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Ohio veteran service organizations ask legislature for higher operating support, more service officers
Summary
Representatives of the American Legion, VFW, Disabled American Veterans and other veterans groups told the House Public Safety Committee that state funding for service officers, transportation and outreach should rise to meet demand driven by the PACT Act and rising operating costs.
Representatives of Ohio’s major veteran service organizations told the House Public Safety Committee on Feb. 11 that state appropriations for those organizations should be increased to hire accredited service officers, expand transportation to VA appointments and sustain outreach to undercounted veterans.
Jacob Brault, legislative chair for the American Legion Department of Ohio, said the Legion uses most of its state funding for department service officers who file VA claims and help veterans access benefits. “We have over 72,000 members,” Brault told the committee, and he said the organization’s department service officers helped secure roughly $1,300,000 in awards in 2024.
Several organizations cited workloads that surged after the PACT Act. David Root, legislative chairman for the Veterans of Foreign Wars Department of Ohio, told members that the first year after the PACT Act’s passage the VA processed…
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