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Lawmakers and veterans officers urge increased state funding for county veteran service officers
Summary
County veteran service officers told a joint Senate–Assembly hearing in Sacramento that modest state investments expand access to federal benefits, reduce homelessness and suicide risk, and counter predatory for‑profit claim agents.
At a joint informational hearing of the Senate and Assembly Committees on Military and Veteran Affairs in Sacramento, county veteran service officers urged state lawmakers to increase funding for County Veteran Service Officers (CVSOs), saying modest state investments generate large returns in federal benefits and local stability.
David West, president of the California Association of County Veterans Service Officers (CACVSO), told the committees that CVSOs are “the first point of contact for veterans, their spouses, and their family members” and that counties’ offices build “lifelong relationships with veterans, advocating for them across decades.”
The request centered on expanding the state subvention that supports CVSO operations. West and other witnesses provided detailed figures: the state currently provides about $11,000,000 in annual general‑fund…
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