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ODOT describes Rural Veterans Health Care Transportation grant; agency to confirm Measure 96 link
Summary
Hope Estes of ODOT presented the Rural Veterans Health Care Transportation (RVHT) grant program, created as a pilot in 2019 and formalized by a 2021 bill; the program has awarded 26 grants and ODOT will confirm whether funding counts toward the 1.5% Measure 96 allocation
Hope Estes, public transportation division at the Oregon Department of Transportation, told the House Committee on Emergency Management, General Government, and Veterans on June 3 that the Rural Veterans Health Care Transportation grant program provides dedicated lottery funds to help rural veterans travel to VA and non‑VA health appointments.
The program began as a 2019 pilot and was formalized in statute via House Bill 2039 in 2021, Estes said. ODOT administers the grants via an interagency agreement with ODVA. For the last two grant cycles, Estes said the program used $650,000 in lottery funds; the program has awarded 26 grants since 2019 and many recipients have returned for additional funding.
Why it matters: Rural veterans face longer travel distances to access care, and local transit agencies often cannot cover those trips. Estes told lawmakers the RVHT grants fund on‑demand dial‑a‑ride services and other options to connect veterans to a broad range of health‑related destinations.
Estes said the grants are available to transit districts, counties in rural areas and federally recognized tribes in Oregon. Because the funds are state dollars, rides can be provided to both VA and non‑VA facilities. ODOT is planning a fourth grant cycle and hopes to open an application in August, but Estes said the amount available for the next cycle remains uncertain pending legislative decisions this session.
Committee members asked whether the RVHT funds are part of Measure 96’s 1.5% allocation. Estes said she believed they were but agreed to verify and to report back to the committee. Representative Graber asked whether federally funded highly rural grant dollars—used by some eastern counties—are in jeopardy; Estes said ODOT would look into that and provide an update.
No formal action or vote occurred; ODOT agreed to provide written confirmation on the funding source and to share data about past recipients and reported veteran rides and miles.
Estes closed by offering to provide further details and applicant materials when the agency opens the next cycle of grants.
