Veterans Affairs
Bill | Title | Status | Committee | Step | Last Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
To revise and update all provisions of state code to relating to the West Virginia State Guard | Pending | House Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security | Committee | 02/08/24 | |
Exempting honorably discharged Veterans from “Hunter Safety Course” requirement for WV Hunting License
| Pending | House ANR | Committee | 01/26/24 | |
To eliminate additional fee from the WVDMV for honorably discharged veterans for “Veteran” vehicle registration plate | Pending | House Finance | Committee | 02/16/24 | |
Creating a liaison program with the federal Department of Veterans Affairs Transition Assistance Program
| Pending | House Government Organization | Committee | 02/08/24 | |
Tuition and fee exemptions for service-connected Disabled Veterans and their dependents. | Pending | House Finance | Committee | 02/08/24 | |
Increasing penalty for undocumented parking in “Purple Heart Wounded” or “Veterans” parking spaces. | Pending | House Judiciary | Committee | 01/18/24 | |
Deceased Disabled Veteran Real Property Exemption for Widowed Spouses | Pending | Senate Finance | Committee | 03/04/24 | |
To allow Gold Star spouses to receive one free Gold Star vehicle registration for personal use. | Signed | Effective Ninety Days from Passage - (June 6, 2024) | |||
Relating to Free State Park passes, Hunting & Fishing Licenses for Veterans with PTSD diagnosis | Pending | House Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security | Committee | 01/26/24 |
2024 Bills that I have lead or co-sponsored
As we prepared for the 2023 Regular Legislative Session I was pleased and privileged to be appointed the Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security Committee.
As we began the 2023 Regular session I was surprised to find that there wasn’t a caucus dedicated to Veterans’ issues and legislation. So I started one. By the end of the session we had 19 Veterans’ Caucus members (out of 134) representing both Republicans and Democrats and both the House and the Senate. Our most noteworthy success was the passage of HB3451 which updated Veterans’ hiring preference ratings for state employment. Additionally I was able to sponsor adopted House Concurrent Resolution 15 (HCR15) requesting the Joint Committee on Government and Finance send official correspondence to West Virginia’s federal delegations stating West Virginia Veterans’ concerns and objections to the two TRICARE for Life (“TFL”) proposals found in the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) biennial report that would significantly increase costs for seniors using the TFL benefit.
Later I was appointed to the Select Committee on Veterans’ Affairs for Interim and Special Sessions (5 of the 23 members of the Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security Committee).
Bill | Title | Status | Committee | Step | Last Action |
Updating the veteran preference ratings in state code for state employment | Signed | Effective Ninety Days from Passage – (June 9, 2023) | |||
Increase budget of WVRNG West Virginian National Guard for military funerals in all branches of the military by VFW chapters | Pending | House Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security | Committee | 01/25/23 | |
Establish a refundable tax credit for veterans with a 100% service-connected disability | Pending | House Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security | Committee | 01/24/23 | |
Expediting License Applications for active military members and veterans, and their spouses | Signed | Effective Ninety Days from Passage – (June 9, 2023) | |||
Amending the existing War Orphan program so children and spouses of deceased active-duty officers AND enlisted Service members would both be eligible for the War Orphan Education Program | Pending | House Education | Committee | 02/03/23 | |
Provide that first $5000 per year earned on Military Duty, Active, National Guard, or Reserves be exempt from the WV State Income Tax. | Pending | House Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security | Committee | 01/19/23 | |
Creating a liaison program with the federal Department of Veterans Affairs Transition Assistance Program | Pending | House Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security | Committee | 01/13/23 |