Kansas veterans agency briefs committee on budget, new veterans home and rising claims

General Turner of the Kansas Office of Veterans Services told the Committee on Veterans and Military that the agency is managing rising demand for benefits and long-term care while advancing construction documents for a new state veterans home.

“$16,300,000 that we receive in SGF represents roughly about a third of what our total overall budget is,” General Turner said, describing the mix of State General Fund (SGF), State Institutional Building Fund (SIBF) and federal dollars that support the agency. He told the committee the state has $17,200,000 appropriated in the SIBF account for a new veterans home and is applying for a federal grant that would cover roughly 65% of the project cost.

The nut graf: the agency said rising claims after the federal PACT Act and an increased census at veterans homes are driving higher workloads and costs; the Legislature’s SIBF appropriation has put the state in position to apply for federal construction funds but the federal grant list is long and timing is uncertain.

Turner said the new home has a preliminary budget target of about $49,000,000, with the state’s $17,200,000 representing…