House Democrats Announce Legislation to Aid Veterans

SAINT PAUL, MINN –State Representative Debra Hilstrom (DFL-Brooklyn Center), DFL-Lead on Public Safety and Crime Prevention Policy and Finance, and several House DFL legislators are proposing legislation to provide additional support for Minnesota veterans. With Minnesota experiencing a $900 million surplus, Hilstrom said that veterans should be a priority this session.

“What we owe our veterans goes beyond the time that they served in uniform. For so many, their struggles reach far beyond physical challenges," said Rep. Hilstrom. “We can and we should do more. I am proud to carry this legislation and work with my colleagues to support the men and women who have already given so much to this country. Now, it's time for us to support them.”

The bill approaches supporting veterans at every stage of their life:

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  Increases access to mental health services: Funds and allows the Soldiers’ Assistance Fund to cover court-ordered mental health and substance abuse counseling for veterans.

  
  


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  Financial relief while transitioning to a veteran home: Creates a tax credit for veterans who are staying in private nursing homes to help ease the financial burden while they wait for a bed in a veteran’s nursing home.

  
  


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  Expanding health coverage for veterans and guardsmen: Creates a feasibility study for providing health insurance to veterans and guardsmen to extend coverage beyond the health insurance programs provided by the federal VA and the Department of Defense.

  
  


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  Reducing domestic violence: Expands opportunities for veterans to participate in the Change Step Program for veterans who need domestic abuse counseling and education.

  
  


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  Ending veteran homelessness and honoring those who have served: Increases funding to address veterans homelessness and provides additional money to reimburse veterans service organizations for providing honor guards at veterans’ funerals.

  
  


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  Increases support for veterans who have struggled to reintegrate: Similar to drug courts, Veterans Courts provide problem-solving treatment and therapy instead of punitive court sentencing. These courts better recognize both the service and struggles many veterans experience.

  
  

"This bill goes far beyond the hollow thanking a veteran for his or her service,” said Rep. Jerry Newton (DFL – Coon Rapids). “It demonstrates in a very real way that Minnesota does care and is willing to walk the walk to prove just how thankful we are for their sacrifices. It is time for legislators to stop the talking and do the walking."

“There are real problems facing our veterans that we can improve if we act in a meaningful way, to put our appreciation for veterans into action. People of both parties can agree on that.” Rep. John Persell (DFL – Bemidji) “There are few areas where we find more common ground than on veterans issues, and that gives me hope that these proposals will move forward.”

The bill will be introduced this week and is expected to be referred to the Veterans Affairs Division.