Committee advances veterans mental-health loan-repayment bill, approves $250,000 start-up

The committee advanced a bill draft to create a Wyoming veteran loan repayment program administered by the University of Wyoming (bill draft 25LSO0083) aimed at increasing the number of mental-health clinicians serving veterans in-state.

LSO attorney Talise Hanson walked members through the bill's structure, including creation of Wyoming statute 21-16-2001; eligibility aimed at U.S. citizens or permanent residents enrolled in qualifying master's (social work, counseling) or PhD (psychology) programs; repayment options that allow in-state service to repay loans; and a sunset date of June 30, 2035.

Motions and amendments: The Wyoming Military Department and University recommended several technical and policy changes. The department proposed removing a veteran-only eligibility restriction to admit professionals who will serve veterans, substituting a PhD for the psychology track and suggesting a 25% minimum working-hours service requirement; the committee adopted conforming amendments, fixed the PhD language throughout, set a 25% work-minimum and adopted a three-year repayment-plus term to match similar programs.

Appropriation and funding source: After discussion the committee approved a $250,000 appropriation to launch the program and voted to fund it from the general fund by recorded division (7-6) and subsequent roll call. University leaders estimated in-state graduate cost-of-attendance at roughly $26,732 and nonresident at $40,532 per year.

What the committee decided: With amendments adopted, the committee sponsored the bill draft and approved the $250,000 start-up appropriation; members said the measure should be revisited in the budget process for final funding scales and administrative cost treatment.

Quotations: Mike Smith of the University of Wyoming noted cost ranges: "resident $26,732 this year; nonresident $40,532," and Tim Sheppard of the Wyoming Veterans Commission described the measure as "another tool in the toolbox" to address veteran suicide and mental-health access.

Next steps: The bill will move forward as a committee-sponsored draft with the adopted technical changes and the $250,000 appropriation; further work on appropriation size and administrative cost treatment may continue in budget deliberations.