Veterans Affairs presents $102.2 million FY‑26 budget; officials highlight staffing, vacancies and federal funding

The Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs presented its $102.2 million fiscal year 2026 budget to the House Appropriations Committee on March 20, saying about 65.9% of the department’s funding is federal and 16.7% comes from the state general fund.

"My name is Paige Filho, and today, I will be sharing with y'all the executive budget review for the Department of Veterans Affairs," said Paige Filho as she opened the department presentation.

Committee members and department officials focused questioning on staffing at the state’s five veterans homes, pay and turnover among nursing assistants, and a backlog in the state’s Louisiana Air National Guard (LANG) assistance program.

Filho gave an overview of the FY‑26 recommendation and historical spending, saying the department’s FY‑26 budget totals about $102,200,000. She said the largest source of funding is federal dollars from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for patient care and noted the budget’s largest expenditure is salaries and related benefits.

Secretary Charlotte McGinley,…