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Veterans Affairs presents homes, benefits and "BOOT" workforce initiative; seeks ongoing support for staffing and programs
Summary
Senate fiscal staff reviewed the Department of Veterans Affairs FY2026 recommendation and LDVA leaders summarized services for veterans, veterans homes operations, and a BOOT workforce initiative intended to recruit, retain and train veterans in-state.
Mark Barnes of Senate Fiscal Services reviewed the Department of Veterans Affairs (LDVA) FY2026 recommended budget and showed that federal funds account for approximately 66% of the department’s recommended means of finance, with state general fund at roughly 17% and fees/self‑generated revenue about 15%.
LDVA leadership (the department secretary, who spoke without a name in the transcript, and Chief of Staff Dustin Guy) outlined priorities including veterans homes, state veterans cemeteries and benefits counseling. The secretary emphasized the economic importance of veterans in Louisiana and said the department is pursuing outreach and services to recruit and retain veterans in the state.
BOOT workforce initiative: Ben Armstrong, representing the BOOT (a 501(c)(3) veteran service organization supported by LDVA), described a recruitment and retention program that has placed or retained 66 veterans and is actively engaging more than 100 service members and transitioning personnel; he said BOOT has built partnerships with employers and workforce organizations and recently secured a Delta Regional Authority grant of $300,000 to train veterans for industrial welding careers.
Veterans homes and staffing: the presentation covered five state veterans homes and cemetery operations; LDVA reported the homes’ occupancy, census, cost per patient per day and workforce figures. The department noted 851 authorized positions across its units, a funded‑but‑not‑filled count of 89 (as of February) and an average TO salary of about $46,346. Members pressed LDVA on vacancies and pay; LDVA said it has prioritized counselor and CNA compensation and will return to the committee with salary requests as needed.
Other items: LDVA listed one‑time and recurring expenditures (acquisitions and major repairs for beds and HVAC, a $3.6 million allocation for Louisiana National Guard disability claims and $1.5 million dedicated to the BOOT project in the presentation’s categorical breakout). The department said it will continue to coordinate with the legislature on veteran‑focused incentives and benefits.
