Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Veterans Mental Health topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee lays over bill to fund Camp Bliss veterans retreats after multiple veterans testify
Summary
House File 532 would appropriate $150,000 in fiscal years 2026 and 2027 for Camp Bliss retreats serving veterans and families. Testimony described program scope, participant numbers and therapeutic outcomes; the division laid the bill over for possible omnibus inclusion.
Chair Bliss and Camp Bliss leadership told the House Veterans and Military Affairs Division that House File 532 would appropriate $150,000 in fiscal years 2026 and 2027 from the general fund to the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs for veteran retreats at Camp Bliss in Walker.
Kara Ruff, executive director of Camp Bliss, described retreats including equine therapy, fishing, ice fishing and family programs, and said the center has served roughly 350 veterans and family members in 27 retreats since the last biennium; with five additional scheduled retreats before the end of the session the total would reach approximately 404 participants. Ruff said about 99% of participants reported improved well-being or enhanced coping skills after retreats.
Veterans who testified described personal experiences. Lieutenant Colonel Ross Decree (ret.) called Camp Bliss "one of the best run and best facilities I've seen anywhere," saying the small-group format (about 22 people on larger retreats, smaller groups for deeper programs) fosters camaraderie and informal healing. Jesse Sprint, who served in Afghanistan, said Camp Bliss provided a "safe respite" that helped him reintegrate after service. Kirsten Whitman, a 60%-rated disabled veteran, credited Camp Bliss with helping her enter sobriety and access VA care.
Members asked for more demographic breakdowns of participants; Ruff said she would provide further detail. The committee laid House File 532 over for possible inclusion in the omnibus.
