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Committee hears bill to appropriate funds for Fishing with Vets; HF1997 laid over
Summary
Rep. Cal Warwes introduced House File 1997 to appropriate funds to Fishing with Vets. Testifiers described the program's expansion, requested $25,000 in 2026 and 2027 (with $5,000 earmarked for mental-health training), and the division laid the bill over.
Rep. Cal Warwes, sponsor of House File 1997, told the House Veterans and Military Affairs Division on March 12, 2025 that HF1997 would appropriate funds to Fishing with Vets, a nonprofit that organizes fishing trips for veterans. The committee laid the bill over for further consideration.
Rep. Cal Warwes (R-District 7B) said the organization has taken more than 1,000 veterans on trips in fewer than 10 years and described the bill as bipartisan. Robert Stearns, director of operations for Fishing with Vets, told the committee the group has expanded from seven trips in 2018 to 22 trips scheduled this year and expects to serve about 250 veterans. Stearns said the organization has no paid staff and relies on donations and sponsorships.
Stearns said the organization is asking for $25,000 in fiscal 2026 and $25,000 in fiscal 2027, and proposed setting aside $5,000 for mental-health training as the program expands. Jeremy Colson, president and a founder of Fishing with Vets, recounted the group’s informal origins and its role in building camaraderie among veterans. Testifier Ron Knudson described personal benefits from the trips and said, “I truly believe they saved me.”
Committee members praised the testimony and thanked the witnesses. No formal appropriation vote occurred; HF1997 was laid over by the division.
