Veterans Services seeks $1M to secure Augusta veterans cemetery; nursing‑home bed fill rate prompts recoupment

Department of Veterans Services officials updated the Senate subcommittee on multiple House budget changes and program status items affecting veterans across the state.

The department asked the Senate to support a House recommendation of $1,000,000 to cover design and architectural work for a proposed Augusta veterans cemetery. Officials said the state expects to receive a roughly $10,000,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to construct the cemetery but needs the state match and site preparations; the cemetery would serve areas just south of Fort Gordon that are currently outside the VA's 75‑mile coverage radius.

On nursing home capacity, the department reported it was unable to onboard sufficient staff to fill 40 newly funded beds at the Georgia War Veterans Nursing Home and the House recommends recouping $360,000 of those funds while the department works to fill the beds; the department said hiring fairs are under way and it expects to fill the beds by the end of the quarter.

Veterans Services also described a closed‑loop referral system (a Unite Us implementation) and noted the governor proposed funding that the House increased; the department requested an additional $864,802 to fully fund the program for the coming year. The system is used to connect veterans to housing, food, employment, childcare and mental‑health supports and the department reported high closing and referral rates for veterans served.

Committee members asked about the state of the newly opened subacute therapy unit and staffing; the department said one floor is fully staffed and additional hiring is in progress to expand capacity to three floors.

Presenters answered questions but no committee votes were taken during the session.