Representative Arriaga testified before the Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs in support of House Bill H3825, "An Act to recognize service to our Commonwealth and our nation," which would insert the phrase "reserve components" in a statute listing service categories that trigger half-staff flag observances after a service member is killed in action.

"This bill is very common sense, very straightforward. It simply corrects a missing word, and that word is reserve components," Representative Arriaga said, explaining that current language names individual branches but omits other reserve components whose members also may be killed in action.

Arriaga asked the committee to move the bill along so the Commonwealth can explicitly recognize all service members who die in the line of duty. Committee members took no formal action at the hearing and requested the bill be placed on the record for future consideration.