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State veterans agency seeks match dollars for Tri‑Cities cemetery, urges funding for Spokane home replacement amid service cuts
Summary
The Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs told the legislative joint committee it needs state matching funds to access federal grants for a new Tri‑Cities veterans cemetery and seeks state support to complete a Spokane Veterans Home replacement that would add private rooms and memory‑care capacity.
David Puente, director of the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA), briefed the Joint Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs on three agency priorities: a proposed Tri‑Cities state veterans cemetery, a Spokane Veterans Home replacement, and recent budget reductions that have reduced some veteran services.
"Once we get the keys to the location in the cemetery, typically the VA will reimburse the additional 10%," Puente said, describing the federal arrangement that will fund most start‑up costs if the state provides an initial 10 percent match for a new cemetery. Federal VA analysis identified a 75‑mile radius in the Tri‑Cities area that would serve roughly 46,000 veterans and an estimated 400 interments per year.
WDVA has identified two candidate parcels near Richland and West Richland and received $500,000 in capital funding for a predesign study due in early…
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