T20:47:56ZAfter dealing with cancellations last week, the legislature got back on track in terms of scheduling. Both Veterans and Military Affairs committees held meetings. The House and Senate also agreed on committee deadlines.1066After dealing with cancellations last week, the legislature got back on track in terms of scheduling. Both Veterans and Military Affairs committees held meetings. The House and Senate also agreed on committee deadlines. There were two Veterans related bills heard in the House Veterans and Military Affairs committee. The first was HF 119, which is authored by Rep. Mike Sundin. This bill would provide money for the Helmets to Hard Hats program that assists Veterans with getting jobs in the trades industry. It was approved by the committee and will next be heard in the Jobs and Economic Development committee. The next bill was Rep. Bob Gunther’s HF 120 which would provide a tax credit to employers that hire disabled or unemployed Veterans. The bill was approved and re-referred to the House Tax committee. On Tuesday, Feb. 12 the committee will hear overviews from the American Legion and the Disabled American Veterans as well as two bills, HFs 530 and 586. The Senate Veterans and Military Affairs committee started with a presentation from Neal Loidolt of MAC-V. Following the presentation, the committee heard SF 54 authored by Sen. Justin Eichorn, This is a resolution that would encourage the federal government (including Congress, the president and US Department of Veterans Affairs) to fund the construction costs for the proposed Veterans homes in Bemidji, Montevideo and Preston. On Thursday, Feb. 14 the committee will hear four bills, SFs 242, 300, 503 and 686. For more information on these bills and the scheduled House bills, click over to the <a href="/mdva/news/legislative-updates/state-bill-tracker/index.jsp" title="State Bill Tracker" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:title="010-State-Bill-Tracker-Intro">state bill tracker</a>. <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Legislative Deadlines</h2> The legislature announced its committee deadlines for this session. These deadlines are meant to filter out and give priority to bills that have been introduced. If a bill doesn't meet deadline, it is essentially dead. The first deadline is Friday, March 15. This deadline is for committees to act favorably on bills in the house of origin. The second deadline is March 29. This is for committees to act favorably on bills, or companion bills that met the first deadline in the other chamber. The third deadline is on Friday, Apr. 12. This is for committees to act favorably on major appropriation and finance bills.3713902026-05-08T15:59:09ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307It was quieter at the Capitol this week due to the dangerously low temperatures and wind chills. The Minnesota Senate cancelled all of its scheduled hearings on Wednesday as well as Thursday morning.Weekly State Update - Feb. 1, 2019engState268309Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621Appropriations and Programming268320Weekly State Update - Feb. 1, 20192019-02-01-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-370687" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2019-02-01T21:24:30ZIt was quieter at the Capitol this week due to the dangerously low temperatures and wind chills. The Minnesota Senate cancelled all of its scheduled hearings on Wednesday as well as Thursday morning.1066<img src="/mdva/assets/andy-and-brad-caption_tcm1066-370708.jpg" title="Andrew Garvais and Brad Linday from MDVA presents to the House Veterans and Military Affairs regarding initiatives to end Veterans homelessness. " alt="Andrew Garvais and Brad Linday from MDVA presents to the House Veterans and Military Affairs regarding initiatives to end Veterans homelessness. " style="float: right; width: 60%; height: auto; padding: 10px;" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:title="andy-and-brad-caption" />It was quieter at the Capitol this week due to the dangerously low temperatures and wind chills. The Minnesota Senate cancelled all of its scheduled hearings on Wednesday as well as Thursday morning. The House Veterans and Military Affairs committee heard presentations from the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans (MAC-V) and MDVA regarding initiatives to end Veterans homelessness. Neal Loidolt of MAC-V said that Minnesota is on track to obtaining ‘functional zero’ for homeless numbers by 2020. A number of Veterans related bills have been introduced at the legislature. Our <a href="/mdva/news/legislative-updates/state-bill-tracker/index.jsp" title="State Bill Tracker" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:title="020-State-Bill-Tracker-Datagrid">state bill tracker</a> lists all of them and their current status. It is updated throughout the week during the legislative session. Minnesota Veterans Day on the Hill will be on Wednesday, March 20. There will be a rally in the Capitol Rotunda at 1:30 p.m.3706872026-05-08T15:58:20ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307Congressman Collin C. Peterson (D-MN-7) will serve on the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs in the 116th Congress, a position he previously held from 1995 to 2001. Having served in the North Dakota National Guard from 1963 to 1969, Peterson brings personal military experience and perspective to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.Peterson Joins House Committee on Veterans' AffairsengFederal268310House Veterans Affairs Committee370383Collin Peterson370372Peterson Joins House Committee on Veterans' Affairs2019-01-31-peterson-joins-house-committee-on-veterans-affairs<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-370385" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2019-01-30T21:00:00ZCongressman Collin C. Peterson (D-MN-7) will serve on the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs in the 116th Congress, a position he previously held from 1995 to 2001. Having served in the North Dakota National Guard from 1963 to 1969, Peterson brings personal military experience and perspective to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.1066Congressman Collin C. Peterson (D-MN-7) will serve on the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs in the 116th Congress, a position he previously held from 1995 to 2001. Having served in the North Dakota National Guard from 1963 to 1969, Peterson brings personal military experience and perspective to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs. “As a veteran, I look forward to returning to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs and working with Chairman Mark Takano and Ranking Member Phil Roe,” said Peterson. “Congress needs to explore options to improve healthcare and support services for our nation’s fast-growing veteran population.” One of Peterson’s priorities on the committee is to better recognize servicemembers. In keeping with that commitment, Peterson recently visited Missouri’s Fort Leonard Wood to greet the men and women training where he once did. Peterson’s Congressional office is also a partner with the Vietnam War 50th Commemoration Program, which allows him to present Special Vietnam Veteran Lapel Pins to eligible veterans at Veterans Day ceremonies, veterans home visits, and Honor Flight fly-ins in Washington, DC. Another of Peterson’s priorities is to secure federal funding matches for proposed 72-bed veterans homes in Bemidji and Montevideo, Minnesota. Local communities and the state legislature have already raised significant funds for both homes. The state will submit formal funding requests to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA), and Peterson will actively support each federal match application as they are considered by the agency. Finally, Peterson plans to focus the committee’s attention on toxic wounds of war such as exposure to Agent Orange and burn pits. During a visit to the Fergus Falls Veterans Home, Peterson met a Vietnam veteran who suffers from Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance (MGUS), a blood disorder and precursor to cancer. Although this veteran was exposed to Agent Orange, he continues to be denied medical coverage for this disease because the VA does not currently recognize a link between MGUS and exposure to Agent Orange. In response, Peterson led a letter with former Ranking Member Tim Walz and 27 Members of Congress to urge the Office of Management and Budget to add MGUS, bladder cancer, hypothyroidism, Parkinson-like tremors, and hypertension to the presumptive list of diseases associated with Agent Orange exposure. Due to existing Democratic Caucus limitations on committee assignments, Peterson persuaded House Leadership to grant him a waiver to serve on the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs in addition to his role as Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee. ### <a href="https://collinpeterson.house.gov/press-release/peterson-joins-house-committee-veterans-affairs" title="Office of Collin Peterson" target="_blank">Original press release available here</a>3703852019-01-31T17:53:36ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307The Minnesota Legislature is in full swing since convening on Jan. 8. Committees are meeting as scheduled and bills are starting to move through the legislative process, which includes Veterans related policy.Weekly State Update - January 25engState268309Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621Appropriations and Programming268320Weekly State Update - January 252019-01-25-weely-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-369653" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2019-01-25T21:14:42ZThe Minnesota Legislature is in full swing since convening on Jan. 8. Committees are meeting as scheduled and bills are starting to move through the legislative process, which includes Veterans related policy.1066The Minnesota Legislature is in full swing since convening on Jan. 8. Committees are meeting as scheduled and bills are starting to move through the legislative process, which includes Veterans related policy. The week began on Tuesday after the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. The House Veterans and Military Affairs committee heard agency overviews from MDVA and the department of Military Affairs. No bills were heard. The committee is scheduled to meet again on Tuesday, Jan. 29. As of this writing, the agenda includes presentations on fighting Veterans homelessness from the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans (MAC-V) and MDVA. The Senate Judiciary and Public Safety committee heard SF 58 on Wednesday after it was approved by the Veterans and Military Affairs committee on Jan. 17. The bill, authored by Sen. John Jasinski, would ease some difficulties in administering the disabled Veteran’s Homestead Market Exclusion between county Veterans service officers and county assessors. It was approved and re-referred to the Committee on Taxes. On Thursday, the Senate Veterans and Military Affairs committee heard two bills relating to the Homestead Market Exclusion for disabled Veterans. The first bill, SF 114, is authored by Sen. Michael Goggin. This bill would change the application date for the exclusion from July 1 to Dec. 15 and it would allow a surviving spouse to continue receiving the valuation exclusion if they decide to move to a property of equal or lesser value. The second bill, SF 113, is authored by Sen. Andrew Lang. This bill eliminates the eight-year limit of the exclusion for surviving spouses. Both bills were approved by the committee and re-referred to the Senate tax committee. The committee also heard a presentation about the budget for MDVA and department of Military Affairs as well as a presentation from the <a href="http://www.domesticabuseproject.com/" title="Domestic Abuse Project" target="_blank">Domestic Abuse Project</a> about their Change Step program.3696532019-01-25T21:18:58ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307On Tuesday, Jan. 8 Minnesota Legislature gaveled in the 91st session. The House of Representatives, now under control of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party, swore in 133 members (another member was sworn in on Thursday as he recovered from an illness). The Senate was not on the ballot in 2018, as such Republicans are still in the majority.Weekly State Update - January 11engState268309Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621Appropriations and Programming268320Weekly State Update - January 112019-01-11-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-364825" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2019-01-11T19:53:13ZOn Tuesday, Jan. 8 Minnesota Legislature gaveled in the 91st session. The House of Representatives, now under control of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party, swore in 133 members (another member was sworn in on Thursday as he recovered from an illness). The Senate was not on the ballot in 2018, as such Republicans are still in the majority.1066On Tuesday, Jan. 8 Minnesota Legislature gaveled in the 91st session. The House of Representatives, now under control of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party, swore in 133 members (another member was sworn in on Thursday as he recovered from an illness). The Senate was not on the ballot in 2018, as such Republicans are still in the majority. The new breakdown in the Minnesota House is 75 DFL members and 59 Republicans with 37 freshman elected to the House for the first time. The Senate currently has a 34-32 breakdown. Sen. Tony Lourey resigned his seat after being appointed by Governor Tim Walz as the new commissioner for the Department of Human Services. The special election to fill his seat will be on Tuesday, Feb. 5. With the DFL in the majority of the House, the committee structure went through a significant change. In total there are now 35 committees in the chamber. Of particular note, the Veterans and Military Affairs Finance and Policy Division will oversee all Veterans legislation, which is in line with the Senate’s Veterans committee. It is expected that through this setup, a Veterans and Military Affairs Budget bill will have a quicker path for a full vote by each chamber. The House Veterans and Military Affairs committee will be chaired by Rep. Rob Ecklund of International Falls. The Senate committee will still be chaired by Sen. Bruce Anderson of Buffalo. The Veterans committees in both the House and Senate will not be hearing bills next week. New MDVA Commissioner Larry Herke is expected to introduce himself to both committees when they meet. The House committee will meet weekly on Tuesdays at 2:30 p.m. in room 120 of the State Capitol. The Senate committee will continue to meet at 8:30 a.m. in room 1100 of the Minnesota Senate Building. 3648252019-01-11T19:57:37ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307WASHINGTON – Today the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced key changes in the processing of GI Bill benefits payments under the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017 (Forever GI Bill).Post-9/11 GI Bill Housing Payment Rates UpdateengFederal268310Tim Walz269748Post-9/11 GI Bill Housing Payment Rates Update2018-11-28-va-post-9-11-gi-bill-housing-paymet-rates-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-360619" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2018-11-28T18:00:00ZWASHINGTON – Today the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced key changes in the processing of GI Bill benefits payments under the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017 (Forever GI Bill).1066WASHINGTON – Today the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced key changes in the processing of GI Bill benefits payments under the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017 (Forever GI Bill). Because of continued information technology difficulties with implementing sections 107 and 501 of the law, both of which change the way monthly housing allowance payments are calculated, VA Secretary Robert Wilkie has directed Under Secretary for Benefits Paul R. Lawrence to take the following actions: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Effective Dec. 1, the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) will reset its implementation efforts for sections 107 and 501 of the law to give the department the time, contracting support and resources necessary to develop the capability to process Spring 2020 enrollments in accordance with the law by December 1, 2019. <ul> <li>This includes soliciting bids from contractors for support in the areas of program integration, systems implementation, and software development.</li> </ul> </li> <li>During this time, VBA will pay monthly housing allowance rates for the Post-9/11 GI Bill at the current academic year uncapped Department of Defense (DoD) Basic Housing Allowance (BAH) rates. <ul> <li>For many students, this DoD BAH rate will be equal to or higher than their current payment.</li> <li>VBA will also correct retroactively any underpayments resulting from section 107 and 501 implementation problems.</li> <li>If a student was overpaid due to the change in law or because of VBA’s challenges in implementing the law, the student will not be held liable for the debt.</li> </ul> </li> <li>Also, for the current academic year (2018-2019), VBA will pay housing allowances based on the location of a school’s main campus, rather than the physical location of the student.</li> <li>This interim policy will terminate by December 1, 2019, upon implementation of a fully developed IT solution for sections 107 and 501 of the law.</li> <li>Finally, VBA will define a training site as a “campus” when the following conditions are true: the physical site of the training is either owned or leased by the school, and the school has ownership or control over the student’s classroom instruction or the faculty conducting the instruction. This approach reduces the administrative burden for schools and students from VBA’s initial interpretation of the law.</li> </ul> As these changes are implemented, VBA will remain in continuous contact with Veterans, Congress, Veterans Service Organizations and other stakeholders to ensure everyone is informed and knows what to expect. “Redesigning the way VBA calculates Post 9/11 GI Bill housing rates during a busy academic season was like flying a plane while building it, and that was unfair and frustrating to Veterans and taxpayers. That’s why we are resetting our implementation of the law for the next year to ensure we get the technology and formula right to put Veterans first,” said Secretary Wilkie. “In the meantime, beneficiaries receiving Post 9/11 GI Bill housing allowances will be paid at the DoD BAH rate, which in many cases will be equal to or higher than their current payment.” While VBA’s pending education claims inventory was three times higher than normal in early September, that figure is back to normal levels. For more information on VBA’s pending education claims inventory, <a href="https://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/54198/gi-bill-payments-fact-sheet/" target="_blank">see here</a>. VBA strongly encourages schools to begin submitting enrollments immediately for the Spring 2019 term to help VBA process them in a timely fashion. This will ensure that Veteran students receive their housing payments promptly and schools receive tuition and fee payments. VBA expects to maintain timeliness standards of an average 28 days for a new enrollment and 14 days for a re-enrollment. If students require assistance with their GI Bill benefit or experience a financial hardship due to a delay in payment, we ask them to contact our Education Call Center at 888-442-4551 between 8 a.m. - 7 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday-Friday. Students may also keep in contact with VA on our social media sites; on Facebook at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/gibillEducation/" target="_blank">www.facebook.com/gibillEducation/</a> or on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/VAVetBenefits" target="_blank">VAVetBenefits</a>. ###3606192018-11-29T14:33:41ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Tim Walz sent the following letter to Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie expressing concern about the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) processing delays for GI Bill tuition, fees, and housing allowances and to urge the Department to communicate immediately and accurately to beneficiaries facing financial hardship as a result of the delays about the assistance available to them. Ranking Member Walz was joined by other member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs in sending the letter.Congressman Walz Calls On VA To Assist Student Veterans Facing Financial Hardships As A Result Of GI Bill Processing DelaysengFederal268310Tim Walz269748Congressman Walz Calls On VA To Assist Student Veterans Facing Financial Hardships As A Result Of GI Bill Processing Delays2018-10-24-walz-letter-gi-bill-processing-delays<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-356410" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2018-10-23T12:12:55ZWASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Tim Walz sent the following letter to Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie expressing concern about the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) processing delays for GI Bill tuition, fees, and housing allowances and to urge the Department to communicate immediately and accurately to beneficiaries facing financial hardship as a result of the delays about the assistance available to them. Ranking Member Walz was joined by other member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs in sending the letter.1066WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Tim Walz sent the following letter to Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie expressing concern about the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) processing delays for GI Bill tuition, fees, and housing allowances and to urge the Department to communicate immediately and accurately to beneficiaries facing financial hardship as a result of the delays about the assistance available to them. Ranking Member Walz was joined by other member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs in sending the letter. The text of the letter is available below and <a href="https://walz.house.gov/sites/walz.house.gov/files/2018-10-23-HVAC-Minority-Letter-to-Sec-Wilkie-re-GI-Bill-delays.pdf" title="Letter" target="_blank">online here</a>: October 23, 2018 The Honorable Robert Wilkie Secretary U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs 810 Vermont Avenue N.W. Washington, D.C. 20420 Dear Secretary Wilkie: We write to express concern about the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA’s) processing delays for GI Bill tuition, fees, and housing allowances and to urge VA to communicate immediately and accurately to beneficiaries about the assistance available to those facing financial hardship as a result of the delays. As you are aware, VA’s recent efforts to improve information technology (IT) functionalities for GI Bill processing have consistently missed key deadlines. Despite VA’s goal of implementing these IT functionalities prior to the beginning of the current academic year, VA remains unsuccessful in its implementation. As a result, beneficiaries are not only experiencing long delays in receiving their tuition, fees, and housing allowances but many are still waiting for these funds to arrive at all, several months into the start of the academic year. In addition, beneficiaries who are receiving their housing allowances are currently receiving incorrect amounts due to the IT implementation delay of updated housing allowances per the Harry W. Colmery Educational Assistance Act of 2017. This has caused considerable confusion among schools and beneficiaries. This confusion has been compounded by VA’s failure to communicate in a transparent manner with beneficiaries about what they can expect and how they can get help. Although VA has been diligent about updating this Committee about its progress, its communication with beneficiaries, who are the ones most in need of up-to-date information about their payments, has been severely lacking. Most of VA’s communication about these issues with beneficiaries has taken place via its Facebook page. While these posts reach tens of thousands of Facebook users, it’s unclear how many actual GI Bill beneficiaries are seeing these posts. The posts also cannot take the place of directly reaching out to the beneficiaries of the more than 100,000 pending claims that are currently still being processed. In addition, when VA finally sent an email directly to beneficiaries on October 9, 2018, the email contained incorrect information about the fastest way that beneficiaries who are facing financial hardship can receive assistance; the email directed beneficiaries to a website in cases of financial hardship, but on October 17, 2018, VA briefed Committee staff that beneficiaries who call are placed in the financial hardship queue quicker. Such lack of coordination and communication is unacceptable as we have received requests for help from veterans who are facing school disenrollment because of delayed tuition payments, as well as those facing eviction and even homelessness due to delayed housing allowance payments. Although the Committee has been working with VA to get these individual cases processed immediately, we are concerned about the many beneficiaries who are facing similar circumstances but who have not managed to reach out to Congress or a veteran service organization for help. If VA had provided beneficiaries with the correct information on how they can get their claims processed immediately for financial hardship as soon as VA knew it was not going to be making payments on time, VA could have prevented these beneficiaries from being removed from school and facing the loss of their homes. We therefore urge you to address beneficiaries directly on this matter and to issue up-to-date and accurate information on the payment delays and financial hardship assistance as soon as possible. We also urge you to provide this information not only directly to beneficiaries but also on the VA website in order to ensure transparency going forward. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. Sincerely, Rep. Tim Walz Ranking Member ###3564102018-10-24T12:18:16ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307Ranking Member Tim Walz led 45 Members of Congress in sending a letter to Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Johnny Isakson (R-GA) urging him to bring H.R. 299, the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2018, to a vote in committee so that the legislation can be brought to the Senate floor as soon as possible. If this bill is not signed into law before the end of the year, then the bipartisan pay-for that took years to find will disappear and Congress will be back to square one. Now is the time to act. Now is the time to bring this critical legislation to a vote,” said Ranking Member Walz.Ranking Member Walz Urges Senate Veterans Affairs Chairman To Advance Bipartisan Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2018engFederal268310Tim Walz269748Ranking Member Walz Urges Senate Veterans Affairs Chairman To Advance Bipartisan Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 20182018-10-16-ranking-member-walz-urges-senate-veterans-affairs-chairman-to-advance-bipartisan-blue-water-navy-vietnam-veterans-act-of-2018<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-355811" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2018-10-16T20:42:49ZRanking Member Tim Walz led 45 Members of Congress in sending a letter to Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Johnny Isakson (R-GA) urging him to bring H.R. 299, the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2018, to a vote in committee so that the legislation can be brought to the Senate floor as soon as possible. If this bill is not signed into law before the end of the year, then the bipartisan pay-for that took years to find will disappear and Congress will be back to square one. Now is the time to act. Now is the time to bring this critical legislation to a vote,” said Ranking Member Walz.1066Ranking Member Tim Walz led 45 Members of Congress in sending a letter to Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Johnny Isakson (R-GA) urging him to bring H.R. 299, the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2018, to a vote in committee so that the legislation can be brought to the Senate floor as soon as possible. If this bill is not signed into law before the end of the year, then the bipartisan pay-for that took years to find will disappear and Congress will be back to square one. Now is the time to act. Now is the time to bring this critical legislation to a vote,” said Ranking Member Walz. The Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act would finally grant presumptive Agent Orange exposure status to U.S. service members who served off the coast of Vietnam during the Vietnam War. This would enable eligible Veterans to receive expedited consideration for Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits if they suffer from any of the diseases the U.S. government has linked to Agent Orange. This measure has received strong support from Veterans’ organizations. The text of the letter is available below and online <a href="https://walz.house.gov/sites/walz.house.gov/files/10-1-18-Blue-Water-Letter.pdf" title="Blue Water Letter" target="_blank">here</a>: <hr xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" /> The Honorable Johnny Isakson, Chairman Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs United States Senate 412 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear Chairman Isakson: We are writing to request that HR 299, the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2018 that passed the House on June 25, 2018 by a unanimous vote of 382-0, be cleared by the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee and brought to the Senate floor as soon as possible so that the 40-year wait for fair compensation by the nation’s Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans – many very sick and in pain -- might finally end. It is a very sad reality that every day of delay means there are fewer Blue Water Navy veterans who earned and deserved compensation and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) care for their illnesses. In just a few months, as the House considered the bill this Congress, at one point the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reduced the cost of implementation of HR 299 from $1.2 Billion to $880 Million because the population of eligible veterans is dying. As veterans’ advocates we have all heard from frustrated veterans who say it sometimes looks to them as if the Congress and the VA are denying benefits just waiting for them to die. Unless Congress passes this bill, it will be hard to argue against that notion. HR 299 passed the House unanimously after months of consideration and discussion. It was a day many thought would never come. Finding over a billion dollars in the Federal budget that could be redirected is not an easy task. Many thought it was impossible. Yet the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman, Dr. Phil Roe and the Ranking Minority Member Tim Walz built a coalition of support in Congress and together with the Veteran Service Organizations found a way. It is his number one legislative priority, the Chairman said many times. HR 299 is an example of what we can accomplish when we work together in a bipartisan manner. The VA did not support adding presumptions for Blue Water Navy veterans as it worked its way through the House. VA will continue to object and try to find roadblocks. It is the Congress’ job to say enough is enough. We respectfully ask that the way be cleared for full Senate consideration. It appears as if exposure to toxins by American servicemembers in theatres of war will always be a reality. As Members of Congress our task for the future will be to take the lessons learned from the use of Agent Orange in Vietnam so many decades ago, and find ways to forthrightly acknowledge the exposure, determine the service connection and then compensate servicemembers in far less than two generations. When we do, we can dedicate this work to the Vietnam era veterans who died waiting for their recognition. Sincerely, Rep. Tim Walz Ranking Member3558112018-10-16T20:52:12ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Tim Walz (MN-01) introduced the Reserve Component Employer Incentive, Compensation, and Relief Act of 2018 in the U.S. House of Representatives. By providing employers with a tax credit aimed to offset costs accrued and hardships undertaken when employees that are members of the Reserve Component (comprised of both the National Guard and Reserves) are activated, this legislation incentivizes employers to hire and retain Guard members and reservists. Reps. Steven Palazzo (R-MS) and Tim Ryan (D-OH) joined Walz in introducing this piece of legislation.Walz Introduces Bill to Help Guard Members and Reservists Earn and Keep Jobs While DeployedengFederal268310Tim Walz269748Walz Introduces Bill to Help Guard Members and Reservists Earn and Keep Jobs While Deployed2018-10-16-walz-introduces-bill-to-help-guard-members-and-reservists-earn-and-keep-jobs-while-deployed<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-355810" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2018-10-16T20:27:48ZWASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Tim Walz (MN-01) introduced the Reserve Component Employer Incentive, Compensation, and Relief Act of 2018 in the U.S. House of Representatives. By providing employers with a tax credit aimed to offset costs accrued and hardships undertaken when employees that are members of the Reserve Component (comprised of both the National Guard and Reserves) are activated, this legislation incentivizes employers to hire and retain Guard members and reservists. Reps. Steven Palazzo (R-MS) and Tim Ryan (D-OH) joined Walz in introducing this piece of legislation.Bipartisan legislation empowers employers to invest in the high-quality workforce of the Reserve Component1066WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Tim Walz (MN-01) introduced the Reserve Component Employer Incentive, Compensation, and Relief Act of 2018 in the U.S. House of Representatives. By providing employers with a tax credit aimed to offset costs accrued and hardships undertaken when employees that are members of the Reserve Component (comprised of both the National Guard and Reserves) are activated, this legislation incentivizes employers to hire and retain Guard members and reservists. Reps. Steven Palazzo (R-MS) and Tim Ryan (D-OH) joined Walz in introducing this piece of legislation. “Guard members and reservists are hard workers with highly sought-after skills and experience. It’s no surprise that America’s employers want to hire them,” said Rep. Walz. “This legislation empowers employers to do just that while ensuring the topnotch workforce of the Reserve Component doesn’t have to choose between serving our nation in uniform and maintaining a job to support their families.” “The men and women who serve this nation in uniform are some of the brightest and hardest working Americans we have, but because of their unique service requirements, their employers often have to make sacrifices to keep them during their guard service,” said Rep. Steven Palazzo. “Incentivizing these civilian employers to continue employing our National Guard Soldiers is a no brainer, and a win-win for all.” “Employers who hire National Guard or Reserve servicemembers do so with the knowledge that these employees may need to miss work for training and may need to deploy to defend our country,” said Rep. Tim Ryan. “This legislation will provide these patriotic employers with an appropriate level of compensation for hiring servicemembers who sacrifice so much for our nation.” Having transitioned from a “Strategic Reserve” to an “Operational Reserve,” the Reserve Component is fully integrated in ongoing national security missions around the globe. This transition has led to increased training requirements which go beyond the statutorily required 39 days of annual training to requirements totaling 80 or more days per year. Moreover, tax credits in the past have been targeted at too small a population and were too small monetarily to truly incentivize companies and small business to hire members of the National Guard and Reserves. Further, a study conducted by Members of the Minnesota National Guard enrolled in the Hubert H. Humphrey Policy Fellows Program at the University of Minnesota found the following: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Whether big or small, employers are very patriotic and willing to shoulder an inordinate burden, but all agreed that there should be some type of benefit/compensation provided.</li> <li>30 days of continual absence is the threshold that causes issues for employers of all sizes.</li> <li>Employers prefer a continuous absence versus many small absences (60 days vs. multiple 2-4-week periods).</li> <li>Absences for training causes more friction than absence for a deployment.</li> <li>Small businesses that employ Reserve Component service members would benefit the most from any employer compensation model.</li> <li>Rarely do employers hire temporary employees to cover the reservist’s absence from the workplace. Work often must be picked up by fellow employees.</li> </ul> “The impact of the Minnesota National Guard's increased operations tempo and readiness requirements in support of our nation have not only been felt by our soldiers, airmen, and their families, but by their employers as well,” said Brig. Gen. Sandra Best, Deputy Adjutant General, Minnesota National Guard. “We are supportive of civilian employment initiatives that assist our dedicated citizen soldiers and airmen.” For the first time, the Reserve Component Employer Incentive, Compensation, and Relief Act provides long overdue continuous benefits for all employers of actively serving members of the Reserve Component and provides a scalable benefit for those employers that experience extended absences of employees for military service. The Reserve Component Employer Incentive, Compensation, and Relief Act is endorsed by the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States (EANGUS) and the National Guard Association of the United States (NGAUS). “As part of the triad of support of our National Guard members who are called to military duty as Soldiers and Airmen, our employers play a vital role in the security of this nation,” said Frank Yoakum, Executive Director, EANGUS. “This bill recognizes that role by ensuring our citizen Soldiers and Airmen retain their jobs as they answer the call to defend America.” “On behalf of the 45,000 members of the National Guard Association of the United States (NGAUS) and the nearly 500,000 soldiers and airmen of the National Guard, please accept our sincere thanks for your leadership in introducing the Reserve Component Employer Incentive, Compensation and Relief Act,” said J. Roy Robinson, Brigadier General (Ret.), President, NGAUS. “After nearly twenty years of the National Guard providing an integral role in our nation’s war on terror, we often neglect to remember the sacrifices also made by our civilian employers. This legislation is an important first step in recognizing the partnership between the nation and employers.” Specifically, the Reserve Component Employer Incentive, Compensation, and Relief Act of 2018 accomplishes the following: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Amends the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a reservist employment credit. An employer can elect to have the tax credit not apply.</li> <li>The credit amount is equal to the sum of the credit for each reservist employed by an eligible employer during the taxable year. </li> <li>The reservist credit amount is equal to $1,000 plus an additional amount dependent on the days of service in uniform during such year. <ul> <li>30 to 89 days of service equates to $3,000</li> <li>90 to 179 days of service equates to $5,000</li> <li>180 plus days of service equates to $10,000</li> </ul> </li> </ul> A key difference between the Reserve Component Employer Incentive, Compensation, and Relief Act and similar past efforts is that this tax credit applies to all employers that hire and employ actively serving members of the Reserve Component. To learn more about the Reserve Component Employer Incentive, Compensation, and Relief Act of 2018, <a href="https://walz.house.gov/sites/walz.house.gov/files/Fact-Sheet-RCEICRA.pdf" title="Fact Sheet" target="_blank">click here for a fact sheet</a> and <a href="https://walz.house.gov/sites/walz.house.gov/files/Bill-Text-RCEICRA.pdf" title="Full Bill Text" target="_blank">here for the full bill text</a>. ### 3558102018-10-16T20:39:44ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Tim Walz (D-MN) released the following statement after the full committee met in open session to discuss veteran suicide prevention, hear from experts in the veteran community, and question current Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) officials over the progress of core VA initiatives aimed at eliminating suicide among veterans.Ranking Member Walz Hosts Hearing On Veteran Suicide PreventionengTim Walz269748Federal268310Ranking Member Walz Hosts Hearing On Veteran Suicide Prevention2018-09-28-ranking-memer-walz-hosts-hearing-on-veteran-suicide-prevention<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-353296" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2018-09-27T13:00:00ZWASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Tim Walz (D-MN) released the following statement after the full committee met in open session to discuss veteran suicide prevention, hear from experts in the veteran community, and question current Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) officials over the progress of core VA initiatives aimed at eliminating suicide among veterans.1066WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Tim Walz (D-MN) released the following statement after the full committee met in open session to discuss veteran suicide prevention, hear from experts in the veteran community, and question current Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) officials over the progress of core VA initiatives aimed at eliminating suicide among veterans. The hearing comes one day after the VA Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention released its report, “<a href="https://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/docs/data-sheets/OMHSP_National_Suicide_Data_Report_2005-2016_508.pdf" title="National Suicide Data Report 2005 - 2016" target="_blank">National Suicide Data Report 2005-2016,</a>” which found that the suicide rate among veterans was 1.5 times greater than non-veterans, and that the suicide rate for veterans ages 18 to 34 increased by more than 10 percent from 2015 to 2016. You can read Ranking Member Walz’s statement reacting to the VA’s report here. The hearing comes two days after the VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) released its report, “<a href="https://www.va.gov/oig/pubs/VAOIG-18-02875-305.pdf" title="VA.gov" target="_blank">Review of Mental Health Care Provided Prior to a Veteran’s Death by Suicide - Minneapolis VA Health Care System Minnesota,</a>” which investigated the events leading up to a veteran’s suicide in the parking lot of the Minneapolis VA Healthcare System. The report found that the Minneapolis VA failed to utilize the cutting-edge interventions the facility had at its disposal to protect the veteran. You can read Ranking Member Walz’s statement reacting to OIG’s report <a href="https://democrats-veterans.house.gov/news/press-releases/ranking-member-walz-statement-following-release-inspector-general-report-veteran" target="_blank">here</a>. <h2 style="text-align: center;" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Ranking Member Walz Opening Statement As Prepared For Delivery</h2> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to take a brief moment to thank you for scheduling this important hearing. The tragic epidemic of veteran suicide is one of the most serious challenges our country faces today. As the VA report on veteran suicide detailed yesterday, the rate of veteran suicide is increasing, especially among our younger veterans ages 18-34; and as this challenge becomes greater, so too does our need to work together, identify the root causes, and figure out a constructive, holistic way to turn the tide on the veteran suicide epidemic. I would also like to take a few minutes to tell the story of a young veteran we tragically lost and who many in the audience became familiar with in recent days. I did not know this veteran personally and I share their story with the permission and at the request of the veteran’s family, so that it may help us make progress as a nation in our effort to prevent veteran suicide. In February of this year, Justin Miller, a young 33-year-old veteran from Minnesota, reached out to the VA for help dealing with thoughts of suicide. Justin explained that he had access to firearms nearby and he feared for his life. He expressed hopelessness, confusion, and sorrow regarding his personal and professional life. Justin had reached out to the VA for mental health care through the Veterans Crisis Line. VCL recommended that Justin visit the VA Emergency Department – which he did immediately. Upon his visit to the emergency department, Justin explained that his significant-other of two years had asked him to move out of their shared home. Justin also explained that battling the symptoms of PTSD, watching the erosion of his personal relationships, and the family and financial stressors he experienced had become overwhelming. Unfortunately, when Justin arrived at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center, the help he needed never materialized, as VA clinicians failed to utilize the cutting-edge interventions the facility had at its disposal. One example being the three step REACH VET process, in which a clinician can assess a veteran’s risk of suicide. If a veteran is determined to be at a high-risk of suicide, their medical record is then flagged for the Suicide Prevention Coordinator, who will then ensure the veteran receives an appropriate level of care and has knowledge of and access to other services throughout VA that may assist the veteran. In Justin’s case, REACH VET was not utilized. And so, he was never given a high-risk designation.</p> In the written testimony of Dr. Brown, an expert on the development, implementation, and assessment of suicide interventions - he commends VA on its use of Safety Planning Intervention (or SPI). The SPI is a six-step protocol in which a clinician can empower a veteran to cope with suicidal thoughts through the development of a post-discharge plan. When Justin was discharged after a few days, he didn’t have a discharge plan. Clinicians weren’t sure whether Justin had access to guns or a surplus of medication that he could use to hurt himself. Clinicians failed to ensure that Justin had identified friends and family who he could reach out to in case he felt suicidal again. The Suicide Prevention Coordinator never consulted with Justin, engaged with Justin’s clinicians, or flagged Justin as high-risk. Though Justin stepped out of the hospital last winter, away from the nurses, doctors, and medications that had assisted in stabilizing him, he tragically never left the grounds that day. VA police found Justin dead in his car the next morning from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. My heart aches with the family and friends of Justin. I cannot even begin to understand the pain you feel. No loved-one should ever have to endure such loss. While we may not have known Justin, we mourn with you as a nation. It is infuriating to know that there is a possibility that Justin’s death could have been prevented. It should outrage us all that an entire health care system failed at something so serious and that it claimed to be their highest clinical priority. VHA needs to be better than this. However, it can only be better if we all do our jobs - the agency must continue to serve veterans AND we must continue to oversee the agency. Secretary Wilkie implying in his testimony yesterday before the Senate that our constitutional right to oversight is a burden on his ability to implement the VA Mission Act signals a dangerous misunderstanding of the role of Congress. That must be corrected immediately. Our oversight is integral to ensuring the VA is accurately and effectively carrying out policies and procedures that are in place, including policies that aim to help prevent veteran suicide. Our ability to conduct oversight could literally be the difference between life and death. This I cannot stress enough, and that is why we are here today. To determine how we can better prevent tragedies like the one that took place last winter in Minneapolis from happening. Given that this is my last term in Congress, my time sitting across from Chairman Roe as Ranking Member is coming to a close. I thank him for his partnership and thank each and every one of my colleague for their steadfast dedication to serve our nation’s veterans. It has been an honor to serve our veterans alongside you all. There is no space between us when it comes to saving the lives of our heroes. When I am gone from these halls, I charge you to continue to fight for the care and the lives of our veterans. The bottom line is, if we lose one veteran to suicide, that is one too many. We still have a lot of work ahead of us, and we may never get to zero, but one thing is certain: we must never stop trying. In order to truly make a difference, we must work together. Our veterans deserve nothing less. Witnesses Gregory K. Brown Ph.D. Director, Center for the Prevention of Suicide Research Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry Perelman School of Medicine University of Pennsylvania Michael C. Richardson Vice President of Independent Services and Mental Health Wounded Warrior Project Lt Col James R. Lorraine USAF (Ret.) President and Chief Executive Officer America’s Warrior Partnership Bill Mulcahy Co-Founder Guard Your Buddy Keita Franklin LCSW, Ph.D. National Director, Suicide Prevention Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Veterans Health Administration U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Accompanied by: Michael W. Fisher MSW Chief Readjustment Counseling Officer Readjustment Counseling Service Veterans Health Administration U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs3532962018-09-28T18:49:33ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307The following laws, policies and projects related to Veterans in Minnesota were enacted during the 2018 Legislative Session. The Governor has approved all of these with his signature on the various bills that contained these measures.2018 Minnesota Legislative Session Veterans Related Legislation – Funding and PolicyengState2683092018 Minnesota Legislative Session Veterans Related Legislation – Funding and Policy2018-08-01-legislative-wrap-up<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-347633" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2018-08-01T15:00:00ZThe following laws, policies and projects related to Veterans in Minnesota were enacted during the 2018 Legislative Session. The Governor has approved all of these with his signature on the various bills that contained these measures.1066The following laws, policies and projects related to Veterans in Minnesota were enacted during the 2018 Legislative Session. The Governor has approved all of these with his signature on the various bills that contained these measures. <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Omnibus Capital Investment (Bonding) Bill</h2> <a href="https://www.revisor.mn.gov/laws/2018/0/Session+Law/Chapter/214/" title="Chapter 214" target="_blank">(CHAPTER 214 -- H.F. 4425)</a> Includes a total of $41 million in new appropriations for Veterans-related infrastructure in Minnesota: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>MDVA Asset preservation: $9 million to repair critical infrastructure projects at Minnesota Veterans Homes throughout the state.</li> <li>Bemidji Veterans home project: $12.4 million</li> <li>Montevideo Veterans home project: $9.4 million</li> <li>Preston Veterans home project: $10.2 million</li> </ul> <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Standalone Policy Bills</h2> <a href="https://www.revisor.mn.gov/laws/2018/0/Session+Law/Chapter/137/" title="Chapter 137" target="_blank">(CHAPTER 137 -- SF 3004)</a> Veteran status data collected by Minnesota Secretary of State’s office for state agency appointments This law allows the Secretary of State’s office to include Veteran status on applications for appointments to state agencies, boards, councils, commissions and task forces. This information can be shared voluntarily by applicants. Other voluntary information includes: sex, political party preference or lack thereof, race and national origin. This law amends Minnesota Statutes 2016, sections 15.0597, subdivisions 2, 5 and 7; 15.0599, subdivision 4. <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Designating July 16 as Atomic Veterans Day in Minnesota</h2> <a href="https://www.revisor.mn.gov/laws/2018/0/Session+Law/Chapter/138/" title="Chapter 138" target="_blank">(CHAPTER 138 -- SF 1703)</a> This day will honor the service of Atomic Veterans each year. These Veterans were exposed to radiation during their service particularly those who took part in atmospheric nuclear tests and those that were stationed in Hiroshima and Nagasaki immediately after World War Two. The date was chosen because in 1945 the atom bomb was successfully tested. <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Purple Heart City or Purple Heart County designation authorized</h2> <a href="https://www.revisor.mn.gov/laws/2018/0/Session+Law/Chapter/139/" title="Chapter 139" target="_blank">(CHAPTER 139 -- SF 3262)</a> This law allows local governments the ability to call their entity a Purple Heart City or a Purple Heart County. The local governments may also create a prominent parking space at city hall or county government centers reserved specifically for Purple Heart recipients. It also allows for the local government to accept donations to pay for a sign that states the Purple Heart designation. <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Designating June 29 as General John Vessey Day in Minnesota</h2> <a href="https://www.revisor.mn.gov/laws/2018/0/Session+Law/Chapter/145/" title="Chapter 145">(CHAPTER 145 -- SF 1694)</a> This day will honor the life and accomplishments of the highest ranking military member from Minnesota each year on his birthday. General Vessey served as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1982-1985. He died in August of 2016. <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Counties competitive bidding for small business enterprises or veteran-owned small businesses modification</h2> <a href="https://www.revisor.mn.gov/laws/2018/0/Session+Law/Chapter/146/" title="Chapter 146" target="_blank">(CHAPTER 146 -- SF 3793)</a> This law authorizes Hennepin County to use direct negotiation with businesses that are certified as a small business enterprise or a small business that is majority owned and operated by a Veteran or disabled Veteran. <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Minnesota GI Bill statutory language recodified and technical corrections made</h2> <a href="https://www.revisor.mn.gov/laws/2018/0/Session+Law/Chapter/156/" title="Chapter 156" target="_blank">(CHAPTER 156 SF 3461)</a> This law amends Minnesota Statue 197.791 by adding subdivision 5b under Section 3 which clarifies additional use of Minnesota GI Bill benefits. The new uses include various licensing, professional and education tests as well as fees associated with the pursuit of a professional or educational objective. This was needed after a 2017 law change to allow for these uses was changed improperly in statute. <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Assignment of military pay or benefits prohibited and remedies provided</h2> <a href="https://www.revisor.mn.gov/laws/2018/0/Session+Law/Chapter/174/" title="Chapter 174" target="_blank">(CHAPTER 174 -- SF 327)</a> Minnesota prohibits, and added penalties and remedies to the violation of Federal law prohibiting the assignment of military pay or military benefits earned as a result of service in the armed forces of the United States. The prohibition includes, but is not limited to agreements to buy, sell or otherwise transfer those pay or benefits.3476332018-08-01T15:13:05ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307WASHINGTON [07/18/18]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) introduced legislation to reduce the red tape many veterans face when trying to get care for hearing loss as a result of their service—something many veterans say is an enormous burden despite being the most common service-connected ailment. Sen. Smith heard about this problem through her office’s veterans’ health care tour, which visited some 10 communities throughout Minnesota to hear what health challenges veterans are facing.Sen. Tina Smith Introduces Bill to Help Veterans Get Care for Hearing Loss, Their Most Common Service-Related Health Issue engFederal268310Tina Smith332173Sen. Tina Smith Introduces Bill to Help Veterans Get Care for Hearing Loss, Their Most Common Service-Related Health Issue 2018-07-18-sen-tina-smith-introduces-bill-to-help-veterans-get-care-for-hearing-loss<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-347061" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2018-07-18T15:20:10ZWASHINGTON [07/18/18]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) introduced legislation to reduce the red tape many veterans face when trying to get care for hearing loss as a result of their service—something many veterans say is an enormous burden despite being the most common service-connected ailment. Sen. Smith heard about this problem through her office’s veterans’ health care tour, which visited some 10 communities throughout Minnesota to hear what health challenges veterans are facing.Senator’s “Veterans Hearing Benefits Act of 2018” Would Help Veterans Suffering From Both Hearing Loss and Tinnitus Incurred in Line of Duty Receive Benefits They’ve Earned1066WASHINGTON [07/18/18]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) introduced legislation to reduce the red tape many veterans face when trying to get care for hearing loss as a result of their service—something many veterans say is an enormous burden despite being the most common service-connected ailment. Sen. Smith heard about this problem through her office’s veterans’ health care tour, which visited some 10 communities throughout Minnesota to hear what health challenges veterans are facing. You can access a summary of the bill <a href="https://smithsenate.app.box.com/s/w440fbm3g3vld491j1j868ioy7j3k7tj" title="Bill summary" target="_blank">here</a> and text of the bill <a href="https://smithsenate.box.com/s/ywf7si4blf55rw0qmkg2qnefssdaf2dk" title="Bill text" target="_blank">here</a>. Currently, veterans receiving benefits through the VA must document hearing loss or tinnitus incurred while in the line of duty in order to qualify for benefits when seeking treatment for these conditions. However, many veterans are not diagnosed until after they are discharged. This places a significant burden on veterans to prove that their hearing loss or tinnitus is the result of their time in the military. Sen. Smith’s legislation—the Veterans Hearing Benefit Act of 2018—would provide presumption for hearing loss and tinnitus to veterans who served in combat or in a military specialty where they were exposed to repeated loud noises, such as those who worked around heavy artillery, thus making it easier for veterans to establish service-connection and get the benefits they’ve earned. “If you’ve served our country and experienced a health related issue because of it, it’s our job to take care of you. That’s the agreement for the men and women who serve in our military,” said Sen. Smith. “When I realized how widespread hearing loss is among veterans, and heard from Minnesotans about how many hoops they have to jump through to access care, it was clear that this needed to be fixed. I’ve introduced this bill to make sure veterans get the care they deserve.” The Veterans Hearing Benefits Act of 2018 would also amend the Schedule for Rating Disabilities to provide a minimum compensable evaluation for any service connected hearing loss for which a hearing aid is medically required. Earlier this year, Sen. Smith tasked her staff with traveling across the state as part of her “Veterans Listening Tour” to hear about the challenges veterans face in securing benefits, and to explain how her office can advocate on their behalf. In these meetings, Minnesota veterans have brought up having trouble receiving coverage for hearing loss. In addition to her legislation introduced today, Sen. Smith is currently pressing legislation to provide resources to help veterans gain access to employment and child care benefits, as well as measures that would address homelessness among veterans and would increase medical research that impact veterans’ health. Sen. Smith’s bill is companion legislation to U.S. Representative Nydia Velazuez’s bill (D-N.Y.-7) in the House. You can access a summary of Sen. Smith’s bill <a href="https://smithsenate.app.box.com/s/w440fbm3g3vld491j1j868ioy7j3k7tj" title="Bill summary" target="_blank">here</a> and text of the bill <a href="https://smithsenate.box.com/s/ywf7si4blf55rw0qmkg2qnefssdaf2dk" title="Bill text" target="_blank">here</a>. ###3470612018-07-24T15:26:13ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307WASHINGTON, D.C. [05/15/18]—Today, U.S. Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) helped introduce legislation to make sure producers from diverse backgrounds—including veteran and immigrant farmers—are able to access services through a vital Department of Agriculture (USDA) program.Sen. Tina Smith Helps Introduce Bill to Make Sure Veteran, Minority, and Immigrant Farmers Have Access to USDA ServicesengFederal268310Tina Smith332173Sen. Tina Smith Helps Introduce Bill to Make Sure Veteran, Minority, and Immigrant Farmers Have Access to USDA Services2018-05-16-smith-helps-introduce-bill-to-make-sure-veterans-have-usda-services<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-339653" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2018-05-16T15:09:15ZWASHINGTON, D.C. [05/15/18]—Today, U.S. Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) helped introduce legislation to make sure producers from diverse backgrounds—including veteran and immigrant farmers—are able to access services through a vital Department of Agriculture (USDA) program.Senator Continues Work to Support All Farmers, Including Those From Diverse Backgrounds1066WASHINGTON, D.C. [05/15/18]—Today, U.S. Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) helped introduce legislation to make sure producers from diverse backgrounds—including veteran and immigrant farmers—are able to access services through a vital Department of Agriculture (USDA) program. The Assist Socially Disadvantaged and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Act of 2018 would ensure the USDA’s Outreach to Socially Disadvantaged and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Program continues through the end of the current Farm Bill, and would strengthen the program by making it more a more efficient resource for veteran, minority population, and immigrant farmers and ranchers. You can learn more about the bill and access a list of supporting organizations <a href="https://www.vanhollen.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Final%20Fact%20Sheet%20Socially%20Disadvantaged%20and%20Veteran%20Farmers.pdf" title="Assist Socially Disadvantaged and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Act of 2018" target="_blank">here</a>. “We need to fight for all farmers—and that includes making sure we’re advocating for Minnesotans and Americans who may face unique barriers to successfully owning and operating farms,” said Sen. Smith. “As a member of the Senate Ag Committee, I’m proud to support this bill because supporting a diverse and growing farming industry is good for families and good for our economy.” “Socially disadvantaged farmers are the same family farmers who grow the carrots that your kids eat at school or the new potatoes you put in your grandma’s famous potato salad,” said Pakou Hang, Co-founder and Executive Director of the Hmong American Farmers Association. “They grow the food that feeds your families, and they deserve a fair chance to provide for their own families with their hard work.” “Growing education programs and support mechanisms for those who desire to start a career in agriculture is in line with the mission of the Agriculture Centers of Excellence in Minnesota,” said Keith Olander, Director of AgCentric and Dean of Agriculture Studies at Central Lakes College. “This legislation will be a catalyst in supporting beginning farmers with unique backgrounds and traditionally under-served populations.” “The introduction of this bill, which reauthorizes and strengthens the critical Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Program ("Section 2501"), is welcome news for farmers and ranchers across the country," said Juli Obudzinski, Deputy Policy Director for the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC). “The Section 2501 program, which runs out of farm bill funding this fall, is one of USDA's primary tools for helping farmers and ranchers start and expand successful farm businesses and grow jobs in rural America. In Minnesota, for example, farmer advocacy organizations like Hmong American Partnership—an FY2017 program grantee and NSAC member—are translating Section 2501 program support into programs that provide historically underserved farmers with microenterprise loans to start or expand their businesses, as well as training and technical services that help farmers to develop business plans and better access USDA credit and loan programs. We thank Senator Smith, as well as Senator Van Hollen, Representative Lujan Grisham, and all the bill's cosponsors for addressing the unique needs of farmers of color and veteran farmers by continuing Congress' support for the Section 2501 Program.” “For nearly 3 decades, the Outreach and Assistance to Socially Disadvantaged and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers (OASDVFR) Program has been USDA’s primary tool to assure our nation’s historically underserved producers secure real access to USDA program that help farmers and ranchers care for their land and water, and build viable and sustainable farming operations. The Rural Coalition and our members have supported the program since its inception and we are deeply grateful to Senator Smith and Senator Van Hollen, and Rep. Lujan Grisham for taking leadership to extend and improve this critical program,” said Lorette Picciano, Executive Director of the Rural Coalition. "Within our agricultural system there are a lot of inequities, and we need to take clear steps to address them—together,” said Laura Frerichs, who, along with her husband Adam Cullip and sons Eli and William, raise organic vegetables on Loon Organics Farm near Hutchinson. Frerichs serves on the Land Stewardship Project’s Board of Directors. “For us, this is a core value: we can’t move forward if we leave so many people behind.” This legislation, which was introduced by Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-M.D) and Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-N.M.), is also supported by Sens. Doug Jones (D-Ala.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), and Rep. Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.). Full text of the legislation is <a href="https://www.vanhollen.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/ELT18383%205.14.18.pdf" title="vanhollen.senate.gov" target="_blank">available here</a>. ###3396532018-08-01T15:09:37ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307WASHINGTON, D.C. [05/11/18]—U.S. Sens. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) have introduced a bipartisan measure to support health care benefits for “Atomic Veterans” who were exposed to harmful radiation when they cleaned up nuclear testing sites during the late 1970s. Sens. Tina Smith, Thom Tillis Lead Bipartisan Introduction of Bill to Support Health Care for “Atomic Veterans” engFederal268310VA Healthcare268706Tina Smith332173Sens. Tina Smith, Thom Tillis Lead Bipartisan Introduction of Bill to Support Health Care for “Atomic Veterans” 2018-05-11-tina-smith-atomic-veterans<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-339149" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2018-05-15T18:45:07ZWASHINGTON, D.C. [05/11/18]—U.S. Sens. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) have introduced a bipartisan measure to support health care benefits for “Atomic Veterans” who were exposed to harmful radiation when they cleaned up nuclear testing sites during the late 1970s. The Mark Takai Atomic Veterans Healthcare Parity Act would allow veterans who participated in the cleanup of Enewetak Atoll on the Marshall Islands to receive the same healthcare and benefits given to other servicemembers who were involved in active nuclear tests. From 1946 to 1958 the U.S. military conducted more than 40 nuclear tests in the Islands, but the thousands of service members who cleaned up the area were never made eligible to receive health benefits under the Radiation Compensation Exposure Act.Legislation Would Bring Health Benefits to Radiation-Exposed Veterans Who Cleaned Up Nuclear Testing Sites in Marshall Islands1066WASHINGTON, D.C. [05/11/18]—U.S. Sens. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) have introduced a bipartisan measure to support health care benefits for “Atomic Veterans” who were exposed to harmful radiation when they cleaned up nuclear testing sites during the late 1970s. The Mark Takai Atomic Veterans Healthcare Parity Act would allow veterans who participated in the cleanup of Enewetak Atoll on the Marshall Islands to receive the same healthcare and benefits given to other servicemembers who were involved in active nuclear tests. From 1946 to 1958 the U.S. military conducted more than 40 nuclear tests in the Islands, but the thousands of service members who cleaned up the area were never made eligible to receive health benefits under the Radiation Compensation Exposure Act. “One of our most solemn duties is to take care of the men and women who serve in our armed forces,” said Sen. Smith. “And a big part of that means ensuring they can get the health care they need both during and after their service. The Americans who cleaned up the radiation-exposed Marshall Islands—where more than 40 nuclear tests took place in the 20th century—have been fighting for proper care for a long time, and it’s past time we stand up for them. This bipartisan bill is a commonsense fix that’s long overdue.” “In the 1970s, thousands of courageous servicemembers were tasked with the unfathomable mission of cleaning the fallout and debris from nuclear tests in the Marshall Islands without protective gear, causing countless health issues among those involved,” said Senator Tillis. “This bipartisan legislation will recognize those veterans and ensure they are able to receive access to the medical treatment for which their service should have entitled them to long ago.” The bipartisan Atomic Veterans Healthcare Parity Act was introduced by Sens. Smith and Tillis and cosponsored by Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Angus King (I-Maine), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) It’s named after the late Hawaii Congressman Mark Takai, a veteran of the U.S. Army and Hawaii Army National Guard who passed away in 2016 and was the original sponsor of the bill in the House of Representatives. “When our servicemembers are harmed in the line of duty, we recognize the debt that we owe to them, and our solemn obligation to provide care and help them heal,” said Sen. Merkley. “That principle should be no different whether their injury occurs immediately in the line of fire, or decades later from the aftereffects of radiation exposure. The VA must not stand in the way of veterans receiving the care and benefits they have earned through their service to our country.” “Expanding health care services for Atomic Veterans will assist in treating service-connected conditions without worrying about high out of pocket costs,” said Sen. Hirono. “Congressman Mark Takai’s advocacy on this issue reflected his commitment to his fellow service members, and I am proud to continue his work.” “Atomic veterans answered our nation’s call decades ago and because of their service, were exposed to high levels of radiation,” Sen. Wyden said. “These veterans should never have to do battle with the federal bureaucracy to get the care and benefits they’ve earned.” “Our veterans have served and sacrificed for our nation and the freedoms we all cherish. We all have a shared responsibility to do our part to do right by them,” said Sen. Baldwin. “This bipartisan legislation is an important step forward in expanding health care benefits to veterans exposed to harmful radiation. These veterans have waited far too long for this recognition and they shouldn’t have to pay out of pocket for certain costs because the VA won’t accept their exposure. We need to change this and make sure Atomic Cleanup Veterans get the health care benefits they deserve.” “Thousands of brave men and women risked their lives to clean up radioactive fallout from test sites in the Marshall lslands in the late 1970s,” said Sen. Klobuchar. “Today, some of those servicemembers and their children are suffering from cancer and heart disease due to their exposure to radiation, but they aren’t eligible for help from the Veterans Administration. Our bipartisan bill ‎will right that wrong by designating them as ‘radiation-exposed veterans,’ finally qualifying those veterans for the Veterans Administration treatment coverage they have earned.” “Our veterans risked their lives for our country, and they deserve the absolute best care when they come home,” said Senator Gillibrand, Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee. “The Mark Takai Atomic Veterans Parity Act would ensure that veterans who were exposed to radiation in the Marshall Islands four decades ago are receiving the care they need and deserve today. I am proud to cosponsor this important legislation, and I will do everything I can in the Senate to support our incredible veterans.” “Brave servicemembers were exposed to radiation when they helped clean up our nuclear testing sites,” said Sen. Warren. “America should keep its promise to these veterans by ensuring that they receive the VA care and benefits that they deserve.” The service members who participated in the Marshall Islands cleanup between 1977 and 1980 suffer from high rates of cancers due to their exposure to radiation and nuclear waste, but are currently unable to receive the same treatments and service-related disability presumptions that other “radiation-exposed veterans” receive. The Mark Takai Atomic Veterans Healthcare Parity Act would tackle this issue by extending key VA benefits to those who helped clean up the Marshall Islands, which remain partly uninhabitable due to high levels of radiation. You can read a <a href="https://smithsenate.box.com/s/rnv00t4wrnwwrpnqb655cksrsme9eq53" title="Bill Summary" target="_blank">summary of the bill here</a>. ### 3391492018-05-15T18:56:02ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307The legislature finished its penultimate full week of session by finishing up work on a handful of Veterans related bills. Next week's focus will be completing work on a supplemental budget, bonding bill and a tax bill.Weekly State Update - May 11engState268309Appropriations and Programming268320Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621Weekly State Update - May 112018-05-14-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-338971" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2018-05-11T22:00:00ZThe legislature finished its penultimate full week of session by finishing up work on a handful of Veterans related bills. Next week's focus will be completing work on a supplemental budget, bonding bill and a tax bill.1066The legislature finished its penultimate full week of session by finishing up work on a handful of Veterans related bills. Next week's focus will be completing work on a supplemental budget, bonding bill and a tax bill. The legislature sent three bills to Governor Dayton which he is expected to sign into law next week. SF 3004 is authored by Sen. Mark Johnson and Rep. Dale Lueck. The bill would allow the Secretary of State's office to collect Veteran status through applications for appointments to state agencies, boards and commissions. The bill was passed unanimously in both chambers. SF 1703 designates July 16 as Atomic Veterans Day in Minnesota. The bill was authored by Sen. Andrew Mathews and Rep. John Poston and passed unanimously in both chambers. SF 3262 allows counties and cities to designate jurisdictions as a Purple Heart City or Purple Heart County. The bill also allows cities or counties to designate a prominent parking space at city hall or county government center for Purple Heart recipients. The bill was authored by Sen. Dan Hall and Rep. Matt Bliss. The bill passed unanimously. Sen. Dave Senjem released his bonding bill last week. MDVA was given $9 million for asset preservation for needed repairs at MDVA properties like Veterans homes and cemeteries. Like the House proposal, which was released last week this falls short of the $13 million request that Governor Dayton included in his proposal. The Senate bonding bill also included money to build three new Veterans homes in Bemidji, Montevideo and Preston.3389712018-05-14T16:29:17ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307This last week, all of the action related to Veterans took place in the House. The chamber passed supplemental budget bills and released its bonding bill.Weekly State Update - May 4engState268309Appropriations and Programming268320Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621Weekly State Update - May 42018-05-07-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-338400" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2018-05-04T21:00:00ZThis last week, all of the action related to Veterans took place in the House. The chamber passed supplemental budget bills and released its bonding bill.1066This last week, all of the action related to Veterans took place in the House. The chamber passed supplemental budget bills and released its bonding bill. The House finished passing all of its supplemental budget bills. The Senate previously passed its budget bill the week before. It is expected that a conference committee will be formed on Monday, May 7. The House supplemental budget bills included provisions for three new Veterans homes, renaming bridges to honor Veterans and money to help Veterans at the Centers for Independent Living. Rep. Dean Urdahl unveiled his bonding bill, which funds projects at buildings and assets owned by the state throughout Minnesota. MDVA was given $10 million for asset preservation for needed repairs at the state Veterans homes and cemeteries. The appropriation is $3 million dollars less than what Governor Dayton included in his bonding proposal. The bill was passed by the Capital Investment committee and re-referred to the committee on Ways and Means. The Senate passed two Veterans related bills unanimously. SF 3004 is authored by Senator Mark Johnson. It would allow Veteran status to be collected by the Secretary of State's office on applications for appointments to state agencies, boards, councils, commissions and task forces if the Veteran so chooses. SF 3262 would allow for designation of Purple Heart Cities and Counties. It would also allow the local government to reserve parking spaces for Purple Heart recipients and proclaims August 7th as Purple Heart Day. Both of these bills are awaiting a floor vote in the Minnesota House of Representatives.3384002018-05-07T16:16:03ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307Throughout the past week the legislature has been working on a series of supplemental budget bills. These bills feature Veterans related provisions, including the funding for three new Veterans homes.Weekly State Update - April 20engState268309Appropriations and Programming268320Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621Weekly State Update - April 202018-04-20-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-337715" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2018-04-20T21:00:00ZThroughout the past week the legislature has been working on a series of supplemental budget bills. These bills feature Veterans related provisions, including the funding for three new Veterans homes.1066Throughout the past week the legislature has been working on a series of supplemental budget bills. These bills feature Veterans related provisions, including the funding for three new Veterans homes. These are the other provisions that were included in supplemental budget bills. <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Veterans homes</h2> The House State Government Finance bill included the funding of three new Minnesota Veterans Homes. If enacted, these homes would be located in Bemidji, Montevideo and Preston. <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Veteran's Voices</h2> $50,000 was appropriated in the House Legacy funding bill to the Association of Minnesota Public Educational Radio Stations (AMPERS) to produce radio programs chronicling the experience of Korean War Veterans. <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Bridges honoring Veterans</h2> The House Transportation Finance bill includes two sections that honor Veterans by renaming bridges in the areas that they lived. In Eveleth, a bridge on U.S. Highway 53 will be designated as "Specialist Noah Pierce Bridge." In Rosemount, a U.S. Highway 52 bridge will be renamed “Warrant Officer Dennis A. Groth Memorial Bridge.” <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Centers for Independent Living</h2> In the House Job Growth and Energy Affordability omnibus bill $590,000 was appropriated to the Centers for Independent Living to hire eight full-time employees that focus on providing targeted services to Veterans. These bills were all sent to the Ways and Means committee. In years past, all of the supplemental budget bills that have come out of separate committees are usually combined into one supplemental budget bill that is voted on by the full House or Senate. In addition to the work on supplemental budget bills, the House Veterans Affairs Division held its last scheduled meeting of the biennium.3377152018-04-27T19:39:31ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Tim Walz (D-MN) and Chairman Phil Roe, M.D. (R-TN) introduced H.R. 5520, the VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act of 2018, to authorize the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to advance scientific and medical research into the safety and efficacy of medicinal cannabis usage by veterans with diagnoses such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and chronic pain. Upon introduction, the legislation was cosponsored by 28 Democrats and 7 Republicans.Committee Leaders Introduce Bipartisan VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act of 2018engFederal268310VA Healthcare268706Tim Walz269748Committee Leaders Introduce Bipartisan VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act of 20182018-04-17-walz-committee-leaders-introduce-bipartisan-va-medicinal-cannabis-research-act<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-336279" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2018-04-18T19:00:00ZWASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Tim Walz (D-MN) and Chairman Phil Roe, M.D. (R-TN) introduced H.R. 5520, the VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act of 2018, to authorize the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to advance scientific and medical research into the safety and efficacy of medicinal cannabis usage by veterans with diagnoses such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and chronic pain. Upon introduction, the legislation was cosponsored by 28 Democrats and 7 Republicans.The legislation authorizes VA to advance scientific and medical research into the safety and efficacy of medicinal cannabis usage on veterans suffering from diagnoses such as PTSD and chronic pain1066WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Tim Walz (D-MN) and Chairman Phil Roe, M.D. (R-TN) introduced <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/5520?r=6" title="H.R. 5520" target="_blank">H.R. 5520</a>, the VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act of 2018, to authorize the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to advance scientific and medical research into the safety and efficacy of medicinal cannabis usage by veterans with diagnoses such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and chronic pain. Upon introduction, the legislation was cosponsored by 28 Democrats and 7 Republicans.Ranking Member Walz and Chairman Roe, along with Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Jon Tester (D-MT), who plans to introduce companion legislation in the Senate, and original cosponsor Representative Lou Correa (D-CA), made the following statements in support of the bill: “We have all heard the stories of veterans who have used cannabis medicinally to cope with physical and psychological injuries sustained during their service to our country,” said Ranking Member Walz. “In fact, <a href="https://www.legion.org/veteranshealthcare/239814/survey-shows-veteran-households-support-research-medical-cannabis" title="Legion.org" target="_blank">22 percent</a> of veterans report using cannabis as a safer and more effective alternative to opioids and drug cocktails currently prescribed by VA for medical conditions such as PTSD or chronic pain; unfortunately, we are all too familiar with the dangerous and often deadly side effects associated with opioids. While we know cannabis can have life-saving effects on veterans suffering from chronic pain or PTSD, there has been a severe lack of research studying the full effect of medicinal cannabis on these veterans. That is why I am so proud to introduce this legislation. Simply put, there is no department or organization better suited to conduct this critically important research than VA, and there will never be a better time to act. I proudly stand with the 92% of veterans who support research into medicinal cannabis and call on VA to make advancing such research a top priority.” “As a physician, I am keenly aware of the need to look for opioid alternatives to treat patients’ chronic pain,” said Chairman Roe. “Since serving as Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, I’ve heard from many veterans, both with physical and invisible wounds, who believe medical cannabis could benefit them. This is why I support the department researching cannabis just like any other drug to see if this alternative therapy would truly benefit patients. Until we have sound science behind whether or not medical cannabis is an effective treatment, we should not move forward with prescribing it, and I believe VA is uniquely equipped to conduct this important research.” “If veterans can ease some of the chronic pain or symptoms of injuries or illness they have received through service to our country without turning to opioids, the VA has a responsibility to research it,” said Ranking Member Tester. “Veterans must have a say in how they manage their pain and the VA needs to listen to those veterans who are finding relief in medicinal cannabis.” “I am honored to join Chairman Roe and Ranking Member Walz, and Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Jon Tester in finally taking action to help veterans in need of medical cannabis,” said Rep. Correa. “With the opioid crisis raging across American, it is imperative to the health and safety of our veterans that we find alternative treatments for chronic pain and service-related injuries. Throughout my district, I meet veterans who depend on cannabis to manage their pain. Numerous veterans attest to the treatment benefits of medical cannabis. It’s time the VA did a formal study. Rather than risk becoming dependent on opioids, these veterans find relief in medical cannabis. Opioid prescriptions for veterans have increased by 270 percent since 2003, resulting in 68,000 veterans developing an opioid addiction and a two-fold increase in accidental opioid overdose deaths. This is unacceptable. I want to bring these brave men and women the relief they deserve. This legislation will finally allow the VA to performed research on medical cannabis. Our veterans risk everything for us. We need to do everything we can to help them once they are home.” <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Background:</h2> The VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act of 2018 would promote scientific and medical research into the safety and efficacy of medicinal cannabis usage on veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic pain and other illnesses and injuries by (1) clarifying that research into medicinal cannabis is well within the authority of VA and (2) by requiring VA to report to Congress on how it intends to exercise that authority. The VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act of 2018 is a pragmatic and bipartisan piece of legislation that will improve and in many cases save the lives of veterans across the country. While data is limited, the American Legion, a congressionally-chartered Veteran Service Organization, conducted a <a href="https://www.legion.org/veteranshealthcare/239814/survey-shows-veteran-households-support-research-medical-cannabis" title="Legion.org" target="_blank">survey</a> in October 2017 on a portion of its approximately 2.2 million veteran members and found that 92% of all respondents support medical research and 82% of all respondents support legalizing medicinal cannabis. The survey also found that “22 percent of veterans are currently using cannabis to treat a medical condition.” Therefore, it is clear that medical research into the safety and efficacy of cannabis usage for medical purposes is timely, necessary, and widely supported by the veteran community. As many veterans are currently using cannabis for medicinal purposes, it is important that clinicians are able to fully advise veterans on the impacts, harms, and benefits of cannabis use on veterans with various diagnoses including PTSD and chronic pain. In 1925, Congress established the Veterans Health Administration Office of Research and Development (ORD) in order to facilitate the Department of Veterans Affairs’ fulfillment of its research and development program’s mission “to discover knowledge and create innovations that advance health care for Veterans and the Nation.” Since its inception, ORD has earned a reputation as a leader in research and development, and the ability of ORD to produce cutting-edge, scientifically-sound, clinically necessary and life-saving research is undeniable. For this reason, ORD should be responsible for determining the efficacy and safety of cannabis-usage on our nation’s veterans. The introduction of the legislation follows months of letters sent back and forth between Democrats on the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, led by Ranking Member Walz, and VA. In the letters to VA, House Democrats called on the department to conduct research into medicinal cannabis for veterans suffering from diagnoses including PTSD and chronic pain, or otherwise identify any specific barriers to such research. VA responded by saying they were unable to carry out such research, citing bureaucratic red tape, onerous interagency coordination, and a lack of Congressional authority. The VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act of 2018 will make it abundantly clear that VA has the authority to advance scientific and medical research into the safety and efficacy of medicinal cannabis usage on veterans suffering from diagnoses such as PTSD and chronic pain and will require VA to report to Congress on its progress carrying out such research once a year for five years. <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">The Message:</h2> <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Since 1925, the VA’s Office of Research and Development has advanced veterans’ and the nation’s healthcare through industry-leading research and development.</li> <li>This bill would ensure VA knows it has the authority and Congress has the oversight necessary to advance research into cannabis usage for medicinal purposes.</li> <li>This legislation represents a bipartisan step forward in the national conversation on medicinal cannabis. </li> </ul> Read Ranking Member Walz’s October 26 letter <a href="https://walz.house.gov/sites/walz.house.gov/files/RM%20Walz%20Calls%20For%20VA%20Research%20Into%20Medical%20Marijuana.pdf" title="Walz October Letter" target="_blank">here</a>. Read Secretary Shulkin’s December 21 letter <a href="https://walz.house.gov/sites/walz.house.gov/files/VA-Response-to-Oct-26-Letter.pdf" title="Shulkin December Letter" target="_blank">here</a>. Read Ranking Member Walz’s January 16 letter <a href="https://walz.house.gov/sites/walz.house.gov/files/1-16-HVAC-Reply.pdf" title="Walz January Letter" target="_blank">here</a>.3362792018-04-19T15:06:17ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307Washington DC - Congressman Lou Correa (CA-46) and House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member Tim Walz (MN-01) called for funding to research the safety and effectiveness of medical cannabis in treating veterans diagnosed with PTSD and chronic pain. Reps. Correa & Walz Call For Cannabis Research Funding For VeteransengFederal268310Tim Walz269748Reps. Correa & Walz Call For Cannabis Research Funding For Veterans2018-03-26-correa-and-walz-call-for-cannabis-research<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-333782" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2018-03-26T19:00:00ZWashington DC - Congressman Lou Correa (CA-46) and House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member Tim Walz (MN-01) called for funding to research the safety and effectiveness of medical cannabis in treating veterans diagnosed with PTSD and chronic pain. 1066Washington DC - Congressman Lou Correa (CA-46) and House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member Tim Walz (MN-01) called for funding to research the safety and effectiveness of medical cannabis in treating veterans diagnosed with PTSD and chronic pain. Rep. Lou Correa said, “It is imperative to the health and safety of our veterans that we find alternative treatments for chronic pain and service-related injuries. Throughout my district, I meet veterans who depend on cannabis to manage their pain. Numerous veterans attest to the treatment benefits of medical cannabis. It’s time the VA did a formal study. Rather than risk becoming dependent on opioids, these veterans find relief in medical cannabis. Opioid prescriptions for veterans have increased by 270 percent since 2003, resulting in 68,000 veterans developing an opioid addiction and a two-fold increase in accidental opioid overdose deaths. This is unacceptable. I am willing to try anything that will bring these brave men and women the relief they deserve. It is time the US government performed research on medical cannabis, which so many veterans depend on. Our veterans risk everything for us. We need to do everything we can to help them once they are home.” Rep. Tim Walz, Ranking Member for the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, said, “For far too long, we’ve known medicinal cannabis can have life-saving effects on veterans suffering from chronic pain and PTSD, and yet, there has been a severe lack of research studying the drug’s full effect on these veterans. That is why I am proud to join my friend and colleague Representative Correa in sending this letter. There is no department or organization better suited to conduct this critically important research than VA, and there has never been a better time to act. I stand with the 92% of veterans who support VA research into medicinal cannabis as a way to treat veterans suffering from physical and psychological injuries of war.” The appropriations letter asked the MilCon/VA Subcommittee to include language in its report that urges the VA to research the safety and effectiveness of medical cannabis in treating veterans diagnosed with PTSD and chronic pain. ###3337822018-03-29T13:15:55ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307This week at the legislature the first deadline for bills took place on Thursday, March 23. This deadline "is for committees to act favorably on bills in the house of origin." The second deadline will be next Thursday at midnight. The legislature uses deadlines to filter out bills that won't be enacted into law. In total, 12 Veterans related bills were heard throughout committees in the legislature.Weekly State Update - March 23engState268309Appropriations and Programming268320Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621Weekly State Update - March 232018-03-23-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-332261" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2018-03-26T13:35:57ZThis week at the legislature the first deadline for bills took place on Thursday, March 22. This deadline "is for committees to act favorably on bills in the house of origin." The second deadline will be next Thursday at midnight. The legislature uses deadlines to filter out bills that won't be enacted into law. In total, 12 Veterans related bills were heard throughout committees in the legislature.1066This week at the legislature the first deadline for bills took place on Thursday, March 22. This deadline "is for committees to act favorably on bills in the house of origin." The second deadline will be next Thursday at midnight. The legislature uses deadlines to filter out bills that won't be enacted into law. In total, 12 Veterans related bills were heard throughout committees in the legislature. HF 1123 is authored by Rep. Jim Davnie. It seeks to increase the homestead valuation exclusion for disabled Veterans. The increase for 70% disabled Veterans would go from $150,000 to $165,000. For 100% service connected disabled Veterans, the exclusion would increase from $300,000 to $330,000. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in a tax bill. HF 3387 is authored by Rep. Jeff Howe. It would eliminate the statutory requirement that for-profit providers of veterans benefits services must disclose in their advertising that Veterans are entitled to free Veterans benefits services offered by county Veterans service officers. The bill was approved and re-referred to the Commerce and Regulatory Reform committee. HF 3477 and SF 3262 are companion bills authored by Rep. Matt Bliss and Sen. Dan Hall. The bill seeks to allow a city or county to declare itself a "Purple Heart City" or "Purple Heart County" to honor and support Purple Heart recipients. Other benefits include a designated parking space at city hall or county government center. It allows a city or county to accept donations for signs and allows a city or county to designate Aug. 7 as Purple Heart Day. The House bill was approved Government Operations and Elections committee and sent to the House floor for a full vote. The Senate bill was approved by the Veterans and Military Affairs committee and sent to the Senate floor. HF 3503 is authored by Rep. Paul Torkelson. It modifies the disabled Veterans homestead exclusion by allowing a Veteran with a 100% disability rating, but not the 100% total and permanent rating, to receive the higher exclusion amount under the program. Currently, Veterans with a disability rating over 70%, which includes a Veteran at 100% if the Veteran is not totally and permanently disabled, are eligible for $150,000 exclusion, while only 100% percent totally and permanently disabled Veterans qualify for an exclusion of $300,000. The bill was passed and re-referred to the tax committee. HF 3672 is authored by Rep. Sheldon Johnson. It would increase the tax credit for certain military retirees from up to $750 to $1,000. It would also expand the eligibility for disabled Veterans with a 40% service connected disability or higher. No credit would be allowed on incomes of $60,000 or higher. The bill was approved and re-referred to Taxes. HF 3750 and SF 3461 are authored by Rep. Keith Franke and Sen. Bruce Anderson. This bill clarifies that veterans can use GI benefits for both traditional educational expenses, such as tuition, as well as additional professional or educational benefits, such as professional licensing. The bills were approved by respective committees and sent to the House and Senate floor for full votes of the chambers. HF 3934 is authored by Rep. Anna Wills. It would expand the military retirement pay subtraction to cover half of the pension income received through a federal civilian pension, if calculation of the pension includes a credit for military service. The bill was approved and re-referred to Taxes. HF 3912 is authored by Rep. Davnie. If enacted, the bill would provide funding to expand the Minnesota Veterans Home - Minneapolis with up to 150 more beds for eligible Veterans and their spouses. It was passed, without recommendation and re-referred to the State Government Finance committee. HF 4057 is authored by Rep. Julie Sandstede. This bill would move the application date for the disabled Veterans homestead exclusion to Nov. 1 and allows a Veteran to apply for a refund of taxes paid in 2017 and 2018 if the Veteran met the disability rating requirements for a portion of assessment years 2016 and 2017 but did not collect the benefit the following year. It was passed and re-referred to Taxes. HF 4100 is authored by Rep. Bob Dettmer. This bill requires local units of government to manage and supervise the maintenance of abandoned cemeteries where Veterans are buried. A local unit of government may not refuse a transfer of an abandoned cemetery where a Veteran is buried. This bill was approved and re-referred to Commerce and Regulatory Reform. In addition to all of the bills heard throughout the week, the House State Government Finance committee heard presentations from three communities (Bemidji, Fillmore County and Montevideo) seeking to build a new Veterans home in Minnesota.3322612018-03-26T14:08:34ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307WASHINGTON, D.C. [03/20/18]—U.S. Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) called on the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to explain several serious issues with a digital health system designed for clinics and hospitals that treat millions of veterans and service members. The system, which is being tested right now at a handful of military hospitals and is set to be scaled up nationwide in the years to come, has been mired so far by glitches and dangerous errors that put patients at risk.Sen. Tina Smith Presses Veterans Department to Explain Life-Endangering Failures in New Digital Health System engFederal268310VA Healthcare268706Tina Smith332173Sen. Tina Smith Presses Veterans Department to Explain Life-Endangering Failures in New Digital Health System 2018-03-20-tina-smith-presses-va-to-explain<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-332174" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2018-03-20T17:00:00ZWASHINGTON, D.C. [03/20/18]—U.S. Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) called on the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to explain several serious issues with a digital health system designed for clinics and hospitals that treat millions of veterans and service members. The system, which is being tested right now at a handful of military hospitals and is set to be scaled up nationwide in the years to come, has been mired so far by glitches and dangerous errors that put patients at risk.“We took a broken system and just broke it completely” Said Doctor in Alarming News Report1066WASHINGTON, D.C. [03/20/18]—U.S. Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) called on the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to explain several serious issues with a digital health system designed for clinics and hospitals that treat millions of veterans and service members. The system, which is being tested right now at a handful of military hospitals and is set to be scaled up nationwide in the years to come, has been mired so far by glitches and dangerous errors that put patients at risk. According to <a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2018/03/08/veterans-military-health-system-trump-386232" title="Politico: We took a broken system and just broke it completely" target="_blank">a report from Politico</a>, the initial rollout of the MHS Genesis EHR system has resulted in substantial slowdowns, serious medical errors, and a work environment in which doctors are afraid to do their jobs for fear of harming patients. In her letter to Secretary David Shulkin, Sen. Smith pressed the VA to clarify in detail how it plans to improve the EHR system, which is expected to cover more than 9.4 million Department of Defense beneficiaries, more than 200,000 Military Health System personnel worldwide, and eventually the entire VA medical system. “The men and women who have honorably served our nation in uniform deserve our utmost respect, and when they return home as veterans we need to make sure they get all the benefits and care they were promised,” wrote Sen. Smith in her letter. “Recent reports have indicated that this new system has endangered the lives of patients and made it extremely difficult for doctors to do their jobs. I am deeply troubled by these reports and would like to learn, in an expeditious manner, more about the implementation problems and what steps are being taken to fix them.” <a href="https://smithsenate.app.box.com/s/4cotr7xevj36m3o379w5792v95qwyo2l" title="Full Letter" target="_blank">You can read Sen. Smith’s full letter here</a>. 3321742018-03-23T17:46:30ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307Minnesota Veterans Day on the Hill kicked off the week at the Capitol. There were also even bills related to Veterans that were heard in legislative committees.Weekly State Update - March 16engState268309Appropriations and Programming268320Minnesota Senate270621Minnesota House270620Weekly State Update - March 162018-03-16-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-330599" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2018-03-16T19:00:00ZMinnesota Veterans Day on the Hill kicked off the week at the Capitol. There were also seven bills related to Veterans that were heard in legislative committees.1066Minnesota Veterans Day on the Hill kicked off the week at the Capitol. There were also seven bills related to Veterans that were heard in legislative committees. About a thousand Veterans from throughout the state came to St. Paul on Monday to hold a rally in the Capitol Rotunda and meet with legislators. Veterans Day on the Hill is organized each year by the Commanders' Task Force, Minnesota Association of County Veterans Service Officers (MACVSO) and the United Veterans Legislative Council (UVLC). Also on Monday, the House Veterans Affairs Division held its weekly meeting. In addition to hearing bills there were presentations from UVLC and the American Legion about the 100th Anniversary that will be celebrated in Minneapolis this summer. The following bills were heard throughout the week- HF 3009 and SF 2653 are companion bills authored by Rep. John Poston and Sen. Karin Housley. This legislation would provide funding to the Centers for Independent Living so that they can hire employees to target services for Veterans. Both bills were approved by the respective Veterans committees that heard the bill in each chamber. HF 3009 was re-referred to the Job Growth and Energy Affordability committee. SF 2653 was re-referred to the Jobs and Economic Growth committee. HF 3429 and SF 3261 are also companion bills, this time authored by Rep. Bob Dettmer and Sen. Bruce Anderson. This legislation makes two key changes to the disabled Veterans homestead exclusion for surviving spouses. First, the eight-year limit for surviving spouses would be eliminated. Second, the bill would allow the surviving spouse to transfer the exclusion to a property of equal or lesser value. Both bills were approved by the respective Veterans committees and were re-referred to each chamber's tax committee. HF 3477 is authored by Rep. Matt Bliss and was heard in the Veterans Affairs Division. It would allow a city or county to declare itself a "Purple Heart City" or "Purple Heart County" to honor and support Purple Heart recipients. Other benefits include a designated parking space at city hall or county government center. It allows a city or county to accept donations for signs and allows a city or county to designate Aug. 7 as Purple Heart Day. The bill was approved and re-referred to the Government Operations and Elections committee. HF 3507 is authored by Rep. Dale Lueck was given a hearing in the Veterans Affairs Division. It would add Veteran status to the list of collected data that is used by the Secretary of State for state agency appointments. The bill was approved and sent to the House floor. HF 1318 is authored by Rep. John Poston and was heard in State Government Finance. It would establish Veterans preference in hiring procedures for competitive job openings at the legislature and state courts. This is already established in state agencies as well as local governments throughout Minnesota. The bill was approved and re-referred to Public Safety and Security.3305992018-03-19T14:09:21ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307Only three bills were heard between the two Veterans committees in the state legislature this week as work continues to get under way.Weekly State Update - March 9engState268309Appropriations and Programming268320Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621Weekly State Update - March 92018-03-09-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-328745" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2018-03-10T02:00:00ZOnly three bills were heard between the two Veterans committees in the state legislature this week as work continues to get under way.1066Only three bills were heard between the two Veterans committees in the state legislature this week as work continues to get under way. The House Veterans Affairs Division heard one Veterans related piece of legislation. HF 1123 is authored by Rep. Jim Davnie. It seeks to increase the homestead valuation exclusion for disabled Veterans. The increase for 70% disabled Veterans would go from $150,000 to $165,000. For 100% service connected disabled Veterans, the exclusion would increase from $300,000 to $330,000. The bill was approved and re-referred to the Taxes committee. The Senate Veterans and Military Affairs committee heard two Veterans related bills. SF 3004 is authored by Senator Mark Johnson and would add Veteran status to the list of collected data that is used by the Secretary of State for state agency appointments. The bill was approved and re-referred to the State Government and Elections committee. SF 2953 is the companion to HF 2907 which would permit data sharing between county officials to administer the disabled Veteran's homestead exclusion. The bill was approved and re-referred to the Judiciary and Public Safety committee. New Veterans related bills were introduced throughout the week. To learn more, check out the <a href="/mdva/news/legislative-updates/state-bill-tracker/index.jsp" title="MDVA State Bill Tracker" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:title="010-State-Bill-Tracker-Intro">State Bill Tracker</a>. Meeting Canceled On Monday, March 5th there was supposed to be a joint hearing to learn about the process for acquiring new Veterans homes. That meeting was canceled because of the snow storm. It is expected to be rescheduled for a later date. Legislative Deadlines The legislature announced its committee deadlines for this session. These deadlines are meant to filter out and give priority to bills that have been introduced. If a bill doesn't meet deadline, it is essentially dead. The first deadline is Thursday, March 22. This deadline is for committees to act favorably on bills in the house of origin. The second deadline is March 29. This is for committees to act favorably on bills, or companion bills, that met the first deadline in the other chamber. The third deadline is on Friday, Apr. 20. This is for committees to act favorably on major appropriation and finance bills.3287452026-05-08T15:59:07ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307This was the first full week of the 2018 legislative session. With that, both Veterans committees in the House and the Senate held its first meetings.Weekly State Update - March 2engState268309Appropriations and Programming268320Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621Weekly State Update - March 22018-03-02-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-328288" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2018-03-02T22:00:00ZThis was the first full week of the 2018 legislative session. With that, both Veterans committees in the House and the Senate held its first meetings.1066This was the first full week of the 2018 legislative session. With that, both Veterans committees in the House and the Senate held its first meetings. The House Veterans Affairs Division met and heard two Veterans related bills. The first one, HF 2907 is authored by Rep. Jeff Howe. It seeks to permit data sharing between county officials to administer the disabled Veteran's homestead exclusion. It was approved and re-referred to the Civil Law and Data Practices committee. HF 2908 is authored by Rep. Wills. This bill would designate a bridge on US Highway 52 in Rosemount as Warrant Officer Dennis A. Groth Memorial Bridge. It was approved and re-referred to the Transportation Policy committee. The Senate Veterans and Military Affairs committee met and did not hear any Veterans related bills. It did listen to presentations regarding Minnesota Veterans Courts, the Veterans Defense Project and Eagle's Healing Nest. There are three scheduled meetings in the House and Senate Veterans committees. On Monday, the House Veterans Affairs Division will hear a presentation about bonding requests from MDVA. It will also hear HF 1123 which would increase the Homestead valuation exclusion for disabled Veterans. Later that afternoon there will be a joint meeting of the Veterans committees to learn about the process to acquire a new state Veterans home. The Senate Veterans committee will meet on Thursday, but no agenda has been posted.3282882018-03-05T14:51:37ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307On Monday, Feb. 20 the 2018 legislative session began and is expected to end on May 21. The adjournment date is set by the Minnesota Constitution. This is the second year of the 90th Minnesota Legislative session.Weekly State Update - Feb. 23engState268309Appropriations and Programming268320Minnesota Senate270621Minnesota House270620Weekly State Update - Feb. 232018-02-23-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-327597" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2018-02-23T20:00:00ZOn Monday, Feb. 20 the 2018 legislative session began and is expected to end on May 21. The adjournment date is set by the Minnesota Constitution. This is the second year of the 90th Minnesota Legislative session.1066On Monday, Feb. 20 the 2018 legislative session began and is expected to end on May 21. The adjournment date is set by the Minnesota Constitution. This is the second year of the 90th Minnesota Legislative session. Typically, the second year of a biennium is the 'bonding' session as opposed to the 'budget' session in the first year of the biennium. This means that the focus will be on putting together a Capital Investment bill to pay for public works projects throughout Minnesota, including money to pay for repairs and infrastructure at MDVA owned buildings. The two main committees which hear Veterans related legislation are the Veterans Affairs Division in the House, which is chaired by Representative Bob Dettmer (a U.S. Army Veteran), and the Senate’s Veterans and Military Affairs Finance and Policy Committee, chaired by Senator Bruce Anderson (a U.S. Air Force Veteran). These committees will meet for the first time next week. On Monday at 1 p.m. the Veterans Affairs Division will meet in Room 5 of the State Office Building. The agenda includes four bills, an introduction of Adjutant General Jon Jensen, presentations by the Department of Military Affairs' and MDVA's bonding requests. The Senate Veterans committee will meet on Thursday at 8:30 a.m. in Room 1100 of the Minnesota Senate Building. The agenda has not been made available as of 2:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 23. <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Two new legislators</h2> On Tuesday, new legislators were sworn into office. Senator Karla Bigham was elected to serve Senate District 54 after the resignation of Senator Dan Schoen. Senator Bigham will serve on the Veterans and Military Affairs Finance and Policy committee. Rep. Jeremy Munson was elected to House District 23B after the resignation of former Rep. Tony Cornish.3275972018-02-23T20:43:19ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307WASHINGTON, Nov. 9, 2017 – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced the launch of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) resources to provide comprehensive and timely support to veterans interested in opportunities in agriculture, agribusiness, and in rural America. Today, USDA unveiled a new website, announced a new Military Veterans Agricultural Liaison, and developed a USDA-wide AgLearn curriculum to allow all employees to understand the unique opportunities offered to our nation’s veterans.Secretary Perdue Launches Veteran Resources at USDAengFederal268310Tim Walz269748Secretary Perdue Launches Veteran Resources at USDA2017-11-13-usda-walz<tcdl:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-317923" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2017-11-13T21:13:48ZWASHINGTON, Nov. 9, 2017 – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced the launch of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) resources to provide comprehensive and timely support to veterans interested in opportunities in agriculture, agribusiness, and in rural America. Today, USDA unveiled a new website, announced a new Military Veterans Agricultural Liaison, and developed a USDA-wide AgLearn curriculum to allow all employees to understand the unique opportunities offered to our nation’s veterans.1066WASHINGTON, Nov. 9, 2017 – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced the launch of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) resources to provide comprehensive and timely support to veterans interested in opportunities in agriculture, agribusiness, and in rural America. Today, USDA unveiled <a href="https://www.usda.gov/our-agency/initiatives/veterans" title="USDA Supports America’s Heroes" target="_blank">a new website</a>, announced a new Military Veterans Agricultural Liaison, and developed a USDA-wide AgLearn curriculum to allow all employees to understand the unique opportunities offered to our nation’s veterans. USDA-wide AgLearn curriculum to allow all employees to understand the unique opportunities offered to our nation’s veterans. “From the beginning of this Administration, USDA has focused on how to best serve our veterans,” said Secretary Perdue. “These men and women of the United States military have kept America free and deserve the utmost respect. Across the country, these veterans are beginning to fill roles that preserve rural communities while providing for their livelihood. Through these resources, USDA is committed to helping veterans in agricultural areas so we can strengthen the American economy and provide assistance for those who have served. Veterans and agriculture are just a great fit.” Secretary Perdue also announced William B. Ashton as USDA’s new Military Veterans Agricultural Liaison (MVAL). Mr. Ashton comes to USDA from the Naval Sea Systems Command Headquarters where he recently served as Security Director for the Commander to lead the security efforts of the command. “I’m incredibly thankful for this opportunity,” said Mr. Ashton. “USDA is devoted to helping veterans learn and succeed through the agriculture industry, throughout rural America, and around the world. I’m honored for this opportunity by Secretary Perdue to help implement his vision to support veterans and to open the doors of opportunity at USDA, in agriculture and agriculture-related careers to those who, like me, have defended this great nation.” USDA supports veterans in the areas of the “3Es” – employment, education, and entrepreneurship, and pulls together programs from the Department’s 17 agencies that veterans may use. You may <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAeLqXHUU3w" title="Video: USDA's New Veterans Resources" target="_blank">click HERE</a> to learn more about USDA’s new veterans resources. Veterans who are interested in learning more about opportunities through USDA can visit <a href="http://www.usda.gov/veterans" title="USDA/gov/Veterans" target="_blank">www.usda.gov/veterans</a> or visit their local USDA Service Center. # USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. 3179232017-11-13T21:14:19ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307<Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Tim Walz269748Federal268310Fighting for Minnesota's Veterans and Military Families2017-10-16-walz-fighting-for-minnesotas-veterans<tcdl:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-315516" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2017-10-16T13:00:00ZBecause of the incredible sacrifice America’s military families and veterans make on behalf of their country, they in return deserve the very best from our government. As ranking member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Congressman Walz is honored to fight for them, every day he serves in Congress.1066From the office of Congressman Walz: Because of the incredible sacrifice America’s military families and veterans make on behalf of their country, they in return deserve the very best from our government. As ranking member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Congressman Walz is honored to fight for them, every day he serves in Congress. CONTINUING TO HELP VETERAN’S AND THEIR FAMILY WITH VALUED VA PROGRAMS Congressman Walz and Congressman Mast (R-FL) introduced the Department of Veterans Affairs Expiring Authorities Act of 2017 (H.R. 3819) to continue valuable programs and services scheduled to sunset in areas of health care, benefits, and homelessness. Signed into law (PL 115-62) on September 29, 2017. IMPROVING EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS FOR SERVICEMEMBERS, VETERANS AND FAMILIES Congressman Walz and Congressman Roe (R-TN) introduced the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017 (H.R. 3218) to replace the Post 9/11 Educational Assistance Program with an improved and modernized program. Signed into law (PL 115-48) on August 16, 2017. BUYING USA FLAGS THAT SUPPORT AMERICAN WORKERS AND AMERICAN GOODS Congressman Walz and Congresswoman Bustos (D-IL) introduced the All American Flag Act (H.R. 3121) to ensure the federal government is purchasing flags of the United States of America that are made with materials grown, produced and manufactured in the United States. Referred to Oversight and Government Reform Committee, awaiting action. HELPING LINK FORMER SERVICEMEMBERS WITH THEIR BENEFITS AND SERVICES Congressman Walz and Congressman Brown (D-MD) introduced the DD-214 Modernization Act (H.R. 3036) revise the existing Discharge Certificate to include space for one or more e-mail address. This will help close the communication gap between servicemembers transition and state and county resources available to assist their transition. Referred to Armed Services Subcommittee, awaiting action. HELPING VETERANS FIND CAREERS IN THE TRADES AND EMPLOYERS GROW SKILLED EMPLOYEES Congressman Walz and Congresswoman McSally (R-AZ) introduced Veterans’ Entry to Apprenticeship Act (H.R. 3018) to require the VA to recognize pre-apprenticeship programs for the purpose of educational assistance if it is recognized as compliant with state standards for a post-secondary pre-apprenticeship program. Referred to VA Subcommittee, awaiting action. REVIEW AND RESTORE HONOR TO SEXUAL ORIENTATION DISCHARGES FOR FORMER SERVICEMEMBERS Congressman Walz and Congressman Pocan (D-WI) introduced Restore Honor to Service Members Act (H.R. 2904) to require military record correction boards or discharge review boards to review the discharge characterization of any former members of the Armed Forces requesting a review who were discharged because of their sexual orientation. Such boards to change a characterization to honorable if such characterization is any characterization except honorable if there were no aggravating circumstances. Referred to Armed Services Subcommittee, awaiting action. ADVISE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE ON PROPOSED COMMISSARY, EXCHANGE AND MWR REFORMS Congressman Walz and Congressman Jones (R-NC) introduced the Military Patron Protection Act of 2017 (H.R. 2850) to establish a seven member Commission of military or veteran service organizations to advise the Secretary of Defense on military commissaries, exchanges and morale, welfare, and recreation (MWR) programs use of revenue and its sources. Referred to Armed Services Committee, awaiting action. ENSURING ALL VOICES ARE HEARD IN THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON MINORITY VETERANS Congressman Walz and Congresswoman DelBene (D-WA) introduced the Voices for Veterans Act (H.R. 2827) to include veterans who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender as minority group members of the advisory committee and extend the sunset date from December 2017 to December 2019. Referred to the VA Committee, awaiting action. ALLOWING PURPLE HEART RECIPIENTS MORALE, WELFARE AND RECREATION RETAIL FACILITY AND COMMISSARY PRIVILEGES Congressman Walz and Congressman Lipinski (D-IL) introduced the Purple Heart Heroes Act (H.R. 2704) to allow servicemembers who received the Purple Heart and their dependents the permission to use the commissary stores and MWR retail facilities. Referred to Armed Services Subcommittee, awaiting action. PROTECTING THE EMPLOYMENT AND REEMPLOYMENT RIGHTS FOR THOSE WHO SERVE IN UNIFORM Congressman Walz and Congressman Cicilline (D-RI) introduced the Justice for Servicemembers Act (H.R. 2631) to amend the Uniformed Services Employment Rights Act of 1994 to eliminate arbitration as a condition of future or continued employment but allow its voluntary use after a claim has been filed in court or with the Merit Systems Protection Board. Referred to VA Subcommittee and held hearings, awaiting action. COMMEMORATING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE AMERICAN LEGION Congressman Walz introduced The American Legion 100th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act (H.R. 2519) to pay tribute to 100 years of promoting the importance of and caring for those who served in uniform, including those currently serving and their communities with US minted legal tender in 2019. Passed the House and Senate, awaiting President’s action. IMPROVING THE BENEFITS AND SERVICES PROVIDED TO WOMEN VETERANS Congressman Walz and Congresswoman Esty (D-CT) introduced the Deborah Sampson Act (H.R. 2452) to provide peer-to-peer assistance for those affected by military sexual trauma, legal and supportive services to prevent homelessness, enhanced newborn care, and elimination of barriers to access for women veterans at VA facilities. Referred to the VA Committee, awaiting action. RECOGNIZING THE RIGHTS OF ALL VETERANS SPOUSES BY AMENDING THE DEFINITION Congressman Walz and Congresswoman Titus (D-NV) introduced the Veterans Spouses Equal Treatment Act (H.R. 2421) to recognize all marriages, except for polygamy, if they were lawful in the place where they occurred and under the laws of any state. Referred to the VA Committee, awaiting action. IMPROVING THE RIGHTS OF VETERANS AND MODERNIZING THE APPEALS PROCESSES Congressman Walz and Congressman Bost, (R-IL) introduced the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017 (H.R. 2288) to improve veterans rights during an appeal and to implement a modernized appeals system while dealing with the appeals of decisions on legacy claims. Signed into law (PL 115-55) on August 23, 2017. SUPPORTING MEDICALLY RETIRED SERVICEMEMBERS WITH AFFORDABLE HEALTH INSURANCE Congressman Walz and Congressman Johnson (R-TX) introduced Health Equity and Access for Returning Troops and Servicemembers Act (HEARTS Act) (H.R. 2243) to allow medically retired servicemembers who are eligible for Medicare part A but declined Medicare part B to enroll in TRICARE. This eliminates the higher premium incurred because of late enrollment in Medicare part B. Referred to Committee on Armed Services, Energy and Commerce, and Ways and Means, awaiting action. IDENTIFYING IF TRAINING AND HANDLING SERVICE DOGS IS APPROPRIATE THERAPY Congressman Walz and Congressman Stivers (R-OH) introduced Veterans Dog Training Therapy Act (H.R. 2225) to allow the VA to assess the effectiveness of addressing post-deployment mental health and post-traumatic stress by having affected veterans train service dogs for other veterans with disabilities at private training facilities. This legislation would establish a pilot program at up to five locations. Referred to VA Subcommittee, held hearings, awaiting action. REDUCING THE REASSIGNMENT BURDEN FOR CERTIFIED AND LICENSED MILITARY SPOUSES Congressman Walz and Congresswoman Stefanik (R-NY) introduced Lift the Relocation Burden from Military Spouses Act (H.R. 1796) to authorize military departments to reimburse up to $500 for each change of station or assignment for military spouses who require a new state license or certification because of a military permanent change of station. Referred to House Armed Services Subcommittee, awaiting action. HELPING REDUCE THE VA DISABILITY CLAIMS BACKLOG BY IDENTIFYING WORKABLE SOLUTIONS Congressman Walz introduced the Quicker Veterans Benefits Delivery Act of 2017 (H.R. 1725) to identify workable solutions by requiring the VA to report on the use of private medical evidence, when sufficiently complete, to conserve VA resources. Identifying the effectiveness of private evidence will help guide future legislation. Passed the House, received in the Senate, referred to Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, awaiting action. PROTECTING THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS NEEDING SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT Congressman Walz and Congresswoman Roby (R-AL) introduced the Protection and Advocacy for Veterans Act (H.R. 1712) to establish a five-year grant program for a national organization and veteran service organization to improve the monitoring of VA mental health and substance abuse treatment programs in states that have low mental health performance and access scores. Referred to VA Subcommittee, awaiting action. COMMEMORATING THE EXTRAORDINARY SACRIFICE OF AMERICA’S SERVICEMEMBERS Congressman Walz and Congressman Maloney (D-NY) introduced the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor Commemorative Coin Act (H.R. 1683) to honor the more than 1.7 million US Servicemembers wounded or killed in action from the Revolutionary War to present day with US minted legal tender in 2020. Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, awaiting action. DELIVERING AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL THROUGH OUTDOOR RECREATION FOR DISABLED VETERANS Congressman Walz and Congressman Ruiz (D-CA) introduced Wounded Veterans Recreation Act (H.R. 1622) to allow free access passes to all service connected disabled veterans for all National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands. Current qualifications require permanent disability (physical, mental, or sensory impairment) that substantially limits one or more major life activities. Referred to Natural Resources and Agriculture Subcommittees, awaiting action. PROTECTING SERVICEMEMBERS INTIMATE PRIVACY Congressman Walz and Congresswoman Speier (D-CA) introduced the Servicemembers Intimate Privacy Protection Act (H.R. 1588) to amend the Uniformed Code of Military Justice to include the prohibition of nonconsensual distribution of private sexual images. Recent nude photo sharing on social media identified a gap in the UCMJ that requires an act of Congress to amend. Referred to House Armed Services Subcommittee, awaiting action. CARING FOR OUR VETERAN CAREGIVERS Congressman Walz and Congressman Langevin (D-RI) introduced the Military and Veteran Caregiver Services Improvement Act of 2017 (H.R. 1472) to ensure all military and veteran caregivers receive support; currently, only those caring for military and veterans who were seriously injured or became ill on active duty after September 11, 2001 are eligible. The bill eliminates the restrictive date and expands some services. Referred to Armed Service; Veteran Affairs; Oversight and Government Reform; and Energy and Commerce, awaiting action. FAIRNESS FOR DEPLOYED NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVE COMPONENT SERVICEMEMBERS Congressman Walz and Congressman Plazzo (R-MS) introduced Reserve Component Benefits Parity Act (H.R. 1384) to ensure fair treatment on all deployment orders. Reserve and National Guard servicemembers who deploy in support of a combatant commander in areas such as Korea or Sinai Peninsula under the mobilization authority of 12304b do not receive pre or post deployment health care, Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits, high deployment allowances, or reduction in age for eligibility for retired pay. Ensuring fairness for those who serve right alongside their Active Component counterparts is the right thing to do. Language included in Sec 401 of H.R. 3218; signed into law (PL 115-48) on August 16, 2017. ENSURING PURPLE HEART RECIPIENTS RECEIVE EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS Congressman Walz and Congressman Peters (D-CA) introduced legislation to provide for the entitlement to educational assistance under the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program for members of the Armed Forces awarded the Purple Heart (H.R. 1379). For some Purple Heart recipients, minimum time in service requirements for GI Bill benefits may not be possible. Language included in Sec 102 of H.R. 3218 and signed into law (PL 115-48) on August 16, 2017. PREVENTING HUNGER FOR OUR JUNIOR ENLISTED FAMILIES Congressman Walz and Congresswoman Davis (D-CA) introduced Military Hunger Prevention Act (H.R. 1078) which excludes the value of a housing allowance for servicemembers when conducting resource calculations for supplemental nutrition assistance programs. In 2014, more than $84 million worth of supplemental nutrition assistance program (food stamp) benefits were spent at military commissaries. Referred to Armed Services and Agriculture Subcommittees, awaiting action. REPLACING PROTECTIONS AND ENSURING FAIRNESS FOR VHA EMPLOYEES Congressman Walz and Congressman Takano (D-CA) introduced VA Employee Fairness Act of 2017 (H.R. 980) to repeal provisions that undermine collective bargaining rights for VHA employees in the areas of professional conduct, or competence, peer review and compensation matters. Altering only VHA employee rights prevents the VA from being an employer of choice for thousands of veterans who continue their service as VHA employees. Referred to VA Subcommittee, awaiting action. CLARIFYING POST 9/11 EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS FOR RESERVE COMPONENT SERVICEMEMBERS Congressman Walz and Congressman Calvert (R-CA) introduced an amendment to title 38, United States Code, to clarify the eligibility for monthly stipends paid under the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program for certain members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces (H.R. 925). The clarification allows reserve component members to receive a prorated monthly stipend for non-active duty time. Currently one day of active duty prevents the receipt of educational monthly stipends during the same month. Language included in Sec 113 of H.R. 3218 and signed into law (PL 115-48) on August 16, 2017. BRINGING CLOSURE TO MILITARY FAMILIES LONGSTANDING SUFFERING Congressman Walz offered his full support to Congressman Johnson (R-TX) Calling on the Department of Defense, other elements of the Federal Government, and foreign governments to intensify efforts to investigate, recover, and identify all missing and unaccounted-for personnel of the United States (H. Res. 129). Rep Walz serves as commissioner on the U.S. Russia Joint Commission on POW/MIAs and understands the morale obligation to servicemembers and military families alike. Referred to House Foreign Affairs and House Armed Services Subcommittee, awaiting action. DOING WHAT’S RIGHT FOR OUR VETERANS EXPOSED TO ATOMIC RADIATION IN MARSHALL ISLANDS Congressman Walz offered his full support to Congressman Meng’s (D-NY) Mark Takai Atomic Veterans Healthcare Parity Act (H.R. 632) which would provide presumption of service connection for radiation exposed veterans who participated in the cleanup of Enewatak Atoll from January 1977 until December 1980. Their mission was to relocate radioactive fallout at the Nuclear Test Site and make the area safe from radioactivity. Referred to VA Subcommittee, awaiting action. REDUCING THE REASSIGNMENT BURDEN FOR CERTIFIED AND LICENSED MILITARY SPOUSES Congressman Walz and Congressman Cartwright (D-PA) introduced Military Spouse Job Continuity Act of 2017 (H.R. 488) to amend the IRS code, allowing a tax credit against income tax for military spouses who require a new state license or certification because of a military permanent change of station. This will offer up to $500 for qualified relicensing costs of former state professions. Referred to Committee on Ways and Means, awaiting action. HONORING THE FAMILY HISTORY AND MILITARY SERVICE OF DISTANT RELATIVES Congressman Walz offered his full support to Congressman Kind’s (D-WI) Honoring our Heroes Act (H.R. 406) which would allow the defense department to present replacement decorations or awards (other than the medal of honor) to relatives to the fourth degree when not the next of kin of the deceased recipient. Referred to Armed Services Subcommittee, awaiting action. DOING WHAT’S RIGHT FOR OUR NAVY VETERANS EXPOSED TO AGENT ORANGE Congressman Walz and Congressman Valadao (R-CA) introduced Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2017 (H.R. 299). This legislation clarifies presumptions related to veterans who served in the Republic of Vietnam by including its territorial seas for the VA’s service connection to Agent Orange. This is long overdue and the right thing for our Vietnam Veterans who are suffering with Agent Orange but not service connected simply because they did not have boots on the ground. Referred to VA Subcommittee, hearings held, awaiting action. IMPROVING MENTAL HEALTH ACCESS FOR SINGLE PARENTS Congressman Walz and Congresswoman Brownley (D-CA) introduced Veterans’ Access to Child Care Act (H.R. 95) providing childcare assistance to eligible veterans receiving mental health, intensive mental health and other intensive services that the VA determines would improve the veteran’s access because they are primary caretakers of a child. Passed the House, received in the Senate, referred to Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, awaiting action. PROTECTING CHILDREN OF VETERANS WHO GAVE UP SO MUCH FOR OUR COUNTRY Congressman Walz and Congresswoman Brownley (D-CA) introduced CHAMPVA Children’s Protection Act of 2017 (H.R. 92) allowing children of veterans eligible for medical care under the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) to continue coverage up to age 26. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PL 111-148) left a coverage gap for children of eligible veterans from 23 to 26 years of age. Public Law (PL 111-383) allows TRICARE to cover children on their parents’ plan up to age 26. Referred to VA Subcommittee, awaiting action. MILITARY SERVICE AS A PATHWAY TO CITIZENSHIP Congressman Walz and Congressman Denham (R-CA) introduced Encourage New Legalized Immigrants to Start Training Act or the ENLIST Act (H.R. 60) allowing unlawfully present aliens in the United States, younger than age 15 on December 31, 2012 and otherwise eligible to enlist on active duty a pathway to citizenship contingent upon completion of military service under honorable conditions. Referred to Armed Services Committee, awaiting action. <hr xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" /> HONORING MILITARY RETIREES AND FIGHTING TO GET THE RECOGNITION THEY DESERVE Congressman Walz introduced the Honor America’s Guard-Reserve Retirees Act (H.R. 1384) which would grant full “veteran” status to members of the Guard and Reserve components who served at least 20 years but have not been called up for federal active duty. This recognition does not entitle members additional benefits or change their earned benefits; it simply adds their service to the “veteran” definition. Language included in Jeff Miller and Richard Blumenthal Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2016 (H.R. 6416, Section 305) Signed into law (PL 114-315) on December 16, 2016. ENSURING OUR VETERANS RECEIVE THE MENTAL HEALTH CARE THEY NEED AND DESERVE Congressman Walz introduced the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act (H.R. 203) to help our veterans combat the war at home for those contemplating suicide. Many veterans and family members continue to struggle with behavioral health challenges, a dissociative sense of belonging and untimely or unavailable medical care. This bill will help our nation with the ability to turn the tide against this growing epidemic. Signed into law (PL 114-2) on February 12, 2015. FIGHTING FOR THOSE IMPROPERLY DISCHARGED BY DOD WITH FALSE PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS Congressman Walz introduced The Servicemembers Mental Health Review Act (H.R. 975) to force DoD to review and correct improper personality disorder discharges for over 31,000 veterans and ensure those suffering from PTSD get the mental health care they need and benefits they have earned. This legislation gives the Physical Disability Board of Review the authority to correct service records and make things right. Partial inclusion NDAA FY-2015 Subtitle C, Sec. 521 (H.R. 3979). Signed into law (PL 113-291) on December 19, 2014. INCREASING VETERANS ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE Congressman Walz served on the Conference Committee to work through the differences between the Senate (S.2450) and House (H.R. 3230) versions of Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014. In the wake of the VA scandal involving falsified appointment records that hid long wait times, the agreement increases veterans’ access to health care, promotes greater accountability, increases capacity by approving 27 new VA Health Facilities, and expedites the hiring of more doctors and nurses. Signed into law (PL 113-146) on August 7, 2014. RIGHTING A WRONG DONE TO MILITARY RETIREES Congressman Walz and Congressman Maffei (D-NY) introduced the Military Retirement Restoration Act (H.R. 3793), which repeals the onerous cost-of-living-adjustment (COLA) cuts for military retirees under age 62 that was included in the budget agreement and originally proposed by House Budget Chairman Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI). Congressman Walz opposed this provision from the beginning and has vowed to work with anyone to replace it by finding cuts elsewhere. Included in S. 25 and signed into law (PL 113-82) on February 15, 2014. HELPING THOSE WITH TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE Congressman Walz introduced the Veterans Traumatic Brain Injury Rehabilitative Services’ Improvements Act (H.R. 1855) ensuring the VA sets the goal of maximizing injured veterans independence and quality of life, as well as continuing to support their behavioral and mental health functions. It requires the VA evaluate a comprehensive long-term care program for our veterans with traumatic brain injuries instead of the physical care currently available. Included in Sec 107 of H.R. 1627 and signed into law (PL 112-154) on August 6, 2012. STREAMLINE FEDERAL CERTIFICATION AND LICENSING FOR MILITARY SKILLS Congressman Walz and Congressman Denham (R-CA) introduced the Veteran Skills to Jobs Act (H.R. 4155). It allows veterans to use their military skills and training towards federal jobs at home by directing the head of each agency to treat relevant military training as sufficient for federal occupational certifications or licenses. The federal government may be paying twice, once with DoD and again with educational benefits, for veterans to receive federal certificates or licenses. In many cases, military training meets or exceeds the federal requirements. Signed into law (PL 112-147) on July 23, 2012. PROTECTING THE JOBS THEY ALREADY HAVE WHEN SERVICE MEMBERS DEPLOY Congressman Walz introduced legislation (H.R. 3670) requiring the Transportation Security Agency (TSA) to comply with the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA). When initially established, TSA was exempt from USERRA laws. Today, there is no reason for the exemption and they must offer our service members who were deployed their jobs back. Signed into law (PL 112-171) on August 16, 2012. FIGHTING FOR BENEFITS EARNED BY MINNESOTA NATIONAL GUARD MEMBERS Congressman Walz, Co-Chair of the Guard and Reserve Caucus, garnered support of the full caucus and sent a letter to Secretary Panetta, asking DoD to exempt members whose mobilization and deployment occurred before a recent rule change. Post-Deployment/Mobilization Respite Absence (PDMRA) benefits service members who deploy beyond the standard DoD rules. The recent rule change, in the middle of the Minnesota Red Bulls deployment, reduces the time our soldiers can spend with their families before returning to their employers. Additionally, he joined in support of legislation (H.R. 4045) to restore these benefits, which became law (PL 112-120) on May 25, 2012. CONGRESSMAN WALZ’S MEMBERSHIP IN CONGRESSIONAL MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS* Congressional Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Caucus: Ensures EOD technicians across all branches of our military have the tools and resources to protect others by rendering safe every type of ordnance on land and at sea, as well as operating not only in theater abroad but also by partnering with civil authorities and lending their expertise to neutralize domestic threats. Congressman Walz is a Co-Chair. Congressional National Guard and Reserve Components Caucus: Ensures our National Guard and Reserve components have adequate resources to carry out their missions overseas, defend the homeland and provide crucial support to our nation’s citizens during natural disasters and national emergencies. Congressman Walz is a Co-Chair. Special Operations Forces Caucus: is committed to advancing the needs of our country’s special operations community and the issues facing armed service members who perform special operations missions. Congressman Walz is the Co-Chair Congressional Veterans Jobs Caucus: In both the House and Senate, the caucus works to decrease the unemployment rate of the nation’s veterans who are currently seeking meaningful employment. The caucus collaborates with private businesses both large and small to commit to hiring veterans. Congressman Walz is a Co-Chair. *The term “Congressional Member Organization” refers to a group of Members who join in pursuit of common legislative objectives. CMOs exist to affect public policy, either directly through policy advocacy for a region or an issue, or indirectly by attracting media attention, or through the socialization and orientation of their Members. Nearly all CMOs serve as forums for the exchange of information. 3155162017-10-18T19:02:39ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307<Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Al Franken280566Sen. Franken Seeks Young Minnesotans Interested In Attending a U.S. Service Academy2017-10-02-franken-seeks-minnesotans-interested-in-attending-service-academy<tcdl:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-313462" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2017-10-02T20:15:07ZMINNESOTA [9/28/17]—U.S. Sen. Al Franken’s (D-Minn.) office is now accepting applications from young Minnesotans interested in attending one of the nation’s four service academies, including the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy, and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. In order to attend a service academy, candidates must be nominated by a member of Congress, or other applicable nominating source. Applications are due by 5 pm on Friday, October 27. Deadline For Applications to be Nominated is Friday, October 271066MINNESOTA [9/28/17]—U.S. Sen. Al Franken’s (D-Minn.) office is now accepting applications from young Minnesotans interested in attending one of the nation’s four service academies, including the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy, and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. In order to attend a service academy, candidates must be nominated by a member of Congress, or other applicable nominating source. Applications are due by 5 pm on Friday, October 27. “Each year, I’m proud to nominate several talented Minnesotans to our four U.S. Service Academies,” said Sen. Franken. “I’m happy to assist eligible Minnesotans in the nomination process, and I look forward to helping our future leaders seek admission to these prestigious academies.” To be considered for an appointment to a service academy, an applicant must meet the eligibility requirements established by law. An applicant’s academic record, extracurricular and athletic activities, physical aptitude, leadership ability, and medical qualifications are all considered. You can view specific requirements and download an application at <del>http://www.franken.senate.gov/?p=service_academy</del> [link expired]. To be considered for a nomination, send a completed application with all required materials to Sen. Al Franken, Attn. Nominations Coordinator, 60 Plato Boulevard East, Suite 220, St. Paul, MN 55107 or by email to <a href="mailto:serviceacademies@franken.senate.gov" title="email seviceacademies@franken.senate.gov">serviceacademies@franken.senate.gov</a>. For the academy classes entering in the summer of 2018 and graduating in 2022, the deadline for applying is October 27 at 5 pm. ###3134622017-11-13T21:15:44ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307<Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Federal268310VA Benefits268707Tim Walz269748Ranking Member Walz Applauds Bipartisan Effort As Historic G.I. Bill Legislation Becomes Law2017-08-23-walz-applauds-bipartisan<tcdl:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-309118" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2017-08-23T16:42:20ZWASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Tim Walz (D-MN) released the following statement after H.R. 3218, The Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017, was signed into law: “As the highest ranking enlisted servicemember ever to serve in Congress, and as a teacher with over two decades of experience, I know firsthand the extraordinary value a quality education can have for a servicemember returning home,” Rep. Walz said. “That is why I am so proud of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who worked hard to improve one of the greatest pieces of legislation ever passed in the history of the United States Congress: the G.I. Bill.”1066WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Tim Walz (D-MN) released the following statement after H.R. 3218, The Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017, was signed into law: “As the highest ranking enlisted servicemember ever to serve in Congress, and as a teacher with over two decades of experience, I know firsthand the extraordinary value a quality education can have for a servicemember returning home,” Rep. Walz said. “That is why I am so proud of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who worked hard to improve one of the greatest pieces of legislation ever passed in the history of the United States Congress: the G.I. Bill.” “The original G.I. Bill served as the foundation upon which an entire generation of servicemembers returning from World War II built not just their educations but their entire civilian lives; today, we built on that legacy. This bipartisan G.I. Bill will improve the lives of future generations of veterans by enhancing existing benefits, correcting current gaps in eligibility, and providing new benefits to help our veterans in today’s economy without asking our troops or American taxpayers to pay more.” “A lot of hard work and deliberation went into crafting this legislation and every lawmaker, advocate, and American citizen who played a role in today’s bill being signed into law should be proud of themselves. I want to thank the Members on both sides of the aisle as well as our well-respected veterans service organizations for their hard work and commitment to improving the lives of our nation’s veterans and their families.” The Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017 will remove time restrictions to use the G.I. Bill, enabling future eligible recipients to use their GI bill benefits for their entire lives, as opposed to the current 15-year timeline. It will also simplify the benefit for future servicemembers by consolidating the GI Bill into a single program over time, which will reduce VA’s administrative costs. The legislation provides significant increases in G.I. Bill funding for Reservists and Guardsmen, dependents, surviving spouses and surviving dependents. It also provides 100% GI Bill eligibility to Post 9/11 Purple Heart recipients. In addition, this bill restores eligibility for servicemembers whose school closes in the middle of a semester and creates a pilot program that would pay for veterans to take certain high technology courses. More information on the bill <a href="https://veterans.house.gov/uploadedfiles/gi_bill_one_pager.pdf" title="more information about H.R. 3218" target="_blank">is available here</a>. ###3091182017-08-23T16:47:24ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307<Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Federal268310VA Healthcare268706Extension of Veterans Choice Program Funding2017-08-22-veterans-choice-program-fact-sheet<tcdl:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-309022" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2017-08-22T18:10:36ZIn August 2017, the President signed the VA Choice and Quality Employment Act of 2017 which authorized $2.1 billion in additional funds for the Veterans Choice Program (VCP). The law reflects the ongoing commitment of VA and Congress to make sure Veterans get the right care, at the right time, from the right provider. The new funds represent a short-term, temporary funding solution for VCP that will enable VA to increase the number of appointments scheduled and ensure payments are made to community providers.1066<h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Overview</h2> In August 2017, the President signed the VA Choice and Quality Employment Act of 2017 which authorized $2.1 billion in additional funds for the Veterans Choice Program (VCP). The law reflects the ongoing commitment of VA and Congress to make sure Veterans get the right care, at the right time, from the right provider. The new funds represent a short-term, temporary funding solution for VCP that will enable VA to increase the number of appointments scheduled and ensure payments are made to community providers. <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Impact to Veterans</h2> The new funding helps ensure VCP-eligible Veterans continue to have access to care in their communities. <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Impacts to Community Providers</h2> The new funding helps ensure that community providers are able to continue to provide care to VCP-eligible Veterans and receive payment for authorized VCP care. <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Impacts to VA Medical Facilities</h2> The new funding will allow VA medical facilities to refer Veterans to VCP to the maximum extent possible. In addition to referring those Veterans eligible for VCP based on distance (residing more than 40 miles from the closest VA medical facility with a full-time primary care provider), wait times (30 days from the clinically indicated date), or other criteria (such as special criteria for residents of Alaska, Hawaii and New Hampshire), VA medical facilities may use the “Choice First” business process to refer Veterans to community providers when services are unavailable. VA medical facilities may also use traditional community care when services are unavailable. This local flexibility is important to ensure Veterans get the care they need and that VCP and traditional community care funds are used in the most optimal manner. <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Next Steps</h2> VA will continue to work with stakeholders to secure funding for VCP for the remainder of FY2018 and to establish a single, consolidated community care program that is simple to understand, easy to administer, and meets the needs of Veterans and their families, community providers, and VA staff. This includes combining existing accounts for VA community care into one account or ensuring flexibility between accounts. <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Frequently Asked Questions</h2> 1. Has VA changed how Veterans are referred to VCP? There are no changes on how Veterans are deemed eligible for VCP and are subsequently referred to a VCP community provider. 2. How are VA medical facilities specifically authorized to use VCP funds? VA will continue to refer eligible Veterans to VCP. This includes those Veterans eligible for VCP based on distance (residing more than 40 miles from the closest VA medical facility with a full-time primary care provider), wait times (30 days from the clinically indicated date), service unavailable at the VA facility (“Choice First” business process), or other criteria (such as special criteria for residents of Alaska, Hawaii and New Hampshire). VA will continue the utilization of VCP for all eligible Unusual or Excessive Burden (UEXB) VCP Veterans. This includes all provisions of this section of the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014. 3. Are VA medical facilities allowed to refer Veterans to community providers using provider agreements? VA will continue to use Provider Agreements for VCP-eligible Veterans when services are not available on the VCP contracts, authorizations are returned from the contractors (including Category of Care Withholds), and to provide care as appropriate. 4. Why were additional funds needed for VCP? VCP was originally established as a temporary program in 2014 to quickly expand access to care for Veterans. The program is set to expire when the original $10 billion dollars is exhausted. Because VA has separate accounts for VCP and its traditional community care programs, and cannot transfer funds between accounts, additional funds were needed to continue VCP. This accounting structure creates barriers to VA using community care funds in the most optimized way. 5. What is VA’s plan for addressing community care funding issues and its overall approach for improving VA community care? VA continues to work with Congress to address funding for VA community care, including VCP, and to combine VA’s community care programs into a single, modern, consolidated community care program that is easy to understand, simple to administer, and meets the needs of Veterans and their families, community providers, and VA staff ### From the <a href="https://www.va.gov/opa/choiceact/documents/Fact_Sheet_Extension_VCP_Funds.pdf" title="Fact Sheet" target="_blank">Federal VA August 2017 Extension of Veterans Choice Program Funding Fact Sheet</a>. More about the Veterans Choice Program: <a href="https://www.va.gov/opa/choiceact/" title="VA Veterans Choice Program" target="_blank">VA Veterans Choice Program</a> 3090222017-08-22T18:28:26ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307<Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Federal268310VA Benefits268707Al Franken280566Sen. Franken’s Bipartisan Measure to Ensure Minnesota National Guard and Reserve Members Can Access Full GI Benefits Becomes Law2017-08-22-franken-gi-bill<tcdl:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-308957" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2017-08-22T13:18:23ZWASHINGTON, D.C. [08/16/17]—U.S. Sen. Al Franken’s (D-Minn.) bipartisan measure to bring education benefits to Minnesota National Guard and Reserve members who served on active duty—and, in some cases, put themselves in harm’s way—was signed into law by the President today as part of a broad veterans legislative package.Franken Provision Cuts Through Red Tape to Ensure That Many Members of National Guard and Reserve Aren’t Denied Education and Tuition Support After Being Deployed1066WASHINGTON, D.C. [08/16/17]—U.S. Sen. Al Franken’s (D-Minn.) bipartisan measure to bring education benefits to Minnesota National Guard and Reserve members who served on active duty—and, in some cases, put themselves in harm’s way—was signed into law by the President today as part of a broad veterans legislative package. Sen. Franken’s provision, which closes a loophole that left Minnesota Guard Members and Reservists without education benefits once they returned home, was included within the bipartisan Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017. The Colmery Act, in a broader sense, makes major improvements to several veteran’s programs. In addition to Sen. Franken’s provision, the bill allows veterans to use their GI Bill education benefits for their entire lives, instead of the current 15-year limit, and it extends full GI Bill eligibility to all veterans who, post-9/11, were wounded in action. “We need to do everything we can to support the men and women who serve our country, and who put their lives on the line to defend our freedom, when they come back home,” said Sen. Franken. “That’s why I helped write and introduce a bipartisan package of veterans legislation. My provision gives Minnesota National Guard and Reservists—including many who put themselves in harm’s way when they served our country—the education benefits they’ve rightfully earned. I’m pleased that President Trump signed the bipartisan bill into law this afternoon, and I’m glad I could help secure this win for many Minnesotans.” Sen. Franken is a champion for servicemembers, veterans, and military families. The provision he wrote into the bill is based on standalone bipartisan legislation he previously introduced—cosponsored by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.)—to extend the GI Bill to National Guard and Reserve members who were denied education benefits after being called to active duty, including a group of Minnesotans who were put in harm’s way in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula. That provision would apply both retroactively and for similar instances in the future. He also pushed for a provision in the bill that provides stronger protections to prevent National Guard and Reservists who are deployed from being fired from their civilian jobs. Additionally, the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Provides G.I. Bill eligibility for reservists mobilized under selected reserve orders for preplanned missions in support of the combatant commands or in response to a major disaster or emergency;</li> <li>Provides G.I. Bill eligibility for reservists undergoing medical care;</li> <li>Provides full G.I. Bill benefits for Purple Heart recipients regardless of length of service; </li> <li>Extends Yellow Ribbon Program benefits to Fry scholarship recipients; and</li> <li>Increases G.I. Bill payments by $2,300 per year for veterans with less than 12 months of active service. </li> </ul> A one-page summary of the legislation <a href="https://www.veterans.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/07-17-17%20Final%20SVAC%20GI%20Bill%20One%20Pager.pdf" title="legislation summary" target="_blank">can be found here</a>. The legislation is named in honor of Harry Walter Colmery, an Army Air Service veteran and former national commander of the American Legion who drafted the original G.I. Bill in 1944 to improve the transition for World War II veterans back to civilian life. ### 3089572017-08-22T13:24:42ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307<Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Federal268310Tim Walz269748House Passes Four Veterans Bills2017-07-28-walz-house-passes-four-veterans-bills<tcdl:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-304800" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2017-07-28T13:26:21ZWASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Chairman Phil Roe, M.D. (R-Tenn.) and Ranking Member Tim Walz (D-Minn.) released the following statement after the House passed four bills to expand access to quality care and instill further accountability at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA): “This has been quite a week. We began on Monday by passing the Forever GI Bill and seven other bills to improve the lives of America’s veterans, and now we close with another four veterans’ bills, including a bipartisan, bicameral agreement to ensure veterans can continue accessing care through the Choice Program. The House has clearly demonstrated this week that taking care of the men and women who have worn the uniform of this great nation remains one of our highest priorities.1066WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Chairman Phil Roe, M.D. (R-Tenn.) and Ranking Member Tim Walz (D-Minn.) released the following statement after the House passed four bills to expand access to quality care and instill further accountability at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA): “This has been quite a week. We began on Monday by passing the Forever GI Bill and seven other bills to improve the lives of America’s veterans, and now we close with another four veterans’ bills, including a bipartisan, bicameral agreement to ensure veterans can continue accessing care through the Choice Program. The House has clearly demonstrated this week that taking care of the men and women who have worn the uniform of this great nation remains one of our highest priorities. “The four bills passed today will instill further accountability at VA, improve the department’s ability to hire and retain top-notch medical providers and remove barriers to care for veteran patients. We are most proud of the legislation that will allow the Choice Program to continue serving veterans for six months while we continue the hard work of creating a stronger, more integrated VA health care system for the years ahead. “We are grateful to have willing partners in Senators Isakson and Tester and House Leadership, and very much appreciate their efforts and willingness to do the sometimes difficult work of finding a solution that is in the best interests of both veterans and taxpayers. Of course, we could not have gotten these important pieces of legislation over the finish line without the support and input of our Veterans Service Organization partners, and we thank them for their continued commitment to veterans.” <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">The House passed the following bills:</h2> <a href="https://veterans.house.gov/uploadedfiles/7-28_s_114_a_bill_to_authorize_appropriations_for_the_veterans_choice_program.pdf" title="S. 114" target="_blank">S. 114: The Department of Veterans Affairs Bonus Transparency Act</a> S. 114 provides $2.1 billion to continue the Choice Program for six months while Congress works on other reforms to the Choice Program. It would also authorize 28 major medical facility leases and enhance the recruitment, retention and training of the VA workforce. To offset that, the bill would extend the current $90 per month limit on pensions paid to veterans residing in Medicaid-funded nursing homes, extend the requirement to collect fees for housing loans guaranteed by VA and extend the authority to utilize other agency income information. <a href="https://veterans.house.gov/uploadedfiles/7-28_s_114_a_bill_to_authorize_appropriations_for_the_veterans_choice_program.pdf" target="_blank">Click here</a> for more information. <a href="https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-115s114rfh/xml/BILLS-115s114rfh.xml" target="_blank">Read the bill here</a>. <a href="https://veterans.house.gov/uploadedfiles/hr_2772_va_ses_accountability_act.pdf" title="H.R. 2772" target="_blank">H.R. 2772: The VA Senior Executive Accountability Act</a> The VA Senior Executive Accountability Act, introduced by Rep. Taylor, will improve transparency by requiring VA to inform Congress about where senior executives are being moved. <a href="https://veterans.house.gov/uploadedfiles/hr_2772_va_ses_accountability_act.pdf" target="_blank">Click here</a> for more information. <a href="https://www.congress.gov/115/bills/hr2772/BILLS-115hr2772ih.pdf" target="_blank">Read the bill here</a>. <a href="https://veterans.house.gov/uploadedfiles/hr_3262_grow_our_own_directive.pdf" title="H.R. 3262">H.R. 3262: Grow Our Own Directive: Physician Assistant Employment and Education Act</a> The Grow Our Own Directive: Physician Assistant Employment and Education Act, introduced by Rep. Kuster, would direct VA to carry out the Grow Our Own Directive or G.O.O.D. pilot program to provide educational assistance to certain former members of the Armed Forces with medical or military health experience for education and training as VA physician assistants. <a href="https://veterans.house.gov/uploadedfiles/hr_3262_grow_our_own_directive.pdf">Click here for more information</a>. <a href="https://veterans.house.gov/uploadedfiles/hr_95_veterans_access_to_child_care_act.pdf" title="H.R. 95" target="_blank">H.R. 95: Veterans’ Access to Child Care Act</a> The Veterans’ Access to Child Care Act, introduced by Rep. Brownley, requires VA to carry out a pilot program to assess the feasibility and advisability of providing child care services for veterans receiving mental health services and other intensive health care services. <a href="https://veterans.house.gov/uploadedfiles/hr_95_veterans_access_to_child_care_act.pdf" target="_blank">Click here</a> for more information. <a href="https://www.congress.gov/115/bills/hr95/BILLS-115hr95ih.pdf" target="_blank">Read the bill here</a>. ###3048002017-08-22T13:26:43ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307<Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Federal268310Tim Walz269748Walz Stands Up for Troops in Work on & Support for National Defense Authorization2017-07-14-walz-stands-up-for-troops-in-work-on-and-support-for-national-defense-authorization<tcdl:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-303209" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2017-07-14T18:23:25ZWASHINGTON, D.C. – Following his participation in the mark-up of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on the House Armed Services Committee, U.S. Representative Tim Walz (MN-01) voted in favor of the FY 2018 NDAA on the House Floor today.1066WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following his participation in the mark-up of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on the House Armed Services Committee, U.S. Representative Tim Walz (MN-01) voted in favor of the FY 2018 NDAA on the House Floor today. “Every year, the National Defense Authorization is the way we express our nation’s values on how our nation’s military should move forward,” said Rep. Walz. “I was proud to participate in the NDAA process this year to fight for fairness in benefits for Minnesota National Guard soldiers, to advocate that climate change be taken seriously as a national security threat, and to honor the service and sacrifice of those who have served. I am pleased a number of the measures I championed were included in the final version passed by the House today. I hope as we continue to craft national defense policy, we will embrace the idea that our soldiers are our most important resource.” Walz provisions included in the House passed FY 2018 NDAA: <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">National Guard Troops</h2> <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Walz Amendment ensures National Guard troops get equal benefits for equal services when they are called up in the same way as active duty troops.</li> <li>Walz, working with Rep. Carol Shea-Porter, was able to get Tricare benefits included in the legislation, but will need to continue fighting for additional benefits.</li> <li>This amendment was inspired by Mankato Red Bull troops who were deployed to Egypt for the past year under the controversial §12304b mobilization authority.</li> <li>To see Rep. Walz speak on this issue in Committee, <a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4675260/rep-tim-walz-fights-national-guard-troops" title="C-SPAN">please click here</a>.</li> </ul> <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Purple Heart Recognition</h2> <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Walz Amendment honors the service and sacrifice of those who have earned a Purple Heart and encourages Americans to ensure our nation never forgets their courage.</li> </ul> <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">National Guard Flyovers</h2> <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Walz Amendment allows states and territories to approve their own jet and helicopter flyovers.</li> </ul> <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">SOCOM</h2> <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Walz Amendment honors U.S. Special Operations Command in recognition for all they do on behalf of our nation as the tip of the spear in pursuit of U.S. national interests.</li> </ul> <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Collaboration to Defeat Terrorism & Improve Military Readiness</h2> <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Recognizing that military strength is only one piece of the puzzle, Walz Amendment ensures the Department of Defense coordinates closely with the State Department, USAID, and non-government 501(c)(3) organizations in the battle to combat terrorism around the globe.</li> <li>Walz strongly supported and championed an amendment to approve a congressional charter for Spirit of America that allows this organization to assist the Department of Defense in meeting requirements for successful completion of missions abroad.</li> <li>Walz Amendment directs the Defense Intelligence Agency to submit to the Secretary of Defense and Congress a detailed report on the capabilities and limitations of Russian and Chinese national training centers and logistical support functions, which enables the capability of our military to defend against possible aggression from peer competitors. </li> </ul> Walz also strongly supported an amendment making clear that climate security is a critical national security issue, strongly opposed efforts to restrict transgender Americans from serving in the military, and successfully helped defeat a discriminatory amendment that would have barred access to medically necessary care for transgender troops. ###3032092017-07-14T18:30:45ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307<Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Federal268310Tim Walz269748Walz Stands Up for Troops in Work on National Defense Authorization2017-06-29-walz-stands-up-for-troops-in-work-on-national-defense-authorization<tcdl:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-301861" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2017-06-29T21:00:00ZWASHINGTON, DC [6/29/17] – Congressman Tim Walz (D-MN) participated in the mark-up of the Fiscal Year 2018 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on the House Armed Services Committee. 1066WASHINGTON, DC [6/29/17] – Congressman Tim Walz (D-MN) participated in the mark-up of the Fiscal Year 2018 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on the House Armed Services Committee. “Every year, the National Defense Authorization is the way we express our nation’s values on how our nation’s military should move forward,” said Rep. Walz. “I was proud to participate this year to fight for fairness in benefits for Minnesota National Guard soldiers, to advocate that climate change be taken seriously as a national security threat, and to honor the service and sacrifice of those who have served. I am pleased a number of the measures I championed were included in the final version. I hope as we continue to craft national defense policy, we will embrace the idea that our soldiers are our most important resource.” Walz Provisions Included: <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">National Guard Troops</h2> <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Walz Amendment to ensure National Guard troops get equal benefits for equal services when they are called up in the same way as active duty troops. </li> <li>Walz, working with Rep. Carol Shea-Porter, was able to get Tricare benefits included in the legislation, but will need to continue fighting for additional benefits.</li> <li>This amendment was inspired by Mankato Red Bull troops who were deployed to Egypt for the past year under the controversial §12304b mobilization authority. </li> <li>To see Rep. Walz speak on this issue in Committee, <a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4675260/rep-tim-walz-fights-national-guard-troops" title="c-span.org" target="_blank">click here</a>.</li> </ul> <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Purple Heart Recognition</h2> <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Walz Amendment honors the service and sacrifice of those who have earned a Purple Heart and encourages Americans to ensure our nation never forgets their courage.</li> </ul> <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">National Guard Flyovers</h2> <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Walz Amendment allows states to approve their own jet and helicopter flyovers.</li> </ul> <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">SOCOM</h2> <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Walz Amendment honors U.S. Special Operations Command in recognition for all they do on behalf of our nation as the tip of the spear in pursuit of U.S. national interests.</li> </ul> <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Collaboration to Defeat Terrorism </h2> <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Recognizing that military strength is only one piece of the puzzle, Walz Amendment ensures the Department of Defense coordinates closely with the State Department, USAID, and non-government 501(c)(3) organizations in the battle to combat terrorism around the globe. Walz also strongly supported an amendment making clear that climate security is a critical national security issue and strongly opposed efforts to restrict transgender Americans from serving in the military.</li> </ul>3018612017-07-05T15:33:50ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307<Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Tim Walz269748Federal268310VA Healthcare268706Ranking Member Walz Applauds Bipartisan Effort As VA Accountability Bill Is Signed Into Law2017-06-23-walz-applauds-bipartisan-effort<tcdl:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-301016" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2017-06-23T17:00:00ZWASHINGTON, D.C. --- Today, House Committee on Veterans Affairs Ranking Member Tim Walz (D-MN) released the following statement after President Donald Trump signed into law the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act. The legislation will give the VA Secretary the tools he needs to hold bad employees accountable and will do so in a way that maintains Constitutionally mandated workplace protections for civil servants while also protecting good employees and whistleblowers from retaliation.1066<h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">After years of Congressional debate, new law will increase accountability at the Dept. of Veterans Affairs in a way that stands up to Constitutional muster</h2> WASHINGTON, D.C. --- Today, House Committee on Veterans Affairs Ranking Member Tim Walz (D-MN) released the following statement after President Donald Trump signed into law the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act. The legislation will give the VA Secretary the tools he needs to hold bad employees accountable and will do so in a way that maintains Constitutionally mandated workplace protections for civil servants while also protecting good employees and whistleblowers from retaliation. “For too long, Secretaries of the VA have been without the tools they need to hold underperforming employees accountable; this bipartisan legislation will finally change that,” Rep. Walz said. “I’d like the thank the bipartisan Members of the Committee on Veterans Affairs, a Committee where partisanship takes a back seat and whose Members will always remain focused on delivering results for our nation’s veterans.” “There is no doubt this has been a challenging piece of legislation, but thanks to the leadership of Members on both sides of the aisle and in both chambers we were able to find good compromises and come up with a strong piece of legislation that will improve the veteran experience at VA facilities across the country.” “When we first met with VA Secretary Shulkin in January, he told us that passing VA accountability was his highest legislative priority for improving care for veterans. Secretary Shulkin has earned our trust and I am proud to send him the tools he needs to fix the parts of the VA that need fixing while protecting good employees and whistleblowers from retaliation.” “The passage of this legislation culminates years of hard work by Members on both sides of the aisle to find common ground and affect positive change in the lives of millions of veterans across the country. I thank Chairman Roe for his leadership, willingness to compromise, and tireless dedication to our nation’s heroes and their families.” ###3010162017-06-26T14:01:08ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307<Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>State268309Appropriations and Programming268320Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate2706212017 Legislative Session Review2017-06-16-legislative-review<tcdl:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-299981" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2017-06-16T20:00:31ZThe following laws, policies and projects related to Veterans in Minnesota were enacted during the recently concluded 2017 Legislative Session. The Governor has approved all of these with his signature on the various bills that contained these measures.1066The following laws, policies and projects related to Veterans in Minnesota were enacted during the recently concluded 2017 Legislative Session. The Governor has approved all of these with his signature on the various bills that contained these measures. <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">State Government Finance Bill</h2> <a href="https://www.revisor.mn.gov/laws/?year=2017&type=1&doctype=Chapter&id=4" title="Chapter 4 - S.F. 1, 2017 1st Special Session" target="_blank">CHAPTER 4 -- S.F. 1, 2017 1st SPECIAL SESSION</a> <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) Agency Funding: Approximately $150 million was appropriated for agency operations: Central office, Programs & Services, and Veterans Health Care/Veterans Homes.</li> <li>New Minnesota Veterans Cemetery - Duluth Operations: An increase of $1 million to MDVA funding for operations of the new state Veteran’s cemetery in Duluth. This will be the third state operated Veteran’s cemetery after Little Falls and Preston.</li> <li>Minnesota GI Bill Expanded Uses: Eligible recipients may now use the MN GI Bill to pay for items such as testing, licensure and certifications. In addition, changes to the timing and permissible per-year total expenditures for apprenticeship and on-the-job training will allow increased flexibility for recipients.</li> <li>Veterans Journey Home: One-time grant funding of $700,000 to be used to support the development of new or rehabilitated affordable housing dedicated for low-to-moderate income Veterans and their families.</li> <li>Veterans Defense Project: One-time grant funding of $500,000 which must be used to support, through education and outreach, Veterans who are involved with the criminal justice system. Grant funds to be administered by the Minnesota Humanities Center.</li> <li>Veterans Benefits Services Notification (‘Disclosure Statement’): Minnesota now requires that private providers of Veterans benefits services include language in their representation agreements and advertising that informs Veterans of existing Veteran benefit service assistance offered at no charge through VSO’s, CVSO’s and MDVA. Does not preclude those private providers from representing those seeking Veterans Benefits services or otherwise limit their ability to continue to provide services. </li> </ul> <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Legacy Finance Bill</h2> <a href="https://www.revisor.mn.gov/laws/?year=2017&type=0&doctype=Chapter&id=91" title="Chapter 91 - H.F. 707, 2017 Regular Session" target="_blank">CHAPTER 91 -- H.F. 707, 2017 REGULAR SESSION</a> <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Medal of Honor Memorial: $250,000 to aid in the construction of a memorial to Minnesota Medal of Honor recipients on the grounds of the Capitol. The funds will be available once matching funds have been raised through non-state donations.</li> <li>Veterans Voices: $200,000 to the Minnesota Humanities Center for their Veterans focused programming.</li> <li>Vietnam: Minnesota Remembers: $650,000 grant to Twin Cities Public Television to produce content telling the stories of Minnesota’s Vietnam Veterans.</li> <li>Camp Legionville: $222,000 for programming for youth, veterans, and the public related to Minnesota's cultural, historical, and recreational activities.</li> <li>Big Marine Lake Veterans Rest Camp: $278,000 to develop and build a welcome center that supports the mission, programs and safety of the Veterans Rest Camp in Big Marine Lake.</li> <li>Rice County Veterans Memorial: $30,000 complete the Rice County Veterans Memorial in Faribault. This is in addition to the $30,000 in money from the bonding bill.</li> <li>Waseca County Veterans Memorial: $50,000 to Waseca County to complete the Waseca County Veterans Memorial.</li> </ul> <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Jobs and Economic Growth Bill</h2> <a href="https://www.revisor.mn.gov/laws/?year=2017&type=0&doctype=Chapter&id=94" title="Chapter 94 - S.F. 1456, 2017 Regular Session" target="_blank">CHAPTER 94 -- S.F. 1456, 2017 REGULAR SESSION</a> <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Helmets to Hardhats: $400,000 from the workforce development fund for grants to the Construction Careers Foundation.</li> </ul> <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Environment and Natural Resources Bill</h2> <a href="https://www.revisor.mn.gov/laws/?year=2017&type=0&doctype=Chapter&id=93" title="Chapter 93 - S.F. 844. 2017 Regular Session" target="_blank">CHAPTER 93 -- S.F. 844, 2017 REGULAR SESSION</a> <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Disabled Veterans State Park Permit: A Veteran with proof any level of service-connected disability shall be issued a free annual park permit.</li> <li>Bear Hunt Raffle: If there is a limit for bear hunting permits in a certain area, first preference must be given to a resident of a Minnesota Veterans Home to obtain a permit.</li> </ul> <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Higher Education Bill</h2> <a href="https://www.revisor.mn.gov/laws/?year=2017&type=0&doctype=Chapter&id=89" title="Chapter 89 - S.F. 943, 2017 Regular Session" target="_blank">CHAPTER 89 -- S.F. 943, 2017 REGULAR SESSION</a> <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Veterans-to-Agriculture: $350,000 of renewed funding for a pilot program to facilitate the entrance of Veterans into careers related to agriculture and food production, processing and distribution through intensive four to eight week academic trainings.</li> </ul> <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Tax Bill</h2> <a href="https://www.revisor.mn.gov/laws/?year=2017&type=1&doctype=Chapter&id=1" title="Chapter 1 - H.F. 1, 2017 Special Session" target="_blank">CHAPTER 1 – H.F. 1, 2017 1ST SPECIAL SESSION</a> <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Disabled Veteran Homestead Market Value Exclusion: Eliminated annual application; added the permissibility of retroactive application for surviving spouses / DIC recipients of eligible Veterans.</li> <li>Veterans’ Service Organization Property Taxes: Reduced class rate to one percent.</li> </ul> <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Omnibus Capital Investment (Bonding) Bill</h2> <a href="https://www.revisor.mn.gov/laws/?year=2017&type=1&doctype=Chapter&id=8" title="Chapter 8 - H.F. 5, 2017 1st Special Session" target="_blank">CHAPTER 8 -- H.F. 5, 2017 1st SPECIAL SESSION</a> <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>MVH-Minneapolis Historic Truss Bridge Repairs: $7.851 million to repair the bridge that spans Minnehaha Creek and gives access to the campus at the Minnesota Veterans Home – Minneapolis.</li> <li>MDVA Asset preservation: $5 million to repair critical infrastructure projects at Minnesota Veterans Homes throughout the state.</li> <li>Rice County Veterans Memorial: Another $30,000 to aid non-state funding to finish a memorial in Faribault. This is in addition to the $30,000 in money (mentioned above) from the Legacy bill.</li> </ul>2999812017-06-19T12:53:14ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307<Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>State268309Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621Weekly State Update - May 312017-05-31-weekly-state-update<tcdl:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-297929" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2017-05-31T20:00:00ZAfter Gov. Dayton and legislative leaders failed to reach an agreement by the constitutionally mandated adjournment date of May 22, the legislature held a three-day special session to complete the budget for the next two fiscal years. The special session wrapped up early Friday (May 26) morning after passing a series of budget bills and a bonding bill to provide funding for infrastructure projects.1066After Gov. Dayton and legislative leaders failed to reach an agreement by the constitutionally mandated adjournment date of May 22, the legislature held a three-day special session to complete the budget for the next two fiscal years. The special session wrapped up early Friday (May 26) morning after passing a series of budget bills and a bonding bill to provide funding for infrastructure projects. The governor signed all of the budget bills and a bonding bill on Tuesday, May 30. The Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs budget was included in <a href="https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=Senate&f=SF0001&ssn=1&y=2017" title="Senate File 1" target="_blank">special session SF 1</a>, the omnibus state government finance bill. The bill funds MDVA operations for fiscal years 2018-19. There was new money allocated to operate the new Minnesota Veterans cemetery in Duluth, which will open later this year. There was also a policy change to expand the MN GI Bill. Beneficiaries can use the money for apprenticeship and on-the-job training funding and other professional and educational assistance. This will allow increased flexibility for users. The state government finance bill also included a grant for Veterans Journey Home. The grant must be used to support the development of new or rehabilitated affordable housing dedicated for low-to-moderate income Veterans and their families. The MDVA Veterans Health Care division received its funding to operate the five Minnesota Veterans Homes in Fergus Falls, Hastings, Luverne, Minneapolis and Silver Bay. There was no money included to fund a new Veterans home. <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Bridge repair funded</h2> The bonding bill, which funds public infrastructure projects had $990 million worth of projects included in the bill. For MDVA, it includes $7.85 million to repair the Historic Truss Bridge at the Minnesota Veterans Home – Minneapolis. There is also funding for asset preservation to repair and replace critical needs at the Veterans homes. Governor Dayton signed these bills along with other budget bills on Tuesday, May 30.2979292017-06-16T20:05:12ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307<Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>State268309Weekly State Update - May 122017-05-12-weekly-state-update<tcdl:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-294487" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2017-05-12T20:00:00ZOn Tuesday (May 9), the Minnesota House of Representatives and Senate passed the conference committee report for SF 605, the State Government Finance omnibus bill. The votes were 75-56 in the House and 34-33 in the Senate. Additionally the legislature passed four other budget bills and sent them to Governor Dayton.1066On Tuesday (May 9), the Minnesota House of Representatives and Senate passed the conference committee report for SF 605, the State Government Finance omnibus bill. The votes were 75-56 in the House and 34-33 in the Senate. Additionally the legislature passed four other budget bills and sent them to Governor Dayton. Governor Dayton vetoed all five of the budget bills on Friday, May 12. <a href="http://mn.gov/gov-stat/pdf/2017_05_12_Letter_Ch_44_Veto.pdf" title="Gov. Dayton Veto Letter" target="_blank">His veto letter to the legislature can be found here</a>. In his letter Governor Dayton specifically mentions the lack of funding for MDVA initiatives: "While there is some support for military and veteran’s initiatives, the failure to fully fund my request for the Department of Military Affairs’ enlistment incentive program will result in reductions in State Tuition Reimbursement and re-enlistment bonuses for soldiers and airmen around the state, including those who drill at Camp Ripley. A further deficit, identified by Commissioner Shellito, is that the $10 million included in the bill to establish new veteran’s homes is insufficient to cover the state’s share of construction and operating costs needed to secure federal funding support. This bill fails to sufficiently fund the current needs of Minnesota’s veterans and future commitments. Therefore, I urge you to fund the current needs of our existing veterans homes and services: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>No operational funding for the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery – Duluth.</li> <li>No repairs and maintenance funding for veterans cemeteries and more than 50 state-owned building, including the veterans’ homes which provide 24/7 skilled nursing care for our veterans."</li> </ul> Moving forward, the Governor and legislature need to come to a budget agreement before the legislative session comes to a constitutionally mandated end on May 22. If agreements are not in place, a special session will need to be called to finish setting the budget for the state.2944872017-06-16T20:05:11ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307<Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Federal268310Tim Walz269748Ranking Member Walz Condemns Republican Healthcare Bill For Putting Millions of Veterans At Risk2017-05-04-walz-condems-healthcare-bill<tcdl:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-293777" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2017-05-04T21:00:00ZWASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Committee on Veterans Affairs Ranking Member Tim Walz (D-MN) released the following statement condemning the House Republicans rush to pass the American Health Care Act (AHCA) and to warn of the negative consequences the bill could have on millions of veterans and their families across the United States:1066<h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">AHCA Could Potentially Strip Up To 7 Million Veterans of Tax Credits Used To Seek Affordable Healthcare </h2> WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Committee on Veterans Affairs Ranking Member Tim Walz (D-MN) released the following statement condemning the House Republicans rush to pass the American Health Care Act (AHCA) and to warn of the negative consequences the bill could have on millions of veterans and their families across the United States: “It is absolutely shameful that Republicans would put partisan procedural politics above the needs of our nation’s heroes,” Rep. Walz said. “We were loud and clear about the disastrous impact AHCA could potentially have on millions of veterans when the bill was brought up for debate in March. Unfortunately, House Republicans never listened to our warning, and as a result, if this deeply flawed legislation passes as it is written, millions of veterans and their families could have diminished choice in where to seek care.” In March, Republicans introduced an amendment to the AHCA that would prohibit veterans who are “eligible” to receive VA care from receiving any tax credits to help pay for care outside the VA, even if they are not enrolled in the VA. In addition to preventing veterans from access to affordable health care options, forcing veterans to seek care at the VA could create a significant influx of veterans enrolling in the VA at a time when the VA is not equipped to enroll them quickly. This is of particular concern given the burden President Trump’s hiring freeze placed on VA medical centers across the country. The Paralyzed Veterans of America sent [this letter] to House leadership in March outlining their concerns with the legislation. ###2937772017-06-22T17:39:30ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307<Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>State268309Weekly State Update - May 32017-05-03-weekly-state-update<tcdl:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-293565" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2017-05-03T14:00:00ZOn Tuesday (May 2), the State Government Finance conference committee adopted language that reflects the agreement between the House and Senate conferees. With agreements in place for all of the budget conference committees, legislative leadership will begin negotiating a final budget agreement with Governor Dayton.1066On Tuesday (May 2), the State Government Finance conference committee adopted language that reflects the agreement between the House and Senate conferees. With agreements in place for all of the budget conference committees, legislative leadership will begin negotiating a final budget agreement with Governor Dayton. The agreed upon language for the State Government Finance bill includes six Veterans related provisions. They are as follows: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>The MN GI Bill will be expanded to allow new uses that include paying for fees that are encumbered in apprenticeship and on-the-job training programs. It also provides for parity with the Federal GI Bill.</li> <li>Veterans Journey Home would provide housing for Veterans with low to moderate income.</li> <li>Amending the Support Our Troops fund statute to allow Veterans to use that fund if they are unable to pay the burial fee for spouses.</li> <li>The Veterans Defense Project would receive a grant through the Humanities Center to assist Veterans that are in the court system as well as educate the court system with issues related to Veterans.</li> <li>Veterans services disclosure statement which would let Veterans know that they can receive services for free rather than from private, for-profit providers.</li> <li>$10 million for a new Veterans Home. The language specifies that MDVA would decide where the next home is placed based upon geographic need, consistent with any guidance or requirements provided by federal law.</li> </ul> The agreement does not include three pieces that MDVA had requested. Governor Dayton did include the following provisions: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Funding to operate the new Duluth Veterans Cemetery.</li> <li>Repair and betterment funding for MDVA buildings at the Minnesota Veterans Homes.</li> <li>Operating budget adjustment so that MDVA can continue providing the highest levels of service and care to Minnesota Veterans throughout the state.</li> </ul> Additionally, the House of Representatives released its bonding bill on Tuesday. This bill borrows money to pay for public works projects throughout the state. They included $5 million for asset preservation, but did not include money to repair the Historic Truss Bridge at the Minneapolis Veterans Home.2935652017-05-05T17:32:07ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307<Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>State268309Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621Weekly State Update - April 212017-04-21-weekly-state-update<tcdl:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-290876" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2017-04-21T21:00:00ZThe state legislature returned from its Easter and Passover break to continue work ahead of the constitutional date of adjournment on May 22. The House and Senate announced conference committee for each of the budget bills that need to be reconciled.1066The state legislature returned from its Easter and Passover break to continue work ahead of the constitutional date of adjournment on May 22. The House and Senate announced conference committee for each of the budget bills that need to be reconciled. The MDVA budget is included in the State Government Finance budget bill. The House conferees named for the committee include Reps. Sarah Anderson, Bob Dettmer, Tim O'Driscoll, Jim Nash and Kelly Fenton. The Senate members include Sens. Mary Kiffmeyer, Bruce Anderson, Dan Hall, Mark Koran and Carolyn Laine. Beyond the State Government Finance bill there are Veterans related provisions in other pieces of budget bills. They are as follows: Tax bill Both the House and Senate bills contain changes to the Homestead Market Exclusion for disabled Veterans, but the changes vary. The Senate version eliminates the eight-year limit for surviving spouses and allows Veterans with a disability rating of 100%, but non-permanent to receive the $300,000 exclusion. The House bill allows for surviving spouses of Veterans who died any time after December 31, 2011 to receive the exclusion. Eliminates the annual application requirement for eligibility changes, but requires annual certification of a disability rating. Another provision in the House tax bill reduces the property tax burden for congressionally chartered Veteran Service Organization buildings like American Legion and VFW Posts by about 33%. Legacy bill The House bill contains $30,000 to complete the Rice County Veterans Memorial in Faribault and $50,000 to complete the Waseca County Veterans Memorial. The Senate version creates a $200,000 competitive grant program to provide grants to local units of government for Veterans memorials. It also includes $250,000 to complete design and construction of the Medal of Honor memorial at the Capitol. The money won’t be made available until $250,000 in matching funds has been pledged. Finally, the bill contains $222,000 for Camp Legionville to update the dining facility and $200,000 for Veterans’ Voices program at the Humanities Center Both versions of the bill include $278,000 to build a welcome center at the Veterans Rest Camp. NOTE: The Legacy Bill is awaiting a vote by the full Senate as of April 21. Environment and Natural Resources The Senate bill includes two Veterans provisions, the first is free annual state park permit for disabled Veterans. The second states that the commissioner of natural resources must reserve one bear hunt permit and give first preference for a resident of a Minnesota Veterans home if there is a limit on bear hunters. The House bill does not include Veterans related provisions. Judiciary and Public Safety The House version includes clarification that says if anyone impersonates a military service member, Veteran or public official as a way to mislead others they will be guilty of a misdemeanor. Jobs Both versions include $400,000 for Helmets to Hardhats to recruit, retain, assist and support National Guard, reserve, active duty military members and Veterans participation in apprenticeship programs in the building and construction industry. Higher Education Both versions include $350,000 for the Veterans to agriculture pilot program. The funding will continue the program at South Central College in North Mankato as well as up to six program sites statewide. The program is designed to facilitate the entrance of Veterans into careers related to agriculture and food production, processing and distribution through academic training.2908762017-04-24T13:01:24ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307<Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>State268309Ranking Member Walz Statement On VA Choice Extension Becoming Law2017-04-19-ranking-member-walz-statement-on-va-choice-extension-becoming-law<tcdl:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-290613" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2017-04-19T14:00:00ZWASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the House Committee on Veterans Affairs Ranking Member Tim Walz (D-MN) released the following statement after President Donald Trump signed a bill to extend the VA Choice program past its initial end date of August 2017 into law:1066WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the House Committee on Veterans Affairs Ranking Member Tim Walz (D-MN) released the following statement after President Donald Trump signed a bill to extend the VA Choice program past its initial end date of August 2017 into law: “While the VA Choice program has expanded access to quality and timely care in many communities across the U.S., for many communities like mine in southern Minnesota, there is still much room for improvement,” Rep. Walz said. “Our focus should always be on improving the veteran experience, especially when it comes to healthcare. That is why developing a veteran-centered health care system that preserves VA’s core mission while utilizing the private sector where it makes common sense is an absolute must.” “While the VA must be able to invest every dollar Congress has appropriated for the purpose of providing quality care to veterans, we simply cannot continue to invest billions of taxpayer dollars in a system that has clear and systemic flaws. The clinical decision of when and where to receive care should always be based on a conversation the veteran has with his or her doctor and should never be bound by arbitrary rules. It is imperative that any continuation of the Choice program be coupled with permanent solutions that empower veterans and improve their access to quality and timely healthcare.” “I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Majority as well as Secretary Dr. David Shulkin to improve healthcare for veterans in every community across the U.S.”2906132017-04-20T14:10:50ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307<Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Federal268310Erik Paulsen281861Paulsen Post - Helping Our Vets2017-04-09-paulsen-post-helping-our-vets<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-290066" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2017-04-09T14:00:00ZWe all know our Veterans deserve our gratitude and I will always work to ensure they get the training and support they need when they return from their service and enter civilian life.1066We all know our Veterans deserve our gratitude and I will always work to ensure they get the training and support they need when they return from their service and enter civilian life. Unfortunately, there are about 453,000 unemployed Veterans, and 40 percent are between the ages of 18 and 44. Many Veterans who want to attend non-traditional education programs for technical courses, such as coding, programming, or other IT-certification courses, cannot easily use their Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits and are stuck waiting for years for approval to cover the costs. This is ridiculous and a disservice to our Veterans who earned the right to pursue these endeavors. They shouldn't have to be at the mercy of bureaucrats to get started. That's why I am coauthoring the <a target="_blank" title="VET TEC Act" href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/1989/text">Veteran Employment through Technical Education Courses (VET TEC) Act</a>, which will fix this gap in the system. This initiative will authorize the Department of Veterans Affairs to contract with institutions that provide non-traditional technology courses and expand what our veterans have access to as they look to pursue a new career.2900662018-10-16T14:36:53ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307<Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>State268309Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621Weekly State Update - April 72017-04-07-weekly-state-update<tcdl:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-286661" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2017-04-07T19:46:35ZThe Minnesota House of Representatives approved its version of the State Government Finance bill which includes funding for MDVA, Veterans provisions and other agency budgets. The Veterans portion of the bill was outlined in last week’s update.1066The Minnesota House of Representatives approved its version of the State Government Finance bill which includes funding for MDVA, Veterans provisions and other agency budgets. The Veterans portion of the bill was outlined in last week’s update. The bill, <a target="_blank" title="SF 605" href="https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?f=SF605&b=senate&y=2017&ssn=0">SF 605</a>, was approved on Monday by the Ways and Means committee. It was then scheduled to be heard by the full House of Representatives on Thursday. During the floor debate there were no amendments added that pertained to Veterans. The bill was passed with a vote of 75-55. The legislature is now on a break for Easter and Passover. There will be no official business conducted starting Saturday April 8th until Monday the 17th. Once legislators come back to St. Paul the House and Senate will appoint conference committee members for the State Government Finance bill. This committee will work out the differences between the bills passed separately by the House and Senate. The legislature will have about five weeks to complete this process, -- while also gaining the approval of Governor Dayton -- before the constitutionally mandated adjournment on May 22nd. On Thursday, the Minnesota Senate passed <a target="_blank" title="SF 106" href="https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?f=SF106&b=senate&y=2017&ssn=0">SF 106</a>. This bill would change the World War I plaque within the Court of Honor to include all Veterans that served during the Great War. The current plaque only reflects those that served abroad. The bill was supported unanimously, 66-0. The House companion, HF 965, is currently awaiting action in the House committee on Rules and Legislative Administration. 2866612017-04-07T19:48:03ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307<Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Federal268310Tim Walz269748Palazzo, Walz, Franks & Shea-Porter Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Ensure Fairness in Benefits among Deployed Troops2017-04-03-fairness-in-benefits-among-deployed-troops<tcdl:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-285816" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2017-04-03T14:00:00ZWASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Representatives Steven Palazzo (R-MS-04), Tim Walz (D-MN-01), Trent Franks (R-AZ-08) and Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH-01) introduced H.R. 1384, a comprehensive, bipartisan bill to provide fairness to certain mobilized National Guard and Reserve Component service members by extending to them eligibility for certain benefits available to Active Component forces that deploy to carry out equivalent duties. Fight to enact fairness in health care, education and pension benefits for mobilized National Guard and Reserve Component service members.1066March 8, 2017 WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Representatives Steven Palazzo (R-MS-04), Tim Walz (D-MN-01), Trent Franks (R-AZ-08) and Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH-01) introduced H.R. 1384, a comprehensive, bipartisan bill to provide fairness to certain mobilized National Guard and Reserve Component service members by extending to them eligibility for certain benefits available to Active Component forces that deploy to carry out equivalent duties. The 2012 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) gave the Department of Defense (DoD) the authority to order National Guard and Reserve Components “to active duty for preplanned missions in support of the combatant commands.” While this expanded power (12304b authority) has provided DoD a cost-effective means of meeting the needs of combatant commanders through the deployment of National Guard and Reserve Component forces, the 2012 NDAA failed to extend eligibility to National Guard and Reserve Component troops for health care, education, leave, pay, and retirement benefits. In effect, H.R. 1384 will correct this inconsistency by granting Guard and Reserve members access to these benefits, such as earning tuition funds through the Post-9/11 GI Bill to pursue higher education, and the provision of family health care services prior to and after mobilization. “Our Guard and Reserve troops have been fighting alongside our active duty component for over 15 years,” said Rep. Palazzo. “In fact, many of the best performing units in the military come from the Reserve and Guard, yet the DoD has created a scenario where our soldiers are receiving less than equal treatment. Giving our troops equal benefits for equal service is simply a no-brainer. We should ensure that all of those who are putting their lives on the line for our country are given the benefits they have so bravely and selflessly earned.” “This commonsense legislation is about recognizing the sacrifice of all our men and women who volunteer freely to serve this nation,” said Rep. Tim Walz. “Ensuring fairness in health care, education and pension benefits to National Guard and Reserve Component troops who answer the call to serve right alongside their Active Component counterparts is the right thing to do. I thank Reps. Palazzo, Shea-Porter and Franks, our VSO partners, and most importantly, our veterans for fighting to bring these brave Americans and their families the peace of mind that comes with knowing they will no longer be denied benefits they deserve.” "To whom do we owe more than those in service to this great nation? Our service men and women sacrifice daily so that we may live in freedom,” said Rep. Franks. “This legislation ensures our Reserve and National Guard service members are eligible for the same benefits as their Active Duty brothers and sisters when mobilized by the Department of Defense.” “Our National Guard and Reserve members deserve the same benefits as those they serve with,” said Rep. Shea-Porter. “It is unfair and unacceptable that some service members are being denied benefits because of the way they were called up for service. Over the past several years, National Guard members deployed overseas have been denied TRICARE health benefits, Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefits, and credit for retirement pay. Our legislation will fix this problem and ensure that all service members who are called to duty receive the health, education, and retirement benefits they earned serving our country.” Since enactment of the 2012 NDAA, Guard and Reserve component forces have been mobilized under the 12304b authority to support: the Multinational Force Observers mission in the Sinai, Egypt; NATO’s Operation Joint Guardian in Kosovo; and most recently, the European Reassurance Initiative, countering Russian aggression in Eastern Europe, to name just a few. <img style="vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; height: auto;" alt="Soldiers of the Mankato-based 2nd Battalion, 135th Infantry Regiment (2-135 IN )" title="Soldiers of the Mankato-based 2nd Battalion, 135th Infantry Regiment (2-135 IN )" src="/mdva/assets/2017-04-03-photo-walz_tcm1066-285817.jpg" xlink:title="2017-04-03-photo-walz" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" />Soldiers of the Mankato, Minnesota-based 2nd Battalion, 135th Infantry Regiment (2-135 IN) are currently on a 9-month peacekeeping deployment in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula to provide support to the Multi-National Force and Observers mission of supervising the implementation of the security provisions of the Egyptian-Israeli Treaty of Peace. (Minnesota National Guard photo) Testimonial excerpts from deployed soldiers: From a Sergeant: “It is my duty to listen to Soldiers’ problems and to assist them if possible… These Soldiers are frustrated as they are working side-by-side with Active Duty Soldiers and completing the same mission though they are not receiving equal benefits.” From a Military Intelligence Analyst: “I look forward to pursuing my Master’s degree, although without the educational benefits I was hoping for, I will have to wait until I deploy again… I see disappointment on the faces of those of us who were told time and time again that we would be taken care of for the sacrifices we make.” From an Infantry Squad Leader: “Although I enjoy the opportunity to serve my country and state, I was surprised to find out that we do not qualify for many of the benefits that I received on my past two deployments. I later found out that the active duty Soldiers that I’m currently deployed with do qualify for these benefits, which my fellow Guardsmen and I feel is unfair." From an Infantry Platoon Sergeant: “There is no doubt in my mind that morale and retention have suffered due to this disparity in benefits. Many of the Soldiers were counting on receiving these benefits, most notably the credit towards increasing their Post 9‐11 GI Bill.” From a Communication Specialist: “How do I explain to my National Guard Soldiers that their work while on this deployment is not recognized the same as the work of their Active Duty counterparts because of a pay order?” From an Infantry Company Commander: "The unit we replaced -- 1st Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment -- is an active duty cavalry squadron. Every Soldier with 1-2 CR accrued Post-9/11 GI Bill, VA, and retirement benefits for every day they spent preparing and executing their mission in the Sinai Peninsula." Effective upon passage, this bipartisan legislation would provide the following benefits to National Guard and Reserve Component troops mobilized under the 12304b authority that are currently offered to Active Component forces: <ol xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Pre-mobilization and post mobilization access to TRICARE.</li> <li>TRICARE coverage for dependents of service members before and after mobilization.</li> <li>Reduction in age for eligibility of retired pay for National Guard and Reserve soldiers called to active duty.</li> <li>Access to Post-9/11 GI Bill Benefits.</li> <li>Accumulation of high-tempo deployment allowance for service; thus preventing National Guard soldiers from being sent on rapid, successive deployments.</li> <li>Protection of eligibility for training and rehabilitation services interrupted by deployments.</li> <li>No reduction in federal pay for federal employees mobilized under 12304b.</li> </ol> H.R. 1384 is endorsed by the National Guard Association of the United States (NGAUS), the Reserve Officers Association (ROA), the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States (EANGUS), the Minnesota National Guard Enlisted Association (MNGEA), The American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States (VFW), the United States Army Warrant Officers Association (USAWOA), the Student Veterans of America (SVA) and the Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH). For the bill text, <a target="_blank" title="H.R. 1384 Text" href="https://walz.house.gov/sites/walz.house.gov/files/HR-1384.pdf">please click here</a>. ###2858162017-04-03T14:32:35ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307Weekly State Update - March 31engState268309Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621State House Veterans Affairs Division268729Weekly State Update - March 312017-03-31-weekly-state-update<tcdl:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-285757" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2017-03-31T19:04:20ZThe Senate passed the State Government finance bill, which includes Veterans related provisions on Wednesday with a vote of 36-30. The House unveiled its version of the bill and began working on the legislation.1066The Senate passed the State Government finance bill, which includes Veterans related provisions on Wednesday with a vote of 36-30. The House unveiled its version of the bill and began working on the legislation. The House State Government Finance bill contains the base funding for MDVA which includes money for operating the Programs and Services division along with the Minnesota Veterans Homes. It also contains a change item request to amend and expand the use of the Minnesota GI Bill. This change would allow users to pay for costs such as school applications, exams, licensing and other certifications. It would also improve equity between the Apprenticeship and On-the-Job-Training (OJT) program and the higher education benefit. Also included is $700,000 for the Veterans Journey Home project which helps low to moderate income Veterans find permanent housing. Additionally, the bill provides a $500,000 grant through the Humanities Center for the Veterans Defense Project. The State Government Finance bill does not include MDVA’s request to operate the new Duluth Veterans Cemetery, which was included in both the Governor’s proposal as well as the Senate. Like the Senate bill, this bill doesn’t provide any repair and betterment money for buildings at the five Minnesota Veterans Homes. The Ways and Means committee is scheduled to hear this legislation on Monday. Upon approval it can be voted on by the entire House of Representatives. Both of those actions will likely take place before the end of next week since legislators are taking a week off ahead of the Easter and Passover holidays. After the break, conference committees will begin to work out the differences between the two State Government Finance bills. 2857572017-03-31T19:04:44ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307<Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>State268309State Senate Veterans and Military Affairs - Policy and Finance Committee268730Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621State House Veterans Affairs Division268729Weekly State Update - March 242017-03-24-weekly-state-update<tcdl:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-285138" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2017-03-24T19:46:07ZThis week the Senate unveiled the Veterans and Military Affairs omnibus finance bill. The bill was approved by Sen. Bruce Anderson’s committee and re-referred to the Senate Finance committee where it was merged with the State Government Finance bill. The Finance committee approved the bill. It now awaits a vote on the floor of the Senate.1066This week the Senate unveiled the Veterans and Military Affairs omnibus finance bill. The bill was approved by Sen. Bruce Anderson’s committee and re-referred to the Senate Finance committee where it was merged with the State Government Finance bill. The Finance committee approved the bill. It now awaits a vote on the floor of the Senate. The bill, SF 605 contains several provisions that MDVA requested including funding for agency operation for both the Programs and Services division as well as the Minnesota Veterans Homes. There is also agency funding for the new state Veterans cemetery in Duluth. SF 605 contains funding for three one-time appropriations using the Support Our Troops fund. $50,000 is used from the SOT fund to pay for the AMPERS Veterans Voices programming to produce stories about Korean War Veterans. $175,000 is used from the SOT fund to pay for the Veterans Defense Project to support Veterans who are involved with the criminal justice system through education, outreach and legal assistance. Finally, $175,000 is used from the SOT fund to pay for the Veterans Journey Home project. This project will use the money to support the development of new or rehabbed affordable housing dedicated for low to moderate income Veterans and their families. Finally, the bill authorizes using the Support Our Troops fund to help offset the costs for uncompensated burial costs for eligible dependents who receive a no-fee or reduced-fee burial in a state Veterans cemetery. The House is expected to release their counterpart to this bill on Sunday (March 26). The State Government Finance committee is scheduled to give the bill a hearing on at Monday and Tuesday. See the <a target="_blank" title="House Schedule" href="http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/schedules/schedule.aspx">House schedule for information</a>. New Law This week, Governor Dayton signed <a target="_blank" title="HF 375" href="https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=House&f=HF375&ssn=0&y=2017">HF 375</a> which allow counties to build Veterans memorials anywhere in the county. Previously, counties were only allowed to build these memorials in the county seat. 2851382017-03-24T19:48:37ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307<Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>State268309State House Veterans Affairs Division268729Minnesota House270620Weekly State Update - March 172017-03-17-weekly-state-update<tcdl:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-284530" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2017-03-17T21:00:00ZThere were eight bills heard in three committees this week. The Veterans related budget bills are expected to be released by the House and Senate next week.1066There were eight bills heard in three committees this week. The Veterans related budget bills are expected to be released by the House and Senate next week. <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Monday</h2> On Monday, the House Veterans Affairs Division wrapped up their work for this year’s session after hearing a presentation from Neal Loidolt, the new President and CEO of Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans. Chairman Dettmer thanked the committee members and staff for their hard work over the last few months. In the end, the committee heard 42 bills. <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Tuesday</h2> State Government Finance <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>HF 127 (Dettmer): This bill helps fund the Vietnam: Minnesota Remembers project that Twin Cities Public Television is producing. It was laid over for possible inclusion in the State Government Finance Omnibus budget bill.</li> <li>HF 2164 (Howe): This bill expands the list of uses of funds from the “Support Our Troops” account to include reimbursing the Department of Veterans Affairs for uncompensated burial costs for eligible dependents for whom the Commissioner waives all or a portion of the State Veterans Cemetery burial fee. It also instructs MDVA to develop a policy, eligibility standards, and application forms for requests to waive or reduce eligible dependent burial fees. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in the State Government Finance Omnibus budget bill.</li> <li>The Commerce and Regulatory Reform committee heard HF 1209 authored by Rep. Cornish. This bill would require businesses to disclose to Veterans that they may be able to receive the same services at no-charge from Veterans Service Organizations. It would also create a $1,000 fine for law violators. It was approved and re-referred to State Government Finance.</li> </ul> <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Thursday</h2> Public Safety and Security <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>HF 1892 (Howe): This bill extends the current misdemeanor offense of impersonating a military officer to impersonating any member of the military or a veteran. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in the Public Safety and Security Omnibus bill. </li> </ul> State Government Finance <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>HF 79 (Davids): This legislation would provide state funding and begin the steps to build and operate a new Minnesota Veterans Home in Fillmore County. It was passed and re-referred to the Capital Investment committee.</li> </ul> <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Friday</h2> State Government Finance <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>HF 755 (Dettmer): This bill would authorize $250,000 in funding for the Minnesota Medal of Honor memorial on the Capitol grounds. The bill was passed and re-referred to the Capital Investment committee.</li> <li>HF 1109 (Miller): This bill would provide state funding for the building and operation of Veterans homes in Montevideo and Bemidji. It was passed and re-referred to the Capital Investment committee.</li> <li>HF 1925 (Jurgens): This legislation would provide asset preservation money for the Minnesota Veterans Home – Hastings. It was passed and re-referred to the Capital Investment committee. </li> </ul>2845302017-03-20T01:13:40ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307<Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>State268309State House Veterans Affairs Division268729Minnesota House270620Making Minnesota better for Veterans: Chair says ‘nonpolitical’ approach is best2017-03-16-making-minnesota-better-for-veterans<tcdl:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-284422" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2017-03-16T19:41:53ZThe House Veterans Affairs Division wrapped up its work for the session Monday in the only way it knows how: by giving thanks and credit where it’s due.1066The House Veterans Affairs Division wrapped up its work for the session Monday in the only way it knows how: by giving thanks and credit where it’s due. Rep. Bob Dettmer (R-Forest Lake), the division chair, read two resolutions thanking two men who have both served their country in the military and have served their fellow veterans by pushing for legislation intended to better the lives of past military service people. The 15-member legislative panel gave the veterans a standing ovation. Whether it’s educating freshmen lawmakers on the different programs and services state agencies offer veterans, or discussing better entitlements for veterans’ families, the division spent the past 10 weeks wading deep into mental health issues, tax exemption policies, nonprofit funding and future veterans homes, to name a few. In all, the division heard 42 bills that it pushed through to other committees – all with the intention of making Minnesota a better state for veterans. “We’ll never quit trying to do that,” Dettmer said in an interview. “We don’t always have the best weather, but we can be a place where veterans want to raise their family after 20 years and be here, start second careers. As long as I’m working in the Legislature, that’s my goal: make Minnesota a better place for veterans.” The biggest concern among veterans’ communities continues to be mental health. A slew of bills addressed topics ranging from how first responders interact with veterans potentially suffering from PTSD to treating these veterans differently in the judicial system. There are always new ideas on how to help veterans, too, like an equine therapy program seeking state funding. Aging veterans sometimes face different challenges than their younger counterparts. There are certain parts of Greater Minnesota without veterans homes, so veterans in places like Bemidji, Montevideo and Fillmore County are hoping the federal government will help build housing there. And while the state’s veterans are buried at no cost to families, their loved ones still have to choose between a $745 burial fee in state cemeteries or a free burial at Fort Snelling National Cemetery. The division also made it a priority to develop legislation to better remember veterans for their past service and sacrifices. Twin Cities Public Television asked the Legislature to help fund its local angle on telling the story of the Vietnam War. Ampers wants to highlight Korean and Persian Gulf war veterans in its broadcast. And Rep. Fue Lee (DFL-Mpls), a descendant of Hmong refugees from the Vietnam War, wants to establish a day memorializing Southeast Asian allies’ work in the so-called “Secret War.” Dettmer’s philosophy in leading the panel comes from his 25 years of being in uniform. Now retired from the U.S. Army Reserve, Dettmer, in his sixth legislative term, said bills concerning the military community must be “nonpolitical.” “When you’re in uniform, you’re nonpolitical,” Dettmer said. “You have a Commander-in-Chief, you have your chain of command, and I felt that’s the way we should treat it as legislators, too.” The division heard legislative proposals from both sides of the aisle, Dettmer said, and included hearings on any bills their sponsors requested. DFLers praised the approach. “We have great members on both sides of the aisle and we are tackling issues that are very, very important,” Rep. Paul Rosenthal (DFL-Edina), the DFL lead, said at Monday’s meeting. “This has been one of the most bipartisan committees that I’ve ever seen.” <a target="_blank" title="Article" href="http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/SessionDaily/SDView.aspx?StoryID=12669">Authored by Ricky Campbell, House Public Information Services </a>2844222017-03-16T19:41:00ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307<Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Federal268310VA Benefits268707Congress270623Federal Legislation273155Al Franken280566Amy Klobuchar269749Sens. Franken, Capito, Klobuchar, Cornyn Press Bipartisan Effort to Ensure Mobilized National Guard and Reserve Troops Have Access to Same Benefits As Active Duty Troops2017-03-16-guard-troops-access-to-benefits<tcdl:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-284417" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2017-03-16T19:37:20ZToday, U.S. Senators Al Franken (D-Minn.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), and John Cornyn (R-Texas) introduced a bipartisan measure to ensure that mobilized National Guard and Reserve Troops who have carried out the same duties as active duty forces are also eligible for the same health, education, leave, pay and retirement benefits they’ve earned while deployed.1066Today, U.S. Senators Al Franken (D-Minn.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), and John Cornyn (R-Texas) introduced a bipartisan measure to ensure that mobilized National Guard and Reserve Troops who have carried out the same duties as active duty forces are also eligible for the same health, education, leave, pay and retirement benefits they’ve earned while deployed. The senators said the bill would provide fairness to National Guard and Reserve troops who carry out equivalent duties alongside active duty troops, but who currently are not eligible for the same important benefits. The 2012 National Defense Authorization Act gave the Department of Defense the authority to order National Guard and Reserve personnel to active duty, but it did not extend to those troops access to the same benefits. The Reserve Component Benefits Parity Act would remedy that and make it retroactive to cover approximately 5,800 National Guard and Reserve Troops mobilized since 2012. "National Guard and Reserve members from Minnesota and across the country have been serving skillfully and honorably alongside our active duty troops for many years, yet they are not eligible to receive the same important health education, pay, and retirement benefits as active duty members, even though they’ve performed equivalent duties," said Sen. Franken. "This legislation will ensure we restore fairness in benefits for all men and women who are mobilized to serve and protect our nation.” “Since 2013, the Department of Defense has been involuntarily mobilizing National Guard soldiers, including 48 members of the West Virginia National Guard, without providing them the same benefits as their Active Duty counterparts. Our National Guard is an operational reserve vital to our national security, and when our brave men and women are called to serve, they deserve equal pay and equal benefits. Today, I sponsored legislation to fix this fundamental unfairness and do right by our National Guard,” said Senator Capito. “Our servicemembers deserve nothing but the best, but due to a loophole in current law, some Minnesota National Guard and reserve soldiers have been denied important health, education, and retirement benefits,” said Klobuchar. “Our bipartisan legislation will close this loophole and help ensure these servicemembers can access the hard-earned benefits they deserve.” The Reserve Component Benefits Parity Act would provide the following benefits currently earned by Active Duty forces but denied to many mobilized National Guard and Reserve members: <ol xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Provide pre-mobilization and post mobilization access to TRICARE health benefits.</li> <li>Provide for reduction in age for eligibility of retired pay for National Guard and Reserve soldiers called to active duty.</li> <li>Provide access to post-9/11 GI Bill Benefits.</li> <li>Will allow National Guard and Reserve Component forces to accrue high deployment allowance for service, thus preventing National Guard soldiers from being sent on rapid successive deployment.</li> <li>Provide protection of eligibility for training and rehabilitation services interrupted by deployments.</li> <li>Provides for no reduction in federal pay for federal employees deployed under 12304B.</li> </ol> The bill will be retroactive to the passage of the 2012 NDAA to ensure that the over 5,800 National Guard and Reserve Component soldiers that have been deployed, are currently deployed, or will be deployed have access to the same benefits they would under other deployment authorities. ### 2844172017-03-16T19:35:13ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307<Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>State268309Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621State House Veterans Affairs Division268729State Senate Veterans and Military Affairs - Policy and Finance Committee268730Weekly State Update - March 102017-03-10-weekly-state-update<tcdl:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-283520" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2017-03-10T22:53:43ZThis week, there were 24 Veteran related bills heard in seven committees with the first deadline passing on Friday, March 10. The second deadline is next week so there could be a similar amount of bills being heard.1066This week, there were 24 Veteran related bills heard in seven committees with the first deadline passing on Friday, March 10. The second deadline is next week so there could be a similar amount of bills being heard. <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Monday</h2> Veterans Affairs Division <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>HF 1563 (Rosenthal): This bill provides a grant to Equine Innovations to provide equine therapy to Veterans dealing with the effects of trauma and PTSD from their military service. The bill was approved and re-referred to State Government Finance.</li> <li>HF 1682 (Bliss): Provides funding for the Veterans’ Voices radio programming. The produced programs will tell the stories of Veterans experiences in the Korean War and Operation Desert Storm. The bill was passed and re-referred to State Government Finance.</li> <li>HF 1892 (Howe): This bill extends the current misdemeanor offense of impersonating a military officer to impersonating any member of the military or a veteran. This bill was passed and re-referred to Public Safety and Security.</li> <li>HFs 1348 (Maye Quade)/1799 (Rosenthal): These identical bills increase the past military experience tax credit to $1,000 and increase the income level at which the credit begins to phase-out from $30,000 to $50,000 with no credit allowed for incomes of $60,000 or higher.</li> </ul> Property Tax and Local Government <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>HF 1059 (Howe): This legislation would eliminate the annual application for recipients of the homestead exclusion. It was laid over for possible inclusion in the tax bill.</li> <li>HF 1096 (Maye Quade): This bill would eliminate the eight year limitation of the disabled Veterans homestead exclusion for the spouse after the death of the Veteran. It was laid over for possible inclusion in the tax bill.</li> </ul> Legacy <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>HF 232 (Dettmer): This bill would provide money for facility improvement at the Veterans Rest Camp and Camp Legionville. It was laid over for possible inclusion in the Legacy bill.</li> <li>HF 647 (Dettmer): This legislation provides money to Twin Cities Public Television to help produce the Vietnam: Minnesota Remembers project. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in the Legacy bill.</li> <li>HF 667 (Daniels): This bill would provide funding to help complete the Veterans memorial in Faribault. It was laid over for possible inclusion in the Legacy bill.</li> </ul> <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Tuesday</h2> On Tuesday, the House Civil Law committee heard HF 1209 authored by Rep. Tony Cornish. This bill would require businesses to disclose to Veterans that they may be able to receive the same services at no-charge from Veterans Service Organizations. It would also create a $1,000 fine for law violators. It was approved and re-referred to Commerce and Regulatory Reform. <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Wednesday</h2> State Government Finance <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>HF 965 (Maye Quade): This bill seeks to place a plaque in the Court of Honor on the Capitol grounds to honor all Minnesota Veterans who served both at home and abroad during World War I. The current plaque in the Court of Honor only honors those who served abroad. The bill was approved and re-referred to the Rules and Legislative Administration committee.</li> <li>HF 1438 (Bliss): This bill would provide money for Veterans Journey Home. This organization helps low-to-moderate income Veterans and their families find affordable and permanent housing. It was laid over for possible inclusion in the State Government Finance bill.</li> <li>HF 1563 (Rosenthal): This is the same bill that was heard on Monday in the Veterans Affairs Division to provide a grant for equine therapy for Veterans dealing with the effects of trauma and PTSD. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in the State Government Finance bill.</li> </ul> <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Thursday</h2> Veterans and Military Affairs <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>SF 450 (Abeler): This bill seeks to give military members, disabled Veterans and Purple Heart recipients, along with their dependents free annual state park passes. It was approved and re-referred to the Environment and Natural Resources Finance committee.</li> <li>SF 861 (Newton): This bill would extend and increase the credit for the homestead exclusion. It would allow Veterans that have a temporary 100% service connected disability to qualify for the maximum benefit, instead of just total and permanent disabled Veterans. It also increases the maximum benefit to $400,000. It was passed and re-referred to the tax committee.</li> <li>SF 1596 (P. Anderson): This is the companion bill to Rep. Bliss’ HF 1682 which was heard on Monday in the Veterans Affairs Division. It was laid over for possible inclusion in the Veterans and Military Affairs budget bill.</li> <li>SF 1694 (Ruud): This bill would designate June 29 as General John Vessey Day in Minnesota to honor the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. It was passed and re-referred to the Senate floor.</li> <li>SF 1700 (B. Anderson): This is the companion bill to Rep. Howe’s HF 1892 that was heard on Monday in the Veterans Affairs Division. It was passed and re-referred to the Judiciary and Public Safety committee.</li> <li>SF 1703 (Mathews): This bill would designate July 16 as Atomic Veterans Day. It was passed and re-referred to the Senate floor.</li> <li>SF 1862 (Fischbach): This bill expands the list of uses of funds from the “Support Our Troops” account to include reimbursing the Department of Veterans Affairs for uncompensated burial costs for eligible dependents for whom the Commissioner waives all or a portion of the State Veterans Cemetery burial fee. It also instructs MDVA to develop a policy, eligibility standards, and application forms for requests to waive or reduce eligible dependent burial fees. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in the Veterans and Military Affairs budget bill.</li> </ul> Senate State Government Finance and Elections <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>SF 106 (Clausen): This is the companion to Rep. Maye Quade’s HF 965 heard on Wednesday in State Government Finance. It was passed and re-referred to the Senate floor.</li> <li>SF 1130 (Newton): The bill would establish Veterans Preference in hiring practices at the legislature and state courts. It was passed and re-referred Judiciary and Public Safety.</li> </ul> <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Friday</h2> Veterans Affairs Division <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>HF 2164 (Howe): This is the companion bill to Sen. Fischbach’s SF 1862. It was passed and re-referred to State Government Finance.</li> <li>HF 2011 (Lueck): This is the companion bill SF 1694 from Sen. Ruud to establish a General John Vessey day in Minnesota. It was approved and re-referred to the House Floor.</li> <li>HF 2276 (Poston): This is the companion to Sen. Mathews SF 1703 which would designate July 16 as Atomic Veterans Day. It was passed and re-referred to the House floor.</li> </ul> <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Next Week</h2> On Monday, the House Veterans Affairs Division will meet in Room 5 of the State Office Building at 1 p.m. On Tuesday, the House State Government Finance committee will hear HF 2164 in Room 10 of the State Office Building at 1 p.m. On Wednesday, the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Finance committee will hear SF 450 in Room 1150 of the Minnesota Senate Building at 10:30am. On Thursday, the Senate Veterans and Military Affairs committee will meet at 8:30am in Room 1100 of the Minnesota Senate Building. The House Public Safety and Security committee will also meet and hear HF 1892 in Room 10 of the State Office Building at 10:15 a.m. More Veterans related bills are likely to be added to agendas with the 2nd deadline scheduled for Friday, March 17th.2835202017-03-10T23:15:53ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307<Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Al Franken280566Sen. Franken Seeks Entrants to Poetry Contest for Minnesota Students2017-03-09-franken-poetry-contest<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-283276" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2017-03-09T15:00:00ZIn recognition of the Month of the Military Child and National Poetry Month in April, U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) announced that he is hosting his sixth annual poetry contest for Minnesota students. The theme of this year's contest is "Celebrating the Veteran in My Life."1066In recognition of the Month of the Military Child and National Poetry Month in April, U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) announced that he is hosting his sixth annual poetry contest for Minnesota students. The theme of this year's contest is "Celebrating the Veteran in My Life." “There are thousands of students all across Minnesota who have seen or experienced the sacrifices Veterans and their families have made for our country,” Sen. Franken said. “Some of them are children of current service members, while others know men and women who have served. This poetry contest will allow students to honor those Veterans and to put into their own words what those sacrifices have meant to them.” The contest is open to all students in Minnesota grades K-12, with three age categories: Kindergarten to 5th grade; 6th to 8th grades; and 9th to 12th grades. Students can celebrate any Veteran or active military member, including a relative, family friend, or neighbor who has had a positive impact on their lives. Winners will be chosen in each age category. Those selected will receive an invitation to attend a reception at Sen. Franken’s St. Paul office. Guests include Sen. Franken; and honorary judges; Minnesota Poet Laureate Joyce Sutphen; Minnesota National Guard Major General Rick Nash; Minnesota National Guard Brigadier General Sandra Best, and Minnesota Education Commissioner Brenda Cassellius. Top winning poems in each category will be framed and displayed in Sen. Franken’s offices in St. Paul or Washington, D.C. The overall winner in each age group will receive an autographed book by famed Minnesota author Garrison Keillor. If you or someone you know wishes to participate in Sen. Franken’s poetry contest, please submit a poem by April 21, 2017 to <a title="Email: poetry@franken.senate.gov" href="mailto:poetry@franken.senate.gov">poetry@franken.senate.gov</a> or by mail to: Office of Sen. Al Franken c/o ‘Poetry Contest’ 60 Plato Boulevard East, Suite 220 St. Paul, MN 55107 Participants may submit only one poem, no longer than 250 words. Each entry must include the name of the child, the parent/guardian’s name, a phone number, and the name of the child’s school. Please clearly indicate the participant’s age category. ### Source: franken.senate.gov2832762019-03-19T13:48:50ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307<Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Title>Weekly State Update - March 32017-03-03-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-282520" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2017-03-03T23:23:47ZThere were 15 bills heard in five different committees this week at the legislature. With deadlines approaching that number could grow over the next couple weeks.1066<h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">This Week </h2> Veterans Affairs Division The committee heard four bills related to Veterans: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>HF 1223 (Poston): This bill adjusts language regarding military and Veteran eligibility to receive permits to state parks and permits to hunt and fish without fees. Provides eligible service members and Veterans with free annual park permits. Eliminates fee and license requirements for certain active military personnel, recently discharged Veterans, and disabled Veterans for various types of hunting and fishing. Peter Hark from the DNR testified on this bill. It was approved and re-referred to Government Operations. </li> <li>HF 1318 (Poston): This bill would establish Veterans Preference in hiring practices at the legislature and state courts. Basically, it would extend the practice adopted by state agencies to the rest of state government. It was approved and re-referred to State Government Finance. </li> <li>HF 1597 (Howe): This legislation would prohibit burial fees for spouses and dependents of eligible Veterans at State Veterans Cemeteries. MDVA spoke in opposition to the bill because it would create uncertainty in finances. The author said that he would have an amendment in the next committee that could alleviate those concerns. There was questioning about practices about waiving the burial fee for certain cases. The bill was passed and re-referred to State Government Finance.</li> <li>HFs 1438 and 1526 (Bliss): These bills were heard simultaneously because they are identical. They seek to fund money for the Veterans Journey Home program which would support affordable housing dedicated to low-to-moderate income Veterans and their families. Both bills were passed and re-referred to State Government Finance.</li> </ul> The House Property Tax and Local Government Finance Division heard HF 910 authored by Rep. Hilstrom. This bill would extend and increase the credit for the homestead exclusion. It would allow Veterans that have a temporary 100% service connected disability to qualify for the maximum benefit, instead of just total and permanent disabled Veterans. It also increases the maximum benefit to $400,000. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in the tax bill. The Senate Local Government Committee heard Sen. Dahms' HF 375. This bill would allow counties to build Veterans memorials in any part of the county. Current law says that memorials must be built in the county seat. The bill was approved and now awaits a vote on the Senate floor. The Senate Taxes committee heard SFs 71, 84 and 205. They are bills that all deal with the homestead market exclusion. They were all passed and re-referred to the Tax Committee. SF205 authored by Sen. Chuck Wiger eliminates the eight-year limit on the spouse of a diseased Veteran use of the exclusion until the spouse sells, transfers or disposes of the property. Sen. Andrew Lang is the author SF84 ends that same limit and it also makes the exclusion available to surviving spouses who meet certain conditions. Finally, SF71 authored by Sen. Greg Clausen establishes a sliding-scale formula so the amount of the exclusion that a disabled Veteran can take is $300,000 times the Veteran's disability rating percentage. For instance, a Veteran with an 80% service connected disability would receive $240,000. The bills were all laid over for possible inclusion in the Senate tax bill. Veterans and Military Affairs The committee heard five bills of interest to Veterans on Thursday: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>SF 76 (Clausen): This bill would increase the income level at which the credit begins to phase-out from $30,000 to $50,000, with no credit allowed for incomes of $57,500 or higher. It would also expand eligibility by extending the credit to all disabled veterans who have a compensable service connected disability. This is a part of the Governor’s Tax bill recommendations. It was passed and re-referred to Taxes.</li> <li>SF 1209 (B. Anderson): The bill requires businesses to disclose to Veterans that they may be able to receive the same services at no-charge from Veterans Service Organizations. It would also create a $1,000 fine for violators of the law. The bill was passed and re-referred to Judiciary and Public Safety.</li> <li>SF 1130 (Newton): The bill would establish Veterans Preference in hiring practices at the legislature and state courts. It was passed and re-referred to State Government Finance.</li> <li>SF 568 (Nelson): The bill provides a class rate reduction from 1.5% to 1.0% for property of non-profit community service organizations that are owned or operated by congressionally chartered Veterans’ organizations. The commissioner of Veterans Affairs must provide a list of congressionally chartered Veterans organizations. The decreased rate will be effective for taxes assessed in 2017 and payable in 2018. The bill was approved and re-referred to Taxes.</li> <li>SF 1541 (Schoen): This bill increases the tax credit for past military service from $750 to $1,000 and increases the income level at which the tax credit begins to phase out from $30,000 to $50,000. The bill was passed and re-referred to Taxes.</li> </ul> <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Next week</h2> The House Property Tax and Local Government Finance Division will hear two Veterans bills. The meeting is scheduled for Monday, March 6 at 10 a.m. in the Basement Hearing Room of the State Office Building: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>HF 1059 (Howe): Disabled Veterans homestead exclusion annual application requirement eliminated.</li> <li>HF 1096 (Maye Quade): Spousal benefit under the disabled Veterans homestead exclusion extended to surviving spouses of Veterans with a 70 percent disability rating or higher, and eight year limitation on the spousal benefit eliminated</li> </ul> The House Veterans Affairs Division will meet on Monday, March 6 at 1 p.m. in Room 5 of the State Office Building and will hear six bills: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>HF1348 (Maye Quade): Past military service credit expanded.</li> <li>HF1563 (Rosenthal): Equine Innovations grant provided for its Veteran horsepower program to provide equine therapy to Veterans suffering from trauma and PTSD, and money appropriated.</li> <li>HF 1682 (Bliss): Veterans' Voice radio programming funding provided, and money appropriated.</li> <li>HF 1799 (Rosenthal): Past military service credit modified.</li> <li>HF 1892 (Howe): Military member clarified, and Veterans added to offense of impersonation.</li> <li>HF 1893 (Howe): Military pay and military retirement pay subtractions extended to military technicians.</li> </ul> Also on Monday at 1 p.m., the House Legacy Finance Committee will meet in Room 10 of the State Office Building and will hear two Veterans related bills: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>HF 232 (Dettmer): Veterans Rest Camp and Camp Legionville facility improvement funding provided, and money appropriated.</li> <li>HF 647: Vietnam: Minnesota Remembers project public television funding provided, and money appropriated.</li> </ul> On Wednesday, the House State Government Finance Committee will hear four Veterans related bills. They meet in Room 10 of the State Office Building at 1 p.m.: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>HF 965 (Maye Quade): Capitol grounds plaque placement authorized in the court of honor to honor all Minnesota Veterans who served in the United States armed forces during World War I.</li> <li>HF 1438 (Bliss): Veterans Journey Home grant funding provided, and money appropriated.</li> <li>HF 1527 (Bliss): Support Our Troops account money use modified.</li> <li>HF 1563 (Rosenthal): Equine Innovations grant provided for its Veteran horsepower program to provide equine therapy to Veterans suffering from trauma and PTSD, and money appropriated.</li> </ul> More Veterans related legislation will likely to be added to committee agendas. See the <a target="_self" title="State Bill Tracker" href="/mdva/news/legislative-updates/state-bill-tracker/index.jsp" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:title="010-State-Bill-Tracker-Intro">state bill tracker</a> for more information regarding all of these bills. NOTE: Next Friday, March 10th is the first committee deadline at the legislature. <a target="_blank" title="Deadlines" href="https://www.leg.state.mn.us/leg/deadlines">For more information regarding deadlines click here</a>.2825202026-05-08T15:59:05ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307<Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Federal268310VA Healthcare268706HVAC to Examine VA Choice Program2017-03-03-hvac-to-examine-va-choice-program<tcdl:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-282519" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2017-03-03T21:00:00ZWASHINGTON, D.C. — On Tuesday, March 7, 2017, at 7:30 p.m. the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, chaired by Rep. Phil Roe, M.D., will hold a hearing entitled, “Shaping the Future: Consolidating and Improving VA Community Care.” This hearing will examine the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Choice Program and the future of VA community care programs, authorities and budget impact. 1066WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Tuesday, March 7, 2017, at 7:30 p.m. the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, chaired by Rep. Phil Roe, M.D., will hold a hearing entitled, “Shaping the Future: Consolidating and Improving VA Community Care.” This hearing will examine the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Choice Program and the future of VA community care programs, authorities and budget impact. The following event is open to the press: WHO: House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs WHAT: “Shaping the Future: Consolidating and Improving VA Community Care” (<del>https://veterans.house.gov/hearings/shaping-future-consolidating-and-improving-va-community-care</del> link expired) WHEN: 6:30 p.m. Central Time, Tuesday, March 7, 2017 WHERE: 334 Cannon House Office Building and streaming at <a target="_blank" title="Veterans.House.gov" href="https://veterans.house.gov/">veterans.house.gov</a> WITNESS LIST The Honorable John McCain U.S. Senate Arizona The Honorable David J. Shulkin M.D. Secretary U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Accompanied by: Baligh Yehia M.D. Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Community Care Veterans Health Administration U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs The Honorable Michael J. Missal Inspector General Office of the Inspector General U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Randy Williamson Director, Health Care Government Accountability Office Statement for the Record The American Legion Disabled American Veterans Paralyzed Veterans of America ### For more news from the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, please visit: <a target="_blank" title="Veterans.House.gov" href="https://veterans.house.gov/">Veterans.House.gov</a>2825192017-11-03T14:00:38ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307<Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Federal268310Al Franken280566Sen. Franken Spotlights Veterans: Hosts VFW State Commander Joe Mauricio at Tonight’s Presidential Address and Helps Introduce New Bill to Strengthen Education Support for Minnesota Troops and Veterans2017-03-01-franken-spotlights-veterans<tcdl:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-282161" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2017-03-01T02:00:00ZNew Legislation Includes Portions of Sen. Franken’s Bill to Help Bring Hard-Earned Benefits to Guardsmen & Reservists Who Were Deployed to Dangerous Areas1066Senator Al Franken said that he is putting the pressure on lawmakers in Washington to stand up for American servicemembers and Veterans who are put in harm's way to defend our freedoms. Ahead of tonight's Presidential address to Congress, where Sen. Franken is hosting Minnesota VFW State Commander Joe Mauricio, the Senator helped introduce a comprehensive package of legislation that includes portions of a bill he originally wrote to support National Guardsmen and Reservists who served in dangerous areas, but after returning, never received critical education benefits. In one case, for example, several Minnesota Guardsmen who deployed to the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt were denied GI Bill benefits when they got back home. The Educational Development (ED) for Troops and Veterans Act will provide education benefits to service members who often have to leave behind schools, jobs, and homes to serve their country. "The men and women who serve our country put their lives on the line to defend our freedom, and for their duty, we owe them a debt of gratitude," said Sen. Franken. "We also owe them the best possible benefits and services once they come home. This important bill, which includes a priority of mine to support Guardsmen and Reservists who served in dangerous areas, will help make sure that Veterans in Minnesota and across the country can access critical education support and career training. It needs to be passed into law." The ED for Troops and Veterans Act will do five things: Provide protections and benefits for members of the National Guard and Reserve who deploy. This proposal will help those stepping away from their career to serve their country. The bill will protect them from reduced wages or even termination from their job. And it makes sure that National Guard and Reserve members receive the same GI Bill education benefits as their active duty counterparts for time deployed overseas, which is a provision based on a bill that Sen. Franken wrote. Allow service members to defer student loan payments during training for an upcoming deployment. Service members train for months before a deployment, and often have to relocate to do so. These folks shouldn't face financial hardship due to their student loan payments while serving our country and they should be completely freed up to focus on readiness requirements prior to deployment. Establish a grant program to build, maintain and improve college veteran education centers. A number of benefits and resources exist for student veterans, but for many it's a complicated system that's hard to navigate. Veteran education centers help student veterans maximize their benefits, receive academic aid, and connect with their peers on campus. Keep tuition assistance for members of the National Guard and Reserve competitive. The cost of college tuition is increasing by the year, and GI Bill tuition assistance for Guardsmen and Reservists shouldn't continue to lose its value. Protect Reservists' monthly housing allowance during training. Reservists have to commit to a number of training days a month to maintain readiness. This provision will correct a discrepancy that denies Reservists who train on active duty status from receiving the full housing allowance to which they should be entitled. Many of these Reservists are students who greatly rely on this allowance while furthering their education. The bill is supported by Student Veterans of America, Veterans Education Success, Reserve Officers Association, Retired Enlisted Association, Vietnam Veterans of America, Wounded Warrior Foundation, and the National Guard Association of the United States.2821612017-03-01T18:57:22ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307Bipartisan Bill to Help Homeless Students in Minnesota Access HousingengFederal268310Al Franken280566Veteran Homelessness281863Erik Paulsen281861Keith Ellison281862Federal Legislation273155Congress270623Sen. Franken, Reps. Ellison & Paulsen Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Help Homeless Students in Minnesota Access Housing2017-02-27-sen-franken-reps-ellison-paulsen-introduce-bipartisan-bill<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-281864" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2017-02-27T14:00:00ZLegislation Would Close Loophole That Prevents Students & Student Veterans from Qualifying for Low-Income Housing1066Senator Al Franken and Reps. Keith Ellison and Erik Paulsen have introduced a bipartisan measure to help make sure that Minnesota students who have faced homelessness can put a roof over their heads while they pursue an education. This commonsense bill, the Housing for Homeless Students Act, would close a loophole that prevents many full-time college students. including student Veterans, from qualifying for affordable rental housing. "Too many young people and veterans in Minnesota and across the country can't focus on their education because they don't know where they're going to sleep at night," said Sen. Franken, a member of the Senate Education Committee. "Nobody should have to face that kind of crisis-especially during a Minnesota winter. Our bipartisan bill will help address this problem by allowing full-time students who have experienced homelessness to qualify for a key rental affordability tax credit." "We shouldn't be asking our children to decide between a home and a better future," said Rep. Ellison. "These at-risk kids want to go to school. We should be encouraging their desire to do so by opening the door to education, opportunity, and a better way of life." "The rigors of being a full-time student are challenging enough without also facing the difficulties of nowhere to call home, which is something no young person or veteran, especially after serving our country, should have to deal with in Minnesota," said Rep. Paulsen. "This bipartisan effort fixes a harmful, counterproductive loophole that prevents these students from being able to pursue an education, career, and better life. These are people who are looking to lift themselves up, and this commonsense initiative will help them do so." The Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) Program provides a reduction in tax liability for developers that build or rehabilitate affordable rental housing units. LIHTC has been used successfully to build properties intended to house individuals and families who experience homelessness. However, current law does not allow tenants, including homeless and formerly homeless individuals, to be full-time students. The bill, introduced by Sens. Franken and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) in the Senate and by Reps. Ellison and Paulsen in the House of Representatives, would fix that problem by allowing full-time students who experience or have recently experienced homelessness to become eligible-or retain eligibility-for LIHTC housing. 2818642018-10-16T14:36:53ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307Weekly State Update - Feb. 24, 2017engState268309State Senate Veterans and Military Affairs - Policy and Finance Committee268730State House Veterans Affairs Division268729Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621Weekly State Update - Feb. 24, 20172017-02-24-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-281720" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2017-02-24T22:51:43ZThree committees heard seven Veterans related bills this past week. There will be at least 15 Veterans related bills heard in committees next week at the legislature.1066Three committees heard seven Veterans related bills this past week. There will be at least 15 Veterans related bills heard in committees next week at the legislature. On Monday, the House Veterans Affairs Division heard the following five bills: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>HF 936: Rep. Rob Ecklund presented his bill that would modify the lottery for bear-hunting permits when there is a limit on who can hunt in a specified area determined by the DNR Commissioner. The bill requires that one permit be reserved with first preference given to a resident of a Minnesota Veterans Home. The bill was passed and re-referred to Environment and Natural Resources.</li> <li>HF 965: This bill seeks to place a plaque in the Court of Honor on the Capitol grounds to honor all Minnesota Veterans who served both at home and abroad during World War I. The current plaque in the Court of Honor only honors those who served abroad. Rep. Erin Maye Quade is the author. This is the companion bill to SF 106 which was heard in the Senate Veterans and Military Affairs committee on February 9, 2017.</li> <li>HF 1096: Rep. Maye Quade also authored this legislation. This bill would eliminate the eight year limitation of the disabled Veterans homestead exclusion for the spouse after the death of the Veteran. It was passed and re-referred to the Tax committee.</li> <li>HF 1109: This bill would provide state funding for the building and operation of Veterans homes in Montevideo and Bemidji. Rep. Tim Miller is the author of this bill. The bill was approved and re-referred to State Government Finance.</li> <li>HF 1209: Rep. Tony Cornish is the author of this bill that would require businesses to disclose to Veterans that they may be able to receive the same services at no-charge from Veterans Service Organizations. It would also create a $1,000 fine for violators of the law. The bill was approved and re-referred to Civil Law.</li> </ul> The House State Government Finance committee heard Rep. Dettmer's HF 505. This bill would provide funding to the Veterans Defense Project. The Veterans Defense Project must use the money to support education, outreach and legal assistance for Veterans who are involved with the criminal justice system. It was laid over for possible inclusion in the State Government Finance bill. The Senate Veterans and Military Affairs committee heard two bills on Thursday: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>SF 693 is authored by Sen. John Jasinski (Navy Veteran). This bill would fund the completion for the Rice County Veterans Memorial in Faribault. It is the companion bill to HF 667. The bill was approved and re-referred to the Environment and Natural Resources and Legacy Finance committee.</li> <li>Chair Bruce Anderson presented SF 1133 which would appropriate a $700,000 grant to Veterans Journey Home which must use the money to support the development of new or rehabbed affordable housing dedicated for lower income Veterans and their families. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in the Veterans and Military Affairs Finance bill.</li> </ul> Next week the House Property Tax Division will meet on Monday, Feb. 27 at 10 a.m. in Room 5 of the State Office Building. It will hear HF 910. This legislation would allow an extension and increase to the maximum exclusion for the disabled Veterans homestead credit. The House Veterans Affairs Division will meet on Monday, Feb. 27, 2017, at 1 p.m. in Room 5 of the State Office Building. The following bills are on the agenda: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>HF 1223: Military and Veteran eligibility requirements for permits and licenses modified.</li> <li>HF 1318: Veterans preference in hiring in the legislature and state courts established.</li> <li>HF 1597: State Veterans cemetery burial fee for spouses and dependents of eligible Veterans removed.</li> <li>HF 1438: Veterans Journey Home grant funding provided, and money appropriated.</li> <li>HF 1526: Veterans Journey Home grant funding provided, and money appropriated.</li> <li>HF 1527: Support Our Troops account money use modified.</li> </ul> The Senate Committee on Taxes will hear the following bills at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, March 1, 2017 in Room 15 of the State Capitol: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>SF 84: Disabled Veterans homestead valuation exclusion benefit eligibility extension to surviving spouse.</li> <li>SF 71: Disabled Veterans homestead property tax exclusion modification.</li> <li>SF 205: Homestead valuation exclusion for disabled Veterans modification.</li> </ul> The Senate Veterans and Military Affairs Committee will meet on Thursday, March 2, 2017 at 8:30 a.m. in Room 1100 of the Minnesota Senate Building. The following bills are on the agenda: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>SF 568: Congressionally chartered Veterans organizations reduced class property tax rate authorization.</li> <li>SF 76: Past military service income tax credit exemption increase and expansion.</li> <li>SF 1316: Support Our Troops account money uses modification.</li> <li>SF 1209: Veterans benefits services disclosure requirements authorization and disclosure statement establishment.</li> <li>SF 1130: Veterans hiring preference establishment on the legislature and state courts.</li> </ul> More information regarding these bills will be available on the <a target="_self" title="010-State-Bill-Tracker-Intro" href="/mdva/news/legislative-updates/state-bill-tracker/index.jsp" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:title="010-State-Bill-Tracker-Intro">State Bill Tracker</a>.2817202026-05-08T15:59:04ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307<Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>State268309State House Veterans Affairs Division268729State Senate Veterans and Military Affairs - Policy and Finance Committee268730Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621Weekly State Update - Feb. 17. 20172017-02-17-weekly-state-update<tcdl:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-281126" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2017-02-17T23:00:00ZThis week 11 Veterans related pieces of legislation were heard in five committees throughout the legislature. And another bill was approved by the full House of Representatives.1066This week 11 Veterans related pieces of legislation were heard in five committees throughout the legislature. And another bill was approved by the full House of Representatives. On Monday, the House of Representatives met in full to consider HF 375 authored by Rep. Chris Swedzinski. This bill would authorize counties place a Veterans memorial anywhere in the county. Current law says that Veterans memorials have to be built in the county seat. The final vote was 125-0. The Senate will now need to act on this bill before it heads to the Governor. The Veterans Affairs Division also met on Monday and considered five bills: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>HF 1059: Authored by Rep. Jeff Howe, this legislation would eliminate the annual application for recipients of the homestead exclusion. It was approved and re-referred to the tax committee.</li> <li>HF910: Authored by Rep. Debra Hilstrom, this bill would extend and increase the credit for the homestead exclusion. It would allow Veterans that have a temporary 100% service connected disability to qualify for the maximum benefit, instead of just total and permanent disabled Veterans. It also increases the maximum benefit to $400,000. It was passed and re-referred to the tax committee.</li> <li>HF 728: This bill is also authored by Rep. Hilstrom. It is intended to be a bill that fills in the gaps for Veterans services. It provides more funding for Veterans courts, honor guards, mental health and substance abuse treatment, domestic abuse prevention and funding to prevent homelessness among Veterans. It also provides a tax credit for Veterans who are on a waiting list in one or more Minnesota Veterans homes and living in a nursing home for up to $30,000. The bill was passed and re-referred to State Government Finance.</li> <li>HF 79: Rep. Greg Davids is the author for this legislation that would give approval and begin the steps to build a new Minnesota Veterans Home in Fillmore County. It was approved and re-referred to State Government Finance.</li> <li>HF 755: This bill would authorize $250,000 in funding for the Minnesota Medal of Honor memorial on the Capitol grounds. Rep. Dettmer is the author. The bill was approved and re-referred to State Government Finance.</li> </ul> The House Tax committee heard HF 16 which is authored by Rep. Sheldon Johnson. This bill would expand the eligibility for past military service. This bill would increase the income level at which the credit begins to phase-out from $30,000 to $50,000, with no credit allowed for incomes of $57,500 or higher. It would also expand eligibility by extending the credit to all disabled veterans who have a compensable service connected disability. It was laid over for possible inclusion in the omnibus tax bill. The Senate Environment and Natural Resources Policy and Legacy Finance committee heard SF 706 authored by Sen. Michelle Benson. This bill would appropriate money for the Minnesota Humanities Center for their programming including Veterans' Voices. It was laid over for possible inclusion in the Legacy bill. The House Commerce and Regulatory Reform committee heard HF 368 by Rep. Matt Bliss. It seeks to protect Veterans from entering into an agreement with a lender that seeks to use Veterans benefits as payment that violates federal law. Essentially, this bill gives the State of Minnesota an enforcement mechanism for a federal law to protect Veterans from getting scammed. The bill was passed and re-referred to the Civil Law committee. The Senate Veterans and Military Affairs committee heard three Veterans related bills: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>SF 450 seeks to give military and disabled Veterans free state park passes. The bill was tabled for future consideration by the committee. This is the companion bill to HF 685 which had already been approved by the House Veterans Affairs Division and awaits action in Environment and Natural Resources.</li> <li>SF 484 is a Veterans jobs tax credit. It would give employers incentive to hire either unemployed Veterans or disabled Veterans. There were amendments to give the credit to companies that hire a Veteran who is eligible for unemployment insurance, rather than collecting UI and expand it to homeless Veterans that are on the homeless Veteran registry that is administered by MDVA. This is the companion to HF 270 which has already been laid over for possible inclusion in the omnibus tax bill. The House did not have similar amendments to expand the scope of the bill. There are about 200 Veterans on that list throughout the state. The bill was approved and re-referred to Senate Taxes. </li> <li>The last bill was SF 325. This would exempt permanent 100% service connected disabled Veterans from certain fees and taxes related to vehicles including wheelage tax, tab fees, plate fees but excludes personalized plates, vehicle titles and transfers and the motor vehicle sales tax. The bill was passed and re-referred to Transportation Finance. </li> </ul> Next week the House Veterans Affairs Division will hear five bills on Monday at 1pm in Room 5 of the State Office Building. The bills that are scheduled are HFs 936, 965, 1096, 1109 and 1209. On Thursday the House State Government Finance committee will hear HF 505 at 1pm in Room 10 of the State Office Building. The Senate Veterans and Military Affairs committee will meet at 8:30am in Room 1100 of the Minnesota Senate Building. More Veterans related legislation will likely to be added to committee agendas.2811262017-02-20T03:29:38ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307<Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Federal268310Congress270623VA Benefits268707VA Healthcare268706Al Franken280566Sen. Franken’s Statement on Unanimous Confirmation of David Shulkin as Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary2017-02-14-sen-frankens-statement-on-david-shulkin<tcdl:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-280567" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2017-02-14T20:27:08ZU.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) released the following statement on the Monday evening Senate confirmation of David Shulkin to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs.1066U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) released the following statement on the Monday evening Senate confirmation of David Shulkin to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. "On Monday evening, my Senate colleagues and I unanimously confirmed David Shulkin to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. While I’m disheartened by many of the President’s cabinet picks, I’m glad that we could find some common ground to support our veterans. We have a responsibility and obligation to take care of the men and women who have served our nation, and I look forward to working with VA Secretary Shulkin to make sure veterans have access to the care they need and deserve. We must help our veterans find a home and a job, recover from physical and psychological wounds, and take full advantage of the benefits they were promised when they enlisted. "I’m committed to working with Secretary Shulkin to fulfill that promise and make sure veterans receive the benefits they’ve earned with their service as well as the sacrifices of families in Minnesota and across the country.” 2805672017-02-14T20:28:15ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307<Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>State268309Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621State Senate Veterans and Military Affairs - Policy and Finance Committee268730State House Veterans Affairs Division268729Weekly State Update - Feb. 10, 20172017-02-10-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-280036" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2017-02-10T22:00:00ZThere were 14 Veteran related bills heard in four committees over this past week as committees have been moving towards working on more legislation.1066<h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">House of Representatives</h2> The Veterans Affairs Division heard seven bills on Monday: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>HF 16 expands the eligibility for past military service. This bill would increase the income level at which the credit begins to phase-out from $30,000 to $50,000, with no credit allowed for incomes of $57,500 or higher. It would also expand eligibility by extending the credit to all disabled veterans who have a compensable service connected disability. Rep. Sheldon Johnson is authoring this bill. It was passed and re-referred to Taxes.</li> <li>Rep. Johnson also authored HF 17 which would exempt Veterans who are at least 30 percent disabled from paying the motor vehicle registration tax. The bill also extends the current exemption to any car owned by the disabled Veteran. It was approved and re-referred to Transportation Finance.</li> <li>Rep. Johnson's last bill was HF 51. This is a companion to Sen. Greg Clausen's SF 71 that was heard last week in Veterans and Military Affairs. This bill would establish a sliding-scale formula so the amount of the exclusion that a disabled Veteran can take is $300,000 times the Veteran's disability rating percentage. For instance, a Veteran with an 80% service connected disability would receive $240,000. It was passed and re-referred to the tax committee.</li> <li>HF 505 is the companion to SF 394 that would appropriate a $700,000 grant to the Veterans Defense Project. The Veterans Defense Project must use the money to support education, outreach and legal assistance for Veterans who are involved with the criminal justice system. Rep. Bob Dettmer is the author. The bill was passed and re-referred to State Government Finance.</li> <li>HF 647 is also authored by Rep. Dettmer. It is very similar to HF 127 which would provide money to Twin Cities Public Television (TPT) to share the costs in producing a documentary about Vietnam Era Veterans. The difference in this bill is that it would use money dedicated from Legacy funding. It was passed and re-referred to the Legacy committee.</li> <li>HF 667 authored by Rep. Brian Daniels would provide funding for a Veterans memorial in Faribault. It was passed and re-referred to Legacy.</li> <li>HF 685 allows 100 percent disabled veterans, and current military members of the active and reserve components and their dependents, to receive free annual passes to the state’s parks. Current law entitles active military members and 100 percent disabled veterans to receive free one-day park permits. Rep. Mark Uglem is the author. The bill was passed and re-referred to the Environment and Natural Resources committee.</li> <li style="list-style: none"> </li> </ul> <div style="list-style: outside none none;" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> The Tax Committee: </div> <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>The Tax Committee heard Rep. Keith Franke's HF 270. This bill would provide a tax credit to employers who hire disabled or unemployed Veterans. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in the tax bill.</li> <li style="list-style: none"> </li> </ul> <div style="list-style: outside none none;" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> The Property Tax Division: </div> <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>The Property Tax division heard HFs 119 and 555. These are both authored by Rep. Bob Dettmer. HF 119 would make the Homestead Exclusion permanent for surviving spouses of Veterans. It would also make the application to receive the exclusion available for the surviving spouse for up to two years after the death of a Veteran spouse. HF 555 seeks to give Congressionally chartered Veteran Service Organizations a reduced property tax rate of about 33%. This would lower the tax burden on American Legion and VFW posts, among others around the state. Both bills were laid over for possible inclusion in an omnibus property tax bill.</li> </ul> <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Senate</h2> The Veterans and Military Affairs Committee heard four bills on Thursday: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>SF 620 is authored by Sen. Gary Dahms. It would allow counties to build Veteran memorials in any part of the county. Current law says that memorials must be built in the county seat. The bill was approved and re-referred to the Local Government committee.</li> <li>Sen. Karin Housley presented SF 135. This legislation would provide money for facility improvement at the Veterans Rest Camp and Camp Legionville. This bill is a companion to Rep. Dettmer's HF 232. It was approved and re-referred to the Environment and Natural Resources Policy and Legacy Finance committee.</li> <li>SF 106 seeks to place a plaque in the Court of Honor on the Capitol grounds to honor all Minnesota Veterans who served both at home and abroad during World War I. The current plaque in the Court of Honor only honors those who served abroad. Sen. Greg Clausen is the author of this bill. The plaque is expected to be paid through private funds. The bill was passed and re-referred to State Government Finance and Elections.</li> <li>SF 327 is a bill to protect Veterans from entering into an agreement with a lender that seeks to use Veterans benefits as payment that violates federal law. Essentially, this bill gives the State of Minnesota an enforcement mechanism for a federal law to protect Veterans from getting scammed. Chairman Bruce Anderson is carrying this bill. It was passed and re-referred to the Judiciary and Public Safety committee.</li> </ul> <h2 xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Next week</h2> The House Veterans Affairs Division is scheduled to hear five bills. They include HFs 79, 728, 755, 910 and 1059. <a title="State Bill Tracker" href="/mdva/news/legislative-updates/state-bill-tracker/index.jsp" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:title="010-State-Bill-Tracker-Intro">See the state bill tracker to learn about these bills</a>. This committee will meet on Monday, February 13th at 1pm in room 5 of the State Office Building. The House Tax committee will hear HF 16 which is mentioned above. The committee will hear this bill on Wednesday at 10:15 a.m. in room 200 of the State Office Building. The Senate Veterans and Military Affairs committee will meet at 8:30 a.m. in room 1100 of the Minnesota Senate Building on Thursday, February 16. The agenda has yet to be released.2800362026-05-08T15:59:02ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307<Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>State268309State House Veterans Affairs Division268729State Senate Veterans and Military Affairs - Policy and Finance Committee268730Minnesota Senate270621Minnesota House270620Weekly State Update - Feb. 3, 20172017-02-03-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-276995" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2017-02-03T21:12:20ZLast week the House Veterans Affairs Division and Senate Veterans and Military Affairs Committee held their weekly meetings. Veterans initiatives were not heard in other committees.1066The Veterans Affairs Division heard four bills along with presentations from Helmets to Hard Hats, AMVETS and the Minnesota Wing of the Civil Air Patrol. The following are the bills heard on Monday: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>HF375 is authored by Rep. Chris Swedzinski. It would allow counties to build Veteran memorials in any part of the county. Current law says that memorials must be built in the county seat. The bill was passed and re-referred to the General Register. The next action will be a vote by the full House of Representatives.</li> <li>HF270 is a bill that would provide a tax credit for hiring qualified Veterans. The credit equals 10% of the wages paid to the Veteran and the maximum credit is $3,000 for each disabled Veteran that is hired. It also would create a credit of $1,500 for each unemployed Veteran that is hired. This bill is authored by Rep. Keith Franke. It was passed and re-referred to the Tax Committee.</li> <li>HF368 is authored by Rep. Matt Bliss. It seeks to protect Veterans from entering into an agreement with a lender that seeks to use Veterans benefits as payment that violates federal law. Essentially, this bill gives the State of Minnesota an enforcement mechanism for a federal law to protect Veterans from getting scammed. The bill was passed and re-referred to the Commerce and Regulatory Reform Committee.</li> <li>HF555 seeks to give Congressionally chartered Veteran Service Organizations a reduced property tax rate of about 33%. This would lower the tax burden on American Legion and VFW posts, among others around the state. It was passed and re-referred to the Tax Committee.</li> </ul> The Senate Veterans and Military Affairs Committee heard five bills on Thursday: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>SF394 is a bill that would appropriate a $700,000 grant to the Veterans Defense Project. The Veterans Defense Project must use the money to support education, outreach and legal assistance for Veterans who are involved with the criminal justice system. The bill is authored by Sen. Roger Chamberlain. It was laid over for possible inclusion in the Veterans and Military Affairs omnibus bill.</li> <li>SF322 is authored by Sen. Michelle Fischbach. The bill would provide an appropriation for de-escalation training for safety personnel. It was approved and re-referred to Judiciary and Public Safety.</li> <li>SF 205, 71 and 84 are three bills that all deal with the homestead market exclusion. They were all passed and re-referred to the Tax Committee. SF205 authored by Sen. Chuck Wiger eliminates the eight-year limit on the spouse of a diseased Veteran use of the exclusion until the spouse sells, transfers or disposes of the property. Sen. Andrew Lang is the author SF84 ends that same limit and it also makes the exclusion available to surviving spouses who meet certain conditions. Finally, SF71 authored by Sen. Greg Clausen establishes a sliding-scale formula so the amount of the exclusion that a disabled Veteran can take is $300,000 times the Veteran's disability rating percentage. For instance, a Veteran with an 80% service connected disability would receive $240,000.</li> </ul> All of these bills that were heard can be found on the most recent update to the <a target="_self" title="State Bill Tracker" href="/mdva/news/legislative-updates/state-bill-tracker/index.jsp" xlink:title="010-State-Bill-Tracker-Intro" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">bill tracker</a>. 2769952026-05-08T15:59:00ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307Klobuchar, Cassidy introduce legislationengFederal268310Amy Klobuchar269749Congress270623Federal Legislation273155Klobuchar, Cassidy introduce legislation to help speed up processing of Veterans’ benefits claims2017-02-13-klobuchar-cassidy-introduce-legislation<tcdl:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-280324" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2017-02-02T18:00:00ZWASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota, and Bill Cassidy, MD, R-Lousiana have introduced legislation to help speed up processing of veterans’ benefits claims.1066WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota, and Bill Cassidy, MD, R-Lousiana have introduced legislation to help speed up processing of veterans’ benefits claims. Currently it can take weeks or months for congressional constituent service representatives to receive files from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that they requested to help veterans with their claims. The Working to Integrate Networks Guaranteeing Member Access Now (WINGMAN) Act would eliminate the burdensome step of having to use the VA as an intermediary and allow vetted constituent service representatives direct access to these files. “Veterans shouldn’t have to fight through red tape to get the benefits they have earned,” said Klobuchar. “My bipartisan bill with Senator Cassidy helps knock down bureaucratic barriers by connecting veterans with caseworkers who have the right information so they can get the assistance they need when they need it.” The WINGMAN Act would allow constituent service representatives the ability to keep veterans better updated on the status of their pending claims, including medical records, compensation, pension, exam records, rating decisions, statement of the case, supplementary statement of the case, notice of disagreement and form-9 files. This legislation has been endorsed by AMVETS. Bipartisan companion legislation has also been introduced in the House of Representatives. Klobuchar has worked in a bipartisan manner to modernize G.I. Bill benefits for our troops and to strengthen funding veterans’ health care, including service-related injuries related to Agent Orange exposure. She has also authored bipartisan bills on behalf of our nation’s veterans and their families to expand job training and employment opportunities and to reduce veterans’ homelessness. Source: <a target="_blank" title="Sen. Klobuchar" href="https://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2017/2/klobuchar-cassidy-introduce-legislation-to-help-speed-up-processing-of-veterans-benefits-claims">Klobuchar.senate.gov</a> 2803242017-02-13T21:59:55ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307Weekly State Update - Jan. 27, 2017engState268309Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621State Senate Veterans and Military Affairs - Policy and Finance Committee268730State House Veterans Affairs Division268729Weekly State Update - Jan. 27, 20172017-01-27-weekly-state-update<tcdl:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-275240" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2017-01-27T18:00:00ZThe House Veterans Affairs Division heard its first set of bills. The Governor released his budget which included new policies of interest to Veterans. Finally, the Senate Veterans and Military Affairs Committee heard presentations from various Veterans groups.1066The House Veterans Affairs Division heard its first set of bills. The Governor released his budget which included new policies of interest to Veterans. Finally, the Senate Veterans and Military Affairs Committee heard presentations from various Veterans groups. On Monday, the House Veterans Affairs Division heard the following legislation- HF 321: This bill is authored by Rep. Ben Lien. It would exempt fees for 100% total and permanent disabled Veterans on certain vehicle types. It was approved and re-referred to the Transportation Finance Committee. HF 127: This bill is authored by Rep. Bob Dettmer and would provide money to Twin Cities Public Television (TPT) to share the costs in producing a documentary about Vietnam Era Veterans. The legislation was approved and re-referred to State Government Finance. HF 119: This is also authored by Rep. Dettmer. The bill would make the Homestead Exclusion permanent for surviving spouses of Veterans. It would also make the exclusion available for the surviving spouse for up to two years after the death of a Veteran spouse. It was approved and re-referred to the Taxes committee. HF 232: Another bill authored by Rep. Dettmer, this legislation would provide money for facility improvement at the Veterans Rest Camp and Camp Legionville. The committee approved the bill and it was re-referred to the Legacy Funding Committee. HF 261: Rep. Tim O'Driscoll is the author of this bill that would provide appropriation for de-escalation training for safety personnel. It was approved and re-referred to the Public Safety and Security Committee. Following those five bills, the Veterans Affairs Division heard presentations from the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign War. On Tuesday, Governor Dayton released his 2017-18 biennial budget and recommended some new provisions of interest to Veterans: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>A $500,000 general fund appropriation for operations of a new Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery in Duluth.</li> <li>$2 million for repair and betterment funding of MDVA owned facilities across the state. </li> <li>Governor Dayton recommends an expansion of uses for those that receive MN GI Bill benefits. The expansion would allow Veterans to get reimbursed for licensing, certifications and testing instead of just tuition. Included is a recommendation to increase MN GI Bill funding by $200,000 each fiscal year.</li> <li>The Governor recommends free hunting and fishing licenses for 50% (or greater) service connected disabled Veterans. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources would receive an additional $350,000 each fiscal year to offset the cost associated with the new threshold.</li> <li>Expanded tax credit for past military service: This would increase the phaseout floor for this income tax credit from $30,000 to $50,000 and raise the maximum credit amount from $750 to $1,000. This would expand the scope of the current Past Military Service Tax Credit.</li> </ul> On Thursday, the Senate Veterans and Military Affairs Committee had a hearing which featured presentations from three Veterans groups and a budget overview from Senate Fiscal Analyst Kevin Lundeen. The three presenting groups were Minnesota Wing Civil Air Patrol, Eagle's Healing Nest and Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans.2752402017-01-30T18:16:56ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307<Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Tim Walz269748Walz Presents Bronze Star Medal for Valor to Korean War Hero2017-01-27-walz-presents-bronze-star<tcdl:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-275232" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2017-01-27T18:00:00ZLUVERNE, MN – Today, U.S. House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Tim Walz (MN-01) presented local veteran David F. O’Connor with the Bronze Star Medal for Valor. Mr. O’Connor was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his heroic actions on September 23, 1951 while serving in the position of Platoon Leader as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army during the Korean War.1066Joins with Veteran's family to honor his courageous service to the nation LUVERNE, MN – Today, U.S. House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Tim Walz (MN-01) presented local veteran David F. O’Connor with the Bronze Star Medal for Valor. Mr. O’Connor was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his heroic actions on September 23, 1951 while serving in the position of Platoon Leader as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army during the Korean War. “I am truly humbled to have been in the presence of Mr. O’Connor today, who dedicated four decades of his life to defending our country and an equal amount of effort educating our children in the trades,” said Representative Walz. “He is the epitome of a public servant and it is evident that his family could not be more proud of his service. I am honored to have presented Mr. O’Connor with the Bronze Star for Valor.” On September 23, 1951 while attacking hostile outpost positions along Hill 931 in the vicinity of Yanggu, Korea, Company F encountered heavy resistance. Taking an exposed position, Platoon Leader and then Second Lieutenant O’Connor of the 9th Infantry Regiment of the 2d Infantry Division directed machine gun fire to pin down the enemy in order that his platoon could advance. As the unit neared the objective, it encountered heavy machine gun fire. Lieutenant O’Connor, with complete disregard for his personal safety, advanced through the deadly hail of hostile fire to reconnoiter the enemy positions. Observing several hostile emplacements, he directed accurate mortar fire upon them and succeeded in neutralizing them. With the objective still in the enemy’s hands, Lieutenant O’Connor ordered a bayonet assault, and under his aggressive leadership, his men succeeded in killing or routing the hostile forces from their strongholds. Authorized by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on February 4, 1944, the Bronze Star Medal may be awarded for acts of heroism, acts of merit, or meritorious service in a combat zone. In cases of acts of heroism, the Bronze Star Medal is awarded along with the “V” device, which denotes valor. Mr. O’Connor is also a recipient of a Silver Star and two Purple Heart Medals. Mr. O’Connor currently resides at the Minnesota Veterans Home in Luverne. His wife of 67 years is Charlotte O’Connor. Their four children are Stephen O'Connor, Gregory O'Connor, Elizabeth O'Connor, and Letitia (O'Connor) Abrahamson. ### Source: <a target="_blank" title="Walz Press Release" href="http://walz.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/walz-presents-bronze-star-medal-for-valor-to-korean-war-hero">walz.house.gov</a>2752322017-01-30T17:29:12ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307<Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>State268309Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621State House Veterans Affairs Division268729State Senate Veterans and Military Affairs - Policy and Finance Committee268730Weekly State Update - Jan. 20, 20172017-01-20-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-274031" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2017-01-20T18:00:00ZThis week, MDVA leadership presented an overview of the agency and its budget to the House State Government Finance Committee and took questions throughout. The Senate Veterans and Military Affairs Committee heard presentations from Veterans organizations. 1066On Monday the 23rd, the Governor will give his yearly State of the State address. This will be his opportunity to lay out his plan for the state budget and how he will govern over the next year. Then on Tuesday he will release his budget plan. Expect an update next week that outlines his budget recommendations for MDVA and other issues that affect Veterans in Minnesota. At 1 p.m. on Monday in Room 5 of the State Office Building, the Veterans Affairs Division will deliberate over five bills (HFs 119, 127, 232, 261 and 321). The <a target="_self" title="State Bill Tracker" href="/mdva/news/legislative-updates/state-bill-tracker/index.jsp" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:title="020-State-Bill-Tracker-Datagrid">State Bill Tracker</a> will provide more information about those bills. The committee will also hear presentations from the American Legion and VFW. The Senate Veterans and Military Affairs will meet on Thursday at 8:30 a.m. in Room 1100 of the Minnesota Senate Building.2740312026-05-08T15:58:18ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307<Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>State268309Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621State House Veterans Affairs Division268729State Senate Veterans and Military Affairs - Policy and Finance Committee268730Weekly State Update - Jan. 13, 20172017-01-13-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-273213" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2017-01-13T17:30:00ZThis week was the first full week of committees at the legislature. Committees held informational hearings regarding areas of jurisdiction they oversee.1066This week was the first full week of committees at the legislature. Committees held informational hearings regarding areas of jurisdiction they oversee. Legislative Director Ben Johnson gave an agency overview to the Veterans committees in the House and Senate. Next week, MDVA leadership will provide testimony to the House State Government Finance committee regarding this year's budget request. This is scheduled for Thursday, January 19th at 1pm in Room 10 of the State Office Building. The House Veterans Affairs Division will not meet due to the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. The Senate Veterans and Military Affairs Finance and Policy committee is scheduled to meet on Thursday at 8:30am in Room 1100 of the Minnesota Senate Building. On Tuesday, the Commanders' Task Force hosted a meet and greet with legislators. 34 members of the legislature stopped by to meet the leaders of Minnesota's largest Veterans Service Organizations. The commanders and adjutants shared the CTF agenda for the 2017 legislative session. Since last week a few more Veteran related bills have been introduced. See the <a target="_self" title="State Bill Tracker" href="/mdva/news/legislative-updates/state-bill-tracker/index.jsp" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:title="020-State-Bill-Tracker-Datagrid">State Bill Tracker</a> for more information. The legislature provides a great tool for those who are unsure who their elected officials are. <a target="_blank" title="Find your Representatives" href="http://www.gis.leg.mn/iMaps/districts/">Click here and enter your address to see who represents you at the state and federal level</a>.2732132026-05-08T15:58:16ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307<Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Federal268310Congress270623VA Benefits268707VA Healthcare268706David Shulkin Tapped as Trump's VA Secretary2017-01-11-david-shulkin-tapped-as-trumps-va-secretary<tcdl:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-273154" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2017-01-11T18:00:00ZPresident-elect named David Shulkin to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs.1066The decision ends a protracted search for a head of the second-largest federal agency and would make Shulkin the first VA secretary who had not served in the military. Trump said he and his transition team had interviewed “at least 100 people” in their search for an executive to carry out multiple promises he has made to improve the care of veterans. In the end, they looked inside. Shulkin, 57, who would be the first Obama administration holdover for Trump, was confirmed unanimously for his post as undersecretary in charge of the Veterans Health Administration in June 2015, a sign he could breeze through the Senate confirmation process. “I have no doubt Dr. Shulkin will be able to lead the turnaround our Department of Veterans Affairs needs,” Trump said at his first news conference since his election, calling him an “incredibly gifted doctor.” “His sole mandate will be to serve our veterans and restore the level of care we owe to our brave men and women in the military,” Trump said. “Sadly our great veterans have not gotten the level of care they deserve, but Dr. Shulkin has the experience and the vision to ensure we will meet the health-care needs of every veteran.” Shulkin is an internist who came to government with 30 years’ experience leading private hospitals. He has led the sprawling veterans health system — the country’s largest, with 1,700 clinics and hospitals — for 18 months, working to improve patients’ access to care after a nationwide scandal over fudged wait lists for medical appointments. During his campaign, Trump called VA a “broken” system that treats illegal immigrants “better than our vets.” Shulkin is in line to run an agency beset by challenges, including a backlog in disability claims that has shifted in recent years from initial applications to appeals; a rising suicide rate; overuse of opiates; and a shortage of doctors and nurses. "We are both eager to begin reforming the areas in our Veterans Affairs system that need critical attention, and do it in a swift, thoughtful and responsible way,” Shulkin said in a statement released by the transition team. In keeping Shulkin, Trump passed over the current secretary, Robert McDonald, a Republican appointed by Obama in 2014 after the wait-times scandal forced out his first VA chief, retired Army Gen. Eric Shinseki. Washington’s large and influential veterans service organizations had pushed Trump unsuccessfully to keep McDonald in the job. Source: <a target="_blank" title="Washington Post" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2017/01/11/david-shulkin-tapped-as-trumps-va-secretary/?utm_term=.b7ce4c251a8b">Lisa Rein, Washington Post</a>2731542017-01-12T22:50:29ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307<Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Federal268310Federal Legislation273155Minnesota Rep. Walz takes over as top House Democrat on Veterans panel2017-01-12-walz-takes-over-as-top-dem-on-vets-panel<tcdl:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-273156" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2017-01-10T18:00:00ZRep. Tim Walz is officially named the ranking minority member on the House Veterans' Affairs Committee chaired by Rep. Phil Roe (R-Tenn.)1066The highest-ranking enlisted soldier in Congress will serve as the Democrats' top voice on veterans issues in the House this session. Minnesota Rep. Tim Walz, a retired command sergeant major from the Army National Guard, was named ranking member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee late Monday after Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., dropped his bid for the post. “We have work to do to ensure that every veteran has access to the benefits and care they have earned,” he said in a statement. “I look forward to bringing a soldier’s perspective to the 115th Congress and working with veterans, the VA and my colleagues to uphold our nation’s promises to those who have served and sacrificed. Let’s get to work.” Walz has served on the committee since 2007 and been a prominent voice for the party on veterans issues for his entire tenure in Congress. He has lobbied for the leadership role for years, arguing his perspective as a veteran gives him extra insight into reform efforts for the Department of Veterans Affairs. But party seniority and committee rules foiled his bid to get the role in 2014. Takano, who served as acting ranking member for the last half of 2016, said in a statement he was dropping his bid for the permanent leadership post because of his confidence in Walz. “The men and women who make incredible sacrifices to protect this nation do so with the promise that they will be cared for and supported when they come home,” he said. “As a veteran and a passionate advocate for those who have served, I know that Congressman Walz will do everything in his power to make good on that promise.” Walz had the backing of numerous veterans groups, who have cited their close working relationship with him and his enlisted background as key advantages for his work. He also has close ties to committee Chairman Phil Roe, R-Tenn., who took over that role earlier this year. Both Walz and Roe are Army veterans and co-chair the House’s Invisible Wounds Caucus. Source: <a target="_blank" title="Military Times" href="http://www.militarytimes.com/articles/walz-ranking-member-house-vet-affairs">Military Times</a> 2731562017-01-12T22:50:30ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307<Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Tim Walz269748Congress270623Walz Poised to Become Lead Democrat on Veterans Committee2017-01-06-walz-poised-to-become-lead-democrat-on-veterans-committee<tcdl:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-270625" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2017-01-06T21:04:24ZFirst District Rep. Tim Walz's bid to become to the lead Democrat on the House Committee on Veterans Affairs got a major boost this week.1066First District Rep. Tim Walz's bid to become to the lead Democrat on the House Committee on Veterans Affairs got a major boost this week. Members of the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee voted 31-19 on Wednesday to recommend Walz for the post. But the battle for the leadership post is not over yet. Walz's chief competition for the post, California Rep. Mark Takano, wants all 197 House Democrats to decide who gets the position. The House Caucus is expected to vote next week — possibly as early as Wednesday. Takano has been serving as the lead Democrat on the committee since the previous leader — Florida Rep. Corrine Brown — was indicted on fraud charges. Brown lost her re-election bid this year. In a statement, Walz said he is "humbled and grateful" to receive the steering committee's support. "We have work to do to ensure that every veteran has access to the benefits and care they have earned. I look forward to bringing a soldier's perspective to the 115th Congress and working with veterans, the VA and my colleagues to hold up our nation's promises to those who have served and sacrificed," Walz said. This is Walz's second run for the veterans committee post. In 2014, he lost to Brown, who had the backing of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. At that time, Democratic leaders blocked Walz from even being considered for the spot based on a technicality. This time around, Walz said he had been assured by party leaders he would have a fair shot at post. Source: <a target="_blank" title="Rochester Post Bulletin" href="http://www.postbulletin.com/news/politics/walz-poised-to-become-lead-democrat-on-veterans-committee/article_bc1d230d-f08c-5776-8ac3-88d75b636ab3.html">Heather Carlson, Rochester Post Bulletin</a>2706252017-01-08T15:25:37ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307<Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>State268309State House Veterans Affairs Division268729State Senate Veterans and Military Affairs - Policy and Finance Committee268730Minnesota House270620Minnesota Senate270621Weekly State Update - Jan. 6, 20172017-01-06-s-weekly-state-update<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-270622" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2017-01-06T20:30:00ZThe 2017-18 biennium, Minnesota’s 90th Legislative session since gaining statehood, began on Tuesday, January 3, 2017 with legislators being sworn into office.1066The 2017-18 biennium, Minnesota’s 90th Legislative session since gaining statehood, began on Tuesday, January 3, 2017 with legislators being sworn into office. There are 23 new members in the House of Representatives: 12 Republican and 11 DFL members. In the Senate, there are 21 new members: 12 Republican and 9 DFL members. The two main committees which hear Veterans related legislation are the <a target="_blank" title="Veterans Affairs Division" href="http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/cmte/Home/?comm=90022">Veterans Affairs Division</a> in the House, which is chaired by Representative Bob Dettmer (a U.S. Army Veteran), and the Senate’s <a target="_blank" title="Veterans and Military Affairs Finance and Policy Committee" href="http://www.senate.mn/committees/committee_bio.php?ls=90&cmte_id=3103">Veterans and Military Affairs Finance and Policy Committee</a>, chaired by Senator Bruce Anderson (a Veteran of the U.S. Air Force). These committees will meet for the first time next week to hold informational hearings and receive agency overviews from the Minnesota Department of Military Affairs and Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs. Most Veterans bills will travel through these committees before being voted on by the full House or Senate. During the first week of session, six bills of interest to Veterans were introduced. For more information regarding those bills, <a target="_self" title="State Bill Tracker" href="/mdva/news/legislative-updates/state-bill-tracker/index.jsp" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:title="010-State-Bill-Tracker-Intro">check out our new bill tracker</a>.2706222026-05-08T15:58:59ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307<Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Federal Legislation268310VA Healthcare268706Tim Walz269748Amy Klobuchar269749Walz Legislation Will Give Communities Control Over Planning, Building Facilities2016-12-20-walz-legislation-will-give-communities-control<tcdl:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-269750" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2016-12-20T18:00:00ZBipartisan bill signed into law to help Veterans, especially in rural areas, by giving local communities a greater role in VA construction projects.1066Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn., along with U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., announced Tuesday that bipartisan legislation they backed to allow local communities to assist with the planning and construction of Department of Veterans Affairs health care facilities has been signed into law by the president. The CHIP In for Vets Act authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to let local communities manage the construction of VA projects, contribute the remaining finances, and ensure projects are completed on-time and on-budget. The legislation will also set up a pilot program to test this new model of construction with five initial projects. “The CHIP In for Vets Act is a win for veterans, especially those in rural America depending on VA facilities for their health care,” Walz said in a statement. “This groundbreaking and innovative way to fund facilities will serve as a framework for how public-private partnerships can help the VA complete projects in a timely and fiscally responsible fashion.” Rep. Walz is the highest-ranking enlisted soldier to serve in Congress. He serves on the House Veterans Affairs Committee and has made honoring our commitments to those who have served this nation in uniform his top priority in Congress, he said in the statement. Klobuchar has worked in a bipartisan manner to modernize G.I. Bill benefits for troops and to strengthen funding veterans’ health care. Last month, the No Veterans Crisis Line Call Should Go Unanswered Act, bipartisan legislation she led with Senator John Thune, R-S.D., to improve the Veteran Suicide Crisis Line was signed into law. <a title="Winona Daily News" target="_blank" href="http://www.winonadailynews.com/news/local/walz-legislation-will-give-communities-control-over-planning-building-veterans/article_a3fb80c5-0a87-5f99-b48d-d95544c9366a.html">Source </a>2697502017-01-03T17:36:06ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307<Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Federal Legislation268310VA Benefits268707 VA Blue Water Claims Update: Limited Benefits Will Continue2016-12-21-f-va-blue-water-claims-update<tcdl:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-268716" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2016-12-17T14:35:00ZThe U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has once again turned down an effort by Navy Veterans to get compensation for possible exposure to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. In a document released 12 AUG, the VA said it would continue to limit benefits related to Agent Orange exposure to only those Veterans who set foot in Vietnam, where the herbicide was sprayed, and to those who were on boats in inland rivers. The VA compensates these Veterans for a litany of associated illnesses, including diabetes, various cancers, Parkinson’s Disease, peripheral neuropathy and a type of heart disease.1066The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has once again turned down an effort by Navy Veterans to get compensation for possible exposure to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. In a document released 12 AUG, the VA said it would continue to limit benefits related to Agent Orange exposure to only those veterans who set foot in Vietnam, where the herbicide was sprayed, and to those who were on boats in inland rivers. The VA compensates these Veterans for a litany of associated illnesses, including diabetes, various cancers, Parkinson’s Disease, peripheral neuropathy and a type of heart disease. Advocates for some 90,000 so-called Blue Water Navy veterans who served off the coast of Vietnam have been asking the VA for more than a decade to broaden the policy to include them. They say that they were exposed to Agent Orange because their ships sucked in potentially contaminated water and distilled it for showering, drinking, laundry and cooking. Experts have said the distillation process could have actually concentrated the Agent Orange, which contained the toxic chemical dioxin and was used to kill vegetation and deny enemy cover. ProPublica and the Virginian-Pilot profiled their effort to gain coverage in SEP 2015 as part of an ongoing project to chronicle the impact of Agent Orange on Vets and their families. The U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims last April struck down VA rules that denied compensation for sailors whose ships docked at certain harbors in South Vietnam, including Da Nang. Those ports, the court determined, may have been in the Agent Orange spraying area. The court ordered the VA to review its policy. But on Friday, the VA largely stood by its old policy and once again asserted that there’s no scientific justification or legal requirement for covering Veterans who served off the coast. “Environmental health experts in VA’s Veterans Health Administration have reviewed the available scientific information and concluded that it is not sufficient to support a presumption that Blue Water Navy Veterans were exposed to Agent Orange,” the VA said in a fact sheet. U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., the ranking member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, criticized the VA’s decision. “Rather than siding with Veterans, VA is doubling down on an irrational and inconsistent policy,” he said in a statement. “Young sailors risked their lives during the Vietnam War, unaware that decades later, they and their children and grandchildren would still feel the toxic effects of exposure. Veterans who served offshore and in the harbors of Vietnam were exposed and deserve the presumption of service connection for Agent Orange-related diseases.” Blumenthal and others are seeking adoption of the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act, which would ensure that all Vets exposed to Agent Orange are compensated. The VA opposes the legislation, as it has several previous iterations dating back to 2008. The VA’s new review rejecting benefits relied on a 2011 report by the respected Institute of Medicine, as well as other published research, according to the agency’s fact sheet. The Institute of Medicine report said there was no way to prove Blue Water vets were exposed to the chemicals, but it identified plausible routes that Agent Orange could have traveled out to sea and into a ship’s distillation system. Although military policy at the time recommended against distilling water closer than 10 miles to shore — where the chemical concentration would have been highest — Veterans said doing so was often unavoidable, and their commanding officers routinely ordered it. The VA said it is working with Veterans groups to “initiate a groundbreaking study of Blue Water Navy Veterans health outcomes. We hope to have data gathered and analyses published in 2017.” Veterans called the VA’s decision a betrayal. John Wells, a Louisiana lawyer who has spent more than a decade advocating for Blue Water Veterans, said his group would continue challenging the VA and push for legislation that would mandate coverage for the Blue Water veterans. “It wasn’t completely unexpected. We’re used to being betrayed by the VA,” Wells said. “We’re going to fight this thing until we’re done or dead.” Jim Smith, who served aboard the ammunition ship Butte, has been diagnosed with prostate cancer and believes that Agent Orange exposure may have played a role. “My feeling is the VA is thumbing their nose and sending the middle finger back to the Blue Water people,” he said. “It’s like nobody at the VA has any kind of science background whatsoever.” Blue Water Vets — so named to set the sailors apart from their Brown Water Navy counterparts, who patrolled the murky rivers of South Vietnam — were initially deemed eligible for compensation under the Agent Orange Act of 1991, only to have the VA change its interpretation a decade later. [Source: The Maritime Executive | Charles Ornstein and Terry Parris | August 17, 2016 ++]2687162017-01-03T21:02:12ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307<Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Federal Legislation268310VA Healthcare268706TRICARE Prime Update: Military Hospital/Clinic Use2016-12-21-f-tricare-prime-update<tcdl:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-268715" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2016-12-17T14:30:00ZAccording to a report in Military.com, “Shifting military family members back into military hospitals and clinics for health care is a top priority ...” for the Defense Health Agency. For many years, military family members enrolled in TRICARE Prime have been referred to civilian health care providers if they cannot receive primary health care in a military treatment facility.1066According to a report in Military.com, “Shifting military family members back into military hospitals and clinics for health care is a top priority ...” for the Defense Health Agency. For many years, military family members enrolled in TRICARE Prime have been referred to civilian health care providers if they cannot receive primary health care in a military treatment facility. That began to change in 2014 when the Army and Air Force began to move nearly 30,000 TRICARE Prime beneficiaries who had been receiving care from civilian providers near their bases/posts back into the military health care system. The Air Force will now be joining in that effort. Under the Army/Navy effort, TRICARE Prime beneficiaries were either involuntarily brought back into the military system, or were “invited” back in through an advertising campaign effort. Recognizing the fact that location close to a health care provider often made the civilian provider more attractive, DoD health care has set up six areas nationally where beneficiaries can see the military health care provider closest to them, regardless of whether the provider is from their service or not. The Defense Health Agency says it is working on the issues that are of concern to families and their ultimate goal is to have families want to receive their care from a military provider. [Source: TREA | Washington Update | August 22, 2016 ++]2687152017-01-03T21:39:09ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307<Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>State Legislation268309Ch. 90, HF3252: Real Estate Broker's License2016-12-14-s-ch90-hf3252-real-estate<tcdl:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-268333" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2016-12-14T20:35:42ZBill allowing certain military members, Veterans and their spouses to have the experience requirement for real estate broker’s license waived, if the licenses were cancelled due to their service.1066Bill allowing certain military members, Veterans and their spouses to have the experience requirement for real estate broker’s license waived, if the licenses were cancelled due to their service.2683332017-01-03T17:36:04ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307<Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Appropriations and Programming268320State Legislation268309Appropriations and Programming2016-12-14-s-appropriations-and-programming<tcdl:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-268326" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2016-12-14T20:30:01ZIncluded in this Omnibus bill are the following items of interest to Veterans1066Also included in this Omnibus bill are the following items of interest to Veterans: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>$50,000 (onetime appropriation) for AMPERS Veterans Voices programming (Public Broadcasting)</li> <li>$95,000 (onetime) for Veterans Voices (Minnesota Humanities Center)</li> <li>$100,000 (onetime) in rent subsidies for Veterans at Cottages of Anoka</li> <li>$200,000 (onetime) for “State Soldiers Assistance: Grants for Housing & Health Assistance”</li> <li>$150,000 (onetime) for Veterans Mental Health Study - Requires the Commissioner to study, quantify and describe unmet mental health needs among Veterans</li> <li>$250,000 (onetime) for “Disabled Veterans Interim Housing Study” - Requires the Commissioner to study the feasibility of partnering with a non-profit organization to provide interim housing for disabled Veterans.</li> <li>Minor changes to Veterans driver’s license designation language – allow for pictorial or symbol (“V”) designation on DL’s</li> <li>Inclusion of Veteran-owned business in Minnesota Emerging Entrepreneur Board</li> <li>Changes to state procurement contracts to certified Veteran-owned small businesses (Businesses which are majority-owned and operated by Veterans). “The commissioner may award a contract for goods, services, or construction directly to a veteran-owned small business without going through a competitive solicitation process up to a total contract award value, including extension options, of $25,000.” </li> <li>Language allowing MDVA to solicit donations for the Medal of Honor Memorial on the Capitol grounds.</li> <li>Character development education curriculum in elementary, middle and high school programs incorporating the history and values of Medal of Honor recipients. </li> </ul>2683262017-01-03T17:36:03ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307<Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>Veterans Preference268315State Legislation268309Changes to Veterans Preference2016-12-14-s-changes-to-veterans-preference<tcdl:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-268318" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2016-12-14T20:23:16ZThe following modifications were made to the Veterans Preference Act, Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 197.461066The following modifications were made to the Veterans Preference Act, Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 197.46: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Increased parity in Veterans employed by county, home rule charter or statutory city, town, school district, or other municipality or political subdivision and state-employed Veterans</li> <li>Hearing request changed from 60 to 30 days to request a hearing to contest a notice of dismissal</li> <li>Inclusion of the selection of an arbitrator from the MN Bureau of Mediation Services in place of a three-person panel. Important for those locations where no civil service board or commission or merit system authority exists</li> <li>The creation of a probationary period following initial hire (where Veteran is not eligible for Vets Preference protections) in ‘non-state government’ political subdivisions</li> <li>Language defining who pays costs and attorney’s fees: “For disputes heard by a civil service board, commission or merit system authority, or an arbitrator, the governmental subdivisions shall bear all costs associated with the hearing but not including attorney fees for attorneys representing the veteran. If the veteran prevails in a dispute heard by a civil service board, commission or merit system authority, or an arbitrator and the hearing reverses the level of the alleged incompetency or misconduct requiring discharge, the governmental subdivision shall pay the veteran's reasonable attorney fees.” </li> </ul>2683182017-01-03T17:36:05ZPopulates the Legislative UpdateLegislative Update268307<Publisher/><Source/><Rights/><Identifier/><Format/><Language>eng</Language><SubjectControlled/></DublinCore></metadata><Category><Description/><Title>State Legislation268309Military Pension268312Military Pension Tax Subtraction2016-12-14-s-military-pension-tax-subtraction<tcdl:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1066-268313" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2016-12-14T20:04:06ZIncluded in the Supplemental Budget bill was the provision of a new income tax subtraction for military retirement pay. The new language amends Minnesota Statutes Chapter 290 which covers Income Taxes, specifically that Section defining items which shall be subtracted from federal taxable income.1066Included in the Supplemental Budget bill was the provision of a new income tax subtraction for military retirement pay. The new language amends Minnesota Statutes Chapter 290 which covers Income Taxes, specifically that Section defining items which shall be subtracted from federal taxable income. The language reads as follows: “... to the extent included in federal taxable income, compensation received from a pension or other retirement pay from the federal government for service in the military, as computed under United States Code, title 10, sections 1401 to 1414, 1447 to 1455, and 12733.” Individuals, estates and trusts eligible for this subtraction from taxable income may include: <ul xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <li>Members of active components of the armed forces who have performed the required years of qualifying service</li> <li>Members of a reserve component, the National Guard, Army National Guard or Air National guard who have performed or were credited for the required years of qualifying service</li> <li>Eligible combat-related disabled uniformed services retirees</li> <li>Members retired under 10 U.S.C. Chapter 61 - Retirement or Separation for Physical Disability</li> <li>Individuals, including Surviving Spouses and/or Dependent Children, eligible for the federal Survivor Benefit Plan</li> </ul> <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">The new subtraction for pension or other military retirement pay is effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2015. </div>2683132017-01-03T17:36:05Z