House advances veterans bill after adopting technical amendment, tables staffing increase

Chairman Davis, speaking on the House floor, said an amendment to House Bill 35-10 changes the bill’s language from a direct appropriation to an approach that takes effect "upon securing funding," a modification intended to avoid holding the bill up pending the budget process.

Representative Beach, a military veteran and sponsor of a staffing amendment, urged colleagues to add temporary full-time employees to county veterans offices to address backlogs in claims and services. Beach said the amendment would add staff temporarily — two additional full-time employees in counties with populations of roughly 300,000 — to help process veteran claims and support families.

Debate included questions about who would hire the added staff and whether the state could afford the temporary positions. Chairman Davis opposed adding a third staff position before implementing a previously requested second position put forward by the secretary of veterans affairs, and she moved to table Beach’s amendment. The motion to table carried by a roll-call vote of 70 to 27.

Amendment 1 (committee amendment) was adopted earlier on a voice vote; amendment 2 (Representative Beach’s temporary staffing increase) was tabled. The bill, as amended, received second reading on the calendar and will return later for further consideration.

Representative Beach said the temporary increase was meant to send a clear message of support for veterans and their families and to help relieve county-level backlogs. Representative Hosey asked for more discussion in the relevant committee before final action. Representative Pace and other supporters pointed to core government duties and suggested reallocating nonessential budget items to fund veteran services.

The House took the roll call and recorded the tabling vote; the bill remains on the calendar as having received second reading as amended.