House veterans committee hears first hearing on bill to encourage workplace veterans benefit posters

The House Veterans and Military Development Committee held a first hearing on Senate Bill 39, which would require the state to create informational posters about veterans benefits and encourage workplaces to display them, committee leaders said during testimony at the hearing.

Senator Johnson, a sponsor, told the committee the measure "is critical that our state government take action and assist Ohio veterans in obtaining the benefits they deserve." He said the posters would aggregate information veterans may not know, including material from the Department of Veterans Services and the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, substance abuse and mental health resources, educational and workforce training opportunities, and tax exemptions.

The bill would direct the state to produce the information and encourage wide distribution, but sponsors described the display as permissive rather than a workplace mandate. "This is a permissive step for businesses to put these things up with the support of the State of Ohio," Senator Craig said.

Committee members asked about logistics and risks. Rep. Lampton asked where employers would obtain the posters: "Where could I get one of these posters to install at my office?" Sponsors said the state would distribute the materials and mentioned the Department of Commerce as a point to host or post the content.

Several lawmakers warned about differences between state and federal definitions of "veteran" and the risk of confusing service members about eligibility for federal VA benefits. Rep. Gamari asked how the posters would avoid misleading people who served in the Guard or Reserve but are not eligible for federal benefits: "How do we make sure that through this, an individual is not being misled or thinking that they may be entitled to some type of benefit, although they may not be due to the difference in the definitions?" Sponsors said that clear communication and coordination with federal and local veteran service organizations will be important.

Lawmakers also raised distribution and data-sharing ideas. Rep. Gamari suggested an opt-in at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles when veterans obtain veteran license plates or insignia so county veteran service commissions can reach individuals who otherwise fall outside existing outreach. On costs, Rep. Thomas asked who would create and pay for distribution; sponsors replied that much of the informational content already exists and that the intention is to encourage businesses and state agencies to make it visible.

Rep. Hall asked how the state will measure whether the outreach moves the needle on benefit utilization. Sponsors pointed to Ohio's large veteran population and said they plan to work with federal and local partners on metrics and follow-up, though no specific measurement regime was described during the hearing.

Several lawmakers framed the effort as part of broader veteran-support work, including stakeholder coordination and readiness for Defense Department review processes such as BRAC. Sponsors said the posters are an incremental step intended to improve awareness and ease navigation of benefits for Ohio veterans.

The item was presented for first hearing and received questions from multiple committee members; no formal vote or committee action was taken at this hearing.