ProgressOhio

Some of you may remember the Shadows On High Column from two weeks ago: Shadows On High: Ohio's Shame; Caring For Ohio's Veterans Shouldn't Be So Political.

The crux of the column had to do with Senate Bill 289 which creates an Ohio cabinet level veterans affairs department -- but provided little if any oversight to the often slow and cumbersome process veterans experience while filing and following their claims. 

Yesterday Ray Strischek sent the following good news. A Substitute Senate Bill has been introduced that addresses most of the oversight issues -- something some veterans advocates have been fighting for over two decades to achieve.

Ray wrote: Today, 040808, Ohio Senate Finance Committee, 3rd hearing, on Senate Bill 289, the bill to elevate the Governors Office of Veterans Affairs to the Ohio Department of Veterans Affairs.

Senate Bill 289 was set aside.  It was replaced by Sub SB 289, a compromise version worked out by Senator Spada (who introduced SB 289, GOVA Director Tim Espich, members of the Ohio State Association of Veterans Service Commissioners, and members of the Ohio State Association of Veterans Service Officers, to address problems brought forth during the previous 2 hearings by several veterans, including many specific issues brought forth by myself and Dave Jenkinson.

The first thing to happen was to drop the name change to the OHIO DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.   The new name change will be to OHIO DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS SERVICES.

Sub S.B. No. 289 (LSC 127 1844-2)

Replaces SB-289

Important changes:Sec. 121.02 (Administrative Departments)

(new language)
(T) The department of veterans services, which shall be administered by the director of veterans services.   (Page 3, lines 65 and 66)

Sec. 5901.02 (about Veterans Service Commissioners, the Judge SHALL remove)
(E) (added language)  
The appointing authority shall remove a member who fails to maintain certification or whose certification is revoked by the director of veterans services.  (Page 8, lines 219 - 221)

Section. 5901.07 (about CVSOs, the VSC SHALL remove)
(added language)
The commission shall remove a veterans service officer who fails to maintain accreditation or whose accreditation is revoked by the director of veterans services.  (Page 10, lines 271-273)

Section 5902.02 (Director of Ohio Department of Veterans Services duties and powers)

(language as it already exists)
[C] Adopting rules pursuant to Chapter 119 of the Revised Code pertaining to minimum qualifications for hiring, certifying, and accrediting county veterans service officers, pertaining to their required duties,,,,,,

(added language)
and pertaining to revocation of the accreditation of county veterans service officers. A county veterans service officer whose accreditation is revoked is entitled to an adjudication under Chapter 119 of the Revised Code.   (Page 16, lines 456-460)  

(language as it already exists)
(D) Adopting rules pursuant to Chapter 119 of the Revised Code for the education, training, certification, and duties of veterans service commissioners,,,,,,,,

(Added language)
and for the revocation of the certification of a veterans service commissioner. A veterans service commissioner whose certification is revoked is entitled to and adjudication under Chapter 119 of the Revised Code.   (Page 16, lines 463-466)

(new language)
(X) Requiring the several veterans organizations that receive funding from the state annually to report to the director of veterans services and prescribing the form and content of the report. (Page 20, lines 593-596)

(new language)
(Y) Investigating complaints against county veterans services commissioners and county veterans service officers if the director reasonably believes the investigation to be appropriate and necessary. (Page 20, lines 593-596)

(new section, new language)
Sec. 5902.09 The person in charge of a state agency or instrumentality, an agency or instrumentality of a political subdivision, or a private entity, such as a nursing home, that provides law enforcement, health, or welfare services to individuals, other than the Ohio veterans’ home and veterans service organizations, shall ask an individual with whom the agency, instrumentality, or entity interacts if the individual is a veteran or is or was athe dependent of a veteran.  If the individual claims to be such and individual, the person in charge shall report the individual’s name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address; the agency’s, instrumentality’s, or entity’s name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address, the nature of the agency’s, instrumentality’s, or entity’s interaction with the individual; and the date on which the interaction occurred to the director of veterans services.  The director shall inform the veterans service commission having jurisdiction about the veterans or dependent and the interaction.  The commission shall inquire about, and offer benefits and services appropriate to the veteran or dependent.  (Page 23, lines 671-689)

 Kudo's to the Governor's Office, Senator Spada and the many stakeholders for recognizing the deficiencies in this legislation and addressing them.

Since that Shadows many veterans have contacted us at ProgressOhio. Let's hope the changes stick through the legislative process.