Having spent nearly three decades as a firefighter, I have always taken my role as Chairman of the House Veterans Affairs and Public Safety Committee very seriously. Even for members of the House that have never worn the uniform, I think it is safe to say that every one of us is committed to doing everything we can to support our Hoosier veterans and ensure their needs are addressed.
In recent years, Indiana has made tremendous strides towards solidifying our state as one of the most hospitable places in the nation for veterans. One piece of legislation, which I remain particularly proud of, is Senate Enrolled Act (SEA) 354. This law passed last year and created the Hoosier Women Veterans Program.
This legislation became increasingly important in light of the growing number of women who are choosing to join the military. It had also become clear that many of these women do not know the programs and benefits they are entitled to after returning home.
It was our intent that this program would help our female veterans access important services and programs that are designed to address their unique needs. I was pleased to see this bill signed into law by the governor and to see Laura McKee hired as Indiana’s women veterans coordinator in January.
This year, our commitment to serving Hoosier veterans has continued. As part of the House proposed budget, we allocated more than $2.6 million over the biennium to the Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs for personal services and other operating expenses. We also appropriated nearly $3.5 million over the biennium to the Military Family Relief Fund.
This program has been in existence since 2007, but was expanded last year to allow approximately 26,000 post-9/11 veterans to be eligible for assistance. In addition, we also eliminated the three-year restriction on access to the fund, which provides grants that may be used for needs such as food, housing, utilities, medical services, transportation and other essential family expenses.
Just this week, the Veterans Affairs and Public Safety Committee unanimously passed legislation which provides for a voluntary veterans’ preference policy for hiring, promoting or retaining a veteran in private employment. This builds upon House Enrolled Act 1242 which was enacted last year making it an unlawful employment practice for an employer to discriminate against a prospective employee on the basis of their status as a veteran.
Currently, a veteran hiring preference already exists in law for public employers, and by extending these protections to private employers, we are seeking to alleviate Indiana’s 16.9 percent unemployment rate for post-9/11 veterans. With 160,000 new veterans discharged from the armed services each year, this legislation will provide an easier avenue to get these Hoosier heroes back to work.
As legislators, in addition to our duty to be fiscally responsible and enact sound policy, we also have a duty to protect and help those who have sacrificed so much to defend America. These are two responsibilities which we must constantly balance against one another. However, by assisting our veterans in their transition back into civilian life, we are continuing to support those whose debt we could never repay. I have always considered myself a voice for our men and women in uniform, and I will continue to serve as such.
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