American Legion presents veteran programs and policy priorities to Ohio House Veterans and Military Development Committee

Jacob Brought of the American Legion Department of Ohio told the Ohio House Veterans and Military Development Committee that the organization runs multiple veteran- and youth-focused programs across the state and is pushing several legislative priorities, including House Concurrent Resolution 7 and House Bill 40.

Brought said the American Legion, founded in 1919, operates under four main pillars — Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation, National Security, Americanism and Children and Youth — and serves about 70,000 members and their families in Ohio. “For God and country,” he said, describing the organization’s founding values and religious-emphasis programming.

The presentation outlined concrete programs under each pillar. Under Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation, department service officers assist with VA claims and benefits; Brought said the department employs nine full-time, two part-time service officers and one administrative assistant stationed around the state, with offices ranging from Cleveland to Chillicothe and including a part‑time service officer in Delaware. He described a veterans education and employment effort that provides resume help and interview preparation and said the department is seeking a partnership with an online course provider he referred to as “Level All.”

Under Americanism, Brought described Buckeye Boys State — a leadership program that he said supports more than 1,200 high school students and is currently held at Miami University — and school‑level programs that send top student performers to Washington, D.C., through an Americanism and government competition. He described an oratorical contest focused on constitutional topics and a fourth‑grade flag education program that teaches flag etiquette and basic provisions of the U.S. flag code; he said the program materials are distributed to schools but the per‑test cost was “not specified.”

On children and youth, Brought listed temporary financial assistance programs intended to prevent homelessness among veterans’ children when eligibility criteria are met, and longtime sponsorship of Special Olympics Ohio; he said the department has been active with Special Olympics Ohio for about 28 years and helps run athlete breakfasts and event booths.

On legislative priorities, Brought asked for committee support for several items: House Concurrent Resolution 7, to recognize Buckeye Boys and Girls State as a premier leadership academy in Ohio (he said Representative Miller of District 53 and Representative Gambari were working with the Legion on sponsorship); House Bill 40, which would increase the disabled‑veterans homestead exemption from $50,000 to $100,000 for qualifying individuals; and final enactment of an American Legion Ohio license plate, for which he said petition requirements have been waived and the department is “waiting on the state to enact the bill on April 9,” after which the Bureau of Motor Vehicles would set rollout timing. Brought also urged reintroduction of the federal Richard Star Act, which he said did not pass in the 118th Congress and would affect concurrent receipt for certain combat‑disabled retirees.

Committee members asked questions about program reach and possible committee support. Vice Chair Matthews asked whether the Legion has considered a state‑level program to bring students to the state capitol; Brought said Buckeye Boys State covers civic education and that he would look into the specific idea. Ranking Member Hall asked what would make Ohio the most veteran‑friendly state; Brought said younger veterans are “family oriented” and that programs that benefit families are a priority.

As a procedural item, the committee approved the minutes of its previous meeting “without objection” during the same session.

The presentation closed with an invitation from the Legion for committee members to participate in programming such as judging oratorical contests and to consider joint sponsorship of the Legion’s legislative priorities. The committee did not take any further formal votes on the Legion’s requests during the session.