The Virgin Islands Office of Veterans Affairs asked the Senate Committee on Budget, Appropriations and Finance on June 30 for a $1,219,369 general‑fund appropriation for fiscal year 2026 to continue benefits, medical‑travel support and cemetery projects.

Director Patrick Farrell told the committee the office’s budget request includes $506,347 for personnel and fringe benefits, $263,022 for operating expenses and $450,000 set aside collectively for elective medical travel outside the territory and burial benefits.

Why it matters: Veterans’ medical travel and burial expenses directly affect families and can create urgent cash needs. Farrell said changes in federal and local programs have reduced the number of veterans who must travel outside the territory for care, but the office continues to use local funds to guarantee services when needed.

Burials and cemetery projects: The office has paid 35 families burial reimbursements up to $5,000 each (total paid to date reported as $162,741.91) and is completing multi‑vault crypts and a columbarium to conserve burial space. Farrell said design of the Clarence Beaver Health Senior Veterans Complex is 50% complete and the project has $237,160 encumbered for design through NV5, Inc.; final construction will likely require additional funding.

Farrell also described the veterans cemetery grant program: the territory received $350,000 as a 10% match to apply to a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs cemetery grant, but national priorities shifted to expansions of existing cemeteries and the VA has not funded new cemeteries in recent rounds. Farrell recommended pivoting to a pilot of multi‑vault crypts and columbaria that could be reimbursed by the VA at a future pilot rate.

Medical travel and evacuation costs: Farrell told senators the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs paid $611,085 for emergency medical evacuations for 26 Virgin Islands veterans (Oct 2023–June 2025), with flights ranging from roughly $17,500 to $58,615. He warned that a local law expanding territory‑funded transport to the U.S. mainland could be financially unsustainable: “In my estimation, it does not make any sense to start seeing a doctor that you can only see twice per year if you have a significant medical condition,” Farrell said, urging the committee to reconsider the statute’s scope.

Program operations: Farrell said the office has reduced the backlog for battlefield medical travel reimbursements and reported only a handful of claims newly submitted in June that were unpaid; he said the office plans to use technology and outreach to expand veterans’ access to the VA Community Care Network and local providers through VI Equicare, which works with many territory clinicians.

What’s next: Senators asked for documentation on lottery and medallion auction proceeds that are statutorily earmarked for the office but have not reached it in recent fiscal years. Farrell told the committee the office has sought answers from the Lottery and from OMB/Finance; he will provide documentation of correspondence the office has already sent. Farrell also asked the Legislature to consider transferring maintenance oversight of several veterans memorial parks to his office and said he plans to pursue hosting the National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs conference in 2027 to raise visibility for territory needs.