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Hometown Hero Outdoors seeks state support for veterans outdoor-therapy programs; bill laid over
Summary
House File 492 would appropriate state funds to Hometown Hero Outdoors to expand outdoor recreation and suicide-intervention training for veterans. Presenters described program metrics, training plans and proposed spending allocations; the division laid the bill over for omnibus consideration.
Representative Hill presented House File 492 to the House Veterans and Military Affairs Division, asking for an appropriation to support Hometown Hero Outdoors (HHO), a nonprofit that runs outdoor recreation trips for veterans and service members.
Chris Tetro, president of Hometown Hero Outdoors, said the organization is a 501(c)(3) founded in 2017 and described program outcomes from pre- and post-trip surveys. Tetro said HHO has taken roughly 2,700 people on trips in Minnesota and a total of 5,700 participants across 26 states since its founding, and he said about 85% of participants are military service members or veterans. He cited published national statistics on veteran suicide and PTSD and argued that group outdoor activities can reduce isolation and improve long-term psychological well-being.
Tetro outlined how proposed appropriations would be used: 50% for direct outdoor adventures (hiring local guides, outfitters and resorts), 30% for expanded applied suicide intervention skills training (ASIST) and mental-health partnerships, 10% for outreach and growth, and 10% for administrative costs. He said HHO directs approximately 90% of its funds to programs and runs pre/post surveys; cited pre/post trip outcomes including reported mental-health improvements and stress reduction; and described partnerships with equine-therapy providers and suicidology consultants.
Matthew Deitner, a U.S. Army Reserve chaplain, testified that he sees veterans rely on community supports and said HHO—s program creates durable peer networks that persist after trips; he gave a specific example of a group that continued mutual support after a trip and intervened when a member faced suicidal thoughts.
Members praised the community-based approach and noted the program also includes first responders. Representative Hill closed by thanking presenters; the committee laid House File 492 over for possible omnibus inclusion.
