Senate committee hears $300,000 one‑time request for veteran suicide prevention from Tobacco Trust interest fund

Senator Mike Yakawich, sponsor of Senate Bill 95, told the Senate Finance and Claims Committee that the bill requests a one‑time allocation of $300,000 spread over two years to fund veteran suicide‑prevention programs.

The money would come from the Tobacco Trust interest fund. “This will be taken, with your permission, of course, through the Tobacco Trust interest fund,” Yakawich said, and he added an estimate that the fund currently generates about $7 million in interest.

The bill would route funds through the Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) and involve partnerships with the Montana Veterans Affairs Division and service organizations. Carl Roston, identified in committee as an office official who implements grant programs, told the committee the program would use an RFP with “metrics involved” so successful projects could report measurable outcomes. Roston said approved proposals would report on measurable outcomes to permit evaluation and possible future continuation of funding.

Proponents included Brigadier General Renee Dorval, deputy director for the Department of Military Affairs; Duane Cunningham, adjutant for the Department of Montana American Legion; Kelly Ackerman, administrator for the Montana Veterans Affairs Division; Dennis Stoner of the Montana National Guard Association; and Didi Baker, executive director of Dog Tag Buddies. Patrick Yawake spoke on behalf of Blackfeet, Fort Belknap and Rocky Boy tribal communities in support.

Supporters framed the request as seed money for community‑level veteran outreach and suicide‑prevention initiatives. Duane Cunningham told the committee the sum should be judged against lives potentially saved: “$300,000 doesn't seem like that much money” when measured against saving veterans’ lives, he said. DPHHS witnesses and local public‑health coordinators described existing community work and said this targeted funding would be complementary to statewide suicide‑prevention efforts.

Committee questions focused on whether the $300,000 is a single‑cycle appropriation and where future funding would come from. Roston said the future would depend on the metrics and outcomes produced under the RFP, and that continuation funding would be considered if programs demonstrated favorable results. He also said a special‑revenue fund is commonly used for community grant programs and could be an option for follow‑up funding.

In committee exchanges, witnesses noted a recent decline in veteran suicides statewide and discussed the difficulty of attributing causation to any single program. A DPHHS‑affiliated witness said statewide veteran suicides fell from about 74 in 2022 to 56 in the prior year — a 24 percent decrease — but cautioned that many factors influence rates.

The hearing record shows proponents from state and nonprofit organizations and informational testimony from local public‑health coordinators. The bill sponsor closed by urging support for the one‑time investment and by promising a report on results.

The hearing was opened and closed on the bill; no committee action (vote or amendment) is recorded in the transcript.