Omnibus Veterans policy and supplemental appropriations

Veterans of the Secret War in Laos are now explicitly eligible for burial in state veterans cemeteries and entitled to benefits such as civil service preference, grave markers, and honor guards.

A new definition was created for 'Veteran of the Secret War in Laos,' specifying criteria based on naturalization under the Hmong Veterans' Naturalization Act or verified honorable service with special guerrilla units in Laos between 1961 and 1975.

New requirements were added for the Department of Veterans Affairs to establish an eligibility verification process and a special consideration procedure for applicants denied initial eligibility determinations.

Funding was increased to $59,000 for the Department of Veterans Affairs and $141,000 for the Department of Public Safety in fiscal year 2027 to support the expanded benefits and verification processes.

The effective date for the veteran designation on driver's licenses was changed to November 1, 2026, and a new deadline of December 31, 2030, was set for submitting special consideration applications.

Several sections regarding grant eligibility and scoring systems for nonprofit organizations were removed or significantly reorganized, shifting the focus away from competitive grants toward direct veteran benefits.

New requirements were added for competitive grants, including a scoring system based on a grantee's history of serving veterans and a mandate to prioritize applicants with service-connected disabilities.

New reporting obligations were established, requiring grantees to submit annual reports on services provided and the commissioner to report aggregated data to the legislature.

Eligibility for burial in state veterans cemeteries was modified to include spouses, surviving spouses, and adult children of veterans who died in the line of duty, and to exclude those convicted of stolen valor.

New definitions were added for terms such as 'active service member,' 'dependent child,' and 'immediate family member' to clarify who qualifies for services and grants.

The bill modified the fee schedule for veteran burials and established that administrative costs for grant management can be funded by retaining up to five percent of appropriated grant funds.

A new timeline was set for the commissioner to establish a process to verify that applicants have not been convicted of stolen valor by January 1, 2027.