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Veterans omnibus bill would expand ODVA staffing, suicide prevention, employment and veterans court programs
Summary
House Bill 2845, presented April 3, is a veterans services omnibus intended to increase Department of Veterans' Affairs funding and staff, expand suicide prevention and employment support, and create veterans courts. Supporters said rising federal staffing uncertainty increases need for state action.
House Bill 2845 — the 2025 Veterans Services Supplemental Investment Initiative — was the subject of a lengthy public hearing April 3 before the House Committee on Emergency Management, General Government, and Veterans. Sponsors described the bill as a bipartisan omnibus package to expand services, staffing and outreach for Oregon veterans.
Representative Courtney (Rep. Boyce in the hearing record) and other sponsors outlined major components the bill would enact, including:
- A guaranteed minimum ODVA (Oregon Department of Veterans' Affairs) appropriation of $10,000,000 adjusted for inflation. - Creation of 11 new ODVA positions intended to improve service delivery and program efficiency. - A requirement (as drafted in the amendment) that the ODVA director be a veteran. - Development and implementation of suicide prevention programs targeted to veterans, and pilot grants pairing suicide prevention with workforce training (particularly in agriculture, forestry and natural resources). - Establishment of a veterans employment coordinator who would contact National Guard members within two weeks of separation and assist incoming veterans moving to Oregon. - Creation of veterans courts across Oregon’s judicial districts and clarification of program administration responsibilities. - Changes to the veterans service fund to limit reserves to no more than 12%.
Supporters included the Veterans Caucus coordinator Ramiro "RJ" Navarro Jr.; representatives of Courtney Place Veterans Housing; SEIU Local 503; and several veteran-service organizations and county veterans service officers. Testimony included personal veteran experiences and the link between stable housing, employment training and suicide prevention.
Opposition or concerns were limited in the hearing record; Lincoln County Veterans Service Officer Keith Barnes supported the bill overall but asked for clarification about pass-through funds and county-level accounting on one subsection.
Committee members asked clarifying questions and praised provisions (Representative Scolato said an employment coordinator was an overdue addition). Sponsors said additional technical amendments were forthcoming to clarify county veteran service officer program language and administrative roles.
No committee vote was taken April 3; the public hearing record was extensive and the sponsors indicated they would work on final amendment language prior to further committee action.
Quotes
"The veterans omnibus bill is a product of a good bipartisan collaboration that says to our veterans, we will take care of you when you return home to Oregon," one sponsor said.
"Coming back from Iraq in 2010, I struggled with undiagnosed PTSD ... With that DD214, I was able to get access to services that supported me in my recovery," Ramiro Navarro Jr. (Veterans Caucus coordinator) said in personal testimony supporting the bill.
Ending
Supporters urged committee approval after technical amendments. The committee closed the public hearing without a vote and indicated follow-up work between sponsors, county veteran service officers and stakeholder groups.
