Legislation introduced to support county veteran service officers

Image of GettyImages-1149285452.jpg

Key Takeaways

On December 11, Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Steve Daines (R-Mont.) introduced bipartisan legislation dedicating new federal resources to county veteran service officers (CVSOs). The bill, titled the Commitment to Veteran Support and Outreach (CVSO) Act (S. 3020), would provide $250 million in federal funding over five years for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to increase the number of CVSOs across the country.

At the local level, CVSOs help veterans access a range of service-connected federal benefits, including VA health care, housing and transition assistance programs. Across the country, CVSOs in 36 states and two Native American tribes process more than $22 billion annually in claims for direct compensation and pension benefits for veterans. Though CVSOs’ primary focus is helping veterans navigate the federal benefits system, these offices are currently funded almost entirely by counties, which creates challenges for areas with high demand or counties that serve veterans in rural areas. The new personnel resources outlined under S. 3020 would enable counties to better meet the needs of local veterans. States without CVSOs would also benefit under this legislation, as it would allow the VA Secretary to partner with state, local or tribal entities to improve service delivery.

The CVSO Act has been a major legislative priority for counties and NACo has endorsed the legislation when it was introduced. Going forward, the legislation must still be considered in the U.S. Senate Veterans Affairs Committee and a companion bill must be introduced in the U.S. House.


For more information on the Commitment to Veteran Support and Outreach Act and CVSOs, please see the following links:

Image of GettyImages-1149285452.jpg

Tagged In:

Attachments

Related News

A woman trains a dog in a program funded by Nye County, Nev. Photo by John Clausen for the Pahrump Valley Times
County News

County-backed service dog program aids local veterans

Nye County, Nev. supports a program that helps fund training for service dogs for veterans.

Ramsey County, Minn. Commissioner Trista Martinson, chair of the NACo Veterans and Military Services Committee, addresses members of the group. Photo by Denny Henry
County News

County Veterans Service Offices can improve help for military sexual trauma survivors

County Veterans Service Offices should leverage local resources and train their officers on military sexual trauma to best serve survivors.

THE_County Countdown_working_image-4.png
Advocacy

County Countdown – Nov. 20, 2023

Every other week, NACo’s County Countdown reviews top federal policy advocacy items with an eye towards counties and the intergovernmental partnership.