House subcommittee reviews Department of Military and Veterans Affairs $275.9 million fiscal 2025 budget

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military and Veterans Affairs reviewed the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs' $275,900,000 gross fiscal 2025 budget in a meeting during which House Fiscal Agency analyst Aaron Meek briefed members on program lines, federal matches and one-time appropriations.

Aaron Meek, House Fiscal Agency analyst for the Military and Veterans Affairs and Michigan State Police budgets, told the subcommittee the department serves “a sort of dual purpose. They provide both an operational military force … as well as a network of services and programs to support, Michigan veterans and their families.” He said the department is organized into three core sections: the Michigan National Guard (MNG), the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA), and the Michigan Veterans Facility Authority (MVFA), which operates the state's three veterans homes.

Meek said the fiscal 2025 gross appropriation is $275.9 million, with the largest share — about $144.8 million — coming from federal grant and matching revenue, $117.7 million from the state general fund, roughly $13.2 million from state restricted funds, about $100,000 from private donations and $101,800 from interdepartmental grants. He said roughly 95% of the appropriation is federal and general fund dollars combined.

Military and National Guard lines: Meek described roughly $45.9 million for military training sites and support facilities covering operations and maintenance at MNG facilities and department-wide functions; $24.4 million for administrative functions including the adjutant general's office, HR and facilities management; $11.2 million for the Michigan National Guard State Tuition Assistance Program (MINGSTAP); $10.3 million for the Michigan Youth Challenge Academy (MICA); and smaller allocations for STARBASE and…