Arizona Veterans Legislation 2019

- January 27, 2019

Veterans’ Legislation Efforts

This is the second year of our veterans’ legislation descriptions. We attempt to cover all of the proposed legislation that might affect veterans in the state of Arizona. Please let us know if there are any pieces of legislation we might be missing.

To find out who your representative is, or to contact your representative, see this link: https://www.azleg.gov/alisStaticPages/HowToContactMember.asp

For Arizona Legislature Request to Speak (RTS) information (RTS allows you to request to speak at the legislature, or to register your opinion as for or against certain legislation) see this link: https://azleg.gov/rts/rts.asp

Highlights:

  • A bill to require the Department of Health to compile and report on statistics for veteran suicides, to include statistics on use of illicit drugs and/or legal medications, would also seek information from the VA regarding obtaining prescriptions and/or mental health information “relating to” veterans.
  • A bill restricting the amount of events veteran service organizations can hold where nonmembers can attend and consume alcohol.
  • A bill to allow free access to state parks.
  • A bill giving preference on state contracts to veterans.
  • A bill allowing the purchase of more veterans’ homes across Arizona.
  • A bill allowing fee exemptions on specialty plates for veterans who have the international symbol of access for disability.
  • A bill authorizing the creation of military services special plates.
  • A bill authorizing an income subtraction on taxes for retired vets.
  • A bill appropriating funds to be distributed to the Navajo Nation for administration of a Navajo Veteran housing assistance program.
  • A bill appropriating funds to the Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services to hire benefits counselors.
  • A bill ordering the Adjutant General to pay those members of veteran service organizations who participate in military honors funerals.

2018 Recap

Unfortunately, just two of the of the twelve pieces of veterans’ legislation efforts we wrote about last year passed. You can see the full listing and descriptions of each of our covered pieces of legislation from last year at the link here: https://www.jacksonlawgroupaz.com/blog/arizona-veterans-legislation-2018/

Our highlighted legislation from 2018 with results:

  • College tuition waivers for children or dependents of veterans with 30% or greater service connected disability. DID NOT PASS
  • Allowing Game and Fish to reduce or waive fees for veterans. PASSED! You can now apply for a Disabled Veteran’s License, so long as you are 100% disabled (as of the date of this writing), and receive an original certification from the department of veterans’ services. See application here: https://bit.ly/2Dy6uRy
  • A proposal to increase the income tax subtraction veterans receive. DID NOT PASS
  • A reduction in Medicinal Marijuana fees for veterans, to $75.00. DID NOT PASS
  • Allowing a VA issued health card for use in voter registration. DID NOT PASS
  • Vehicle license tax exemptions for veterans with at least a 40% disability resulting from a lower limb amputation. DID NOT PASS
  • Arizona contracting preferences for veteran owned businesses. DID NOT PASS
  • Protection from discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations. DID NOT PASS
  • A proposal urging congress to provide for deported veterans owed VA services. DID NOT PASS
  • A proposal requiring judges in each county to establish a veterans’ court and a mental health court. DID NOT PASS

2019 Proposed Bills with Sponsors and Description

HB 2488 “veteran Suicides; annual report”

Sponsor: Jay Lawrence (R)

Description: This bill creates an annually required report, ordering the Arizona Department of Health Services to compile a report on veteran suicides that includes:

  1. The number of veterans who died by suicide or accidental death in the preceding five years.
  2. The prevalence of medications or illegal substances in each veteran who died by suicide.
  3. The number of instances in which veterans who died by suicide were taking multiple medications prescribed by either:
    1. Physicians who work for the United States Department of Veterans Affairs
    2. Physicians who do not work for the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.

The bill also asks that the Department of Health and Human Services provide “the percentage of veterans in this state who receive nonmedication first-line treatments, such as cognitive behavioral therapy.”

The bill goes further in asking the Department of Health and Human Services to analyze other state programs with the V.A. “including an analysis of sharing prescription information and behavioral health data relating to veterans.”

https://apps.azleg.gov/BillStatus/BillOverview/71630

HB2487 “state veterans’ homes

Sponsor: Jay Lawrence (R)

Description: The bill changes the statute, which currently allows the Department of Veterans’ Services the ability to purchase property for and operate a veterans’ home. The change allows the Department of Veterans’ Services to expand their efforts, to purchase property for and operate multiple homes.

https://apps.azleg.gov/BillStatus/BillOverview/71629

HB 2030 “military plates; disability; fee exemption”

Sponsor: Jay Lawrence (R)

Description: The bill provides for exceptions to normal fees for the purchase of special plates (i.e. Veterans, Purple Heart, POW) for plates that have the international symbol of access for disability with a disability that occurred as a result of military service in a combat or noncombat area.

https://apps.azleg.gov/BillStatus/BillOverview/71044

HB2446 “military services special plates”

Sponsor: Gail Griffin (R)

Description: The bill provides for the creation of military services special plates so long “a person pays $32,000 to the Department” for implementation. The bill also states that, of the $25 fee required for purchase, $17 shall be an annual donation and $8 shall go to the State Highway Fund.

https://apps.azleg.gov/BillStatus/BillOverview/71583

HCM2001 “Deported Veterans, Medical Treatment”

Sponsors: Diego Espinoza (D), Richard C. Andrade (D), Isela Blanc (D), Reginald Bolding (D), Noel Campbell (R), Andres Cano (D), David Cook (R), Charlene Fernandez (D), Randall Friese (D), Rosanna Gabaldon (D), Alma Hernandez (D), Jennifer Jermaine (D), Jay Lawrence (R), Jennifer Longdon (D), Robert Meza (D), Tony Rivero (R), Diego Rodriguez (D), Lorenzo Sierra (D)

Description: The bill cites a statistic that at least 234 veterans have been deported, states that those who were deported and who were not allowed to see a V.A. doctor for evaluation are not allowed to claim their benefits at the V.A., and asks the United States Government to provide medical treatment and other benefits for all veterans of the United States, including those who have been deported.

https://apps.azleg.gov/BillStatus/BillOverview/71188

HB2105 “procurement; veterans; Arizona bidders; preference

Sponsors: Diego Espinoza (D), Richard C. Andrade (D), Andres Cano (D), Charlene Fernandez (D), Randall Friese (D), Rosanna Gabaldon (D), Alma Hernandez (D), Robert Meza (D), Tony Rivero (R), Diego Rodriguez (D), Lorenzo Sierra (D)

Description: The bill provides procurement preferences for veteran owned businesses and Arizona owned businesses for some Arizona state contracts and provides definitions for those qualifying organizations.

https://apps.azleg.gov/BillStatus/BillOverview/71183

HB2093 “appropriation; veterans’ services; benefits counselors”

Sponsors: Richard C. Andrade (D), Noel Campbell (R), David Cook (R), Diego Espinoza (D), Rosanna Gabaldon (D), Gail Griffin (R), Jennifer Jermaine (D), Jay Lawrence (R), Pamela Powers Hannley (D), Diego Rodriguez (D), Bob Thorpe (R), Ben Toma (R), Myron Tsosie (D)

Description: This bill specifically appropriates an additional 1.2M dollars from the state general fund to the department of veterans’ services to hire additional benefits counselors.

https://apps.azleg.gov/BillStatus/BillOverview/71164

HB2499 “appropriation; Navajo veterans housing assistance”

Sponsors: Myron Tsosie (D), Mitzi Epstein (D), Alma Hernandez (D), Daniel Hernandez (D), Jay Lawrence (R), Jennifer Pawlik (D), Diego Rodriguez (D), Arlando Teller (D), Sally Ann Gonzalez (D), Juan Mendez (D), Jamescita Peshlakai (D), Victoria Steele (D)

Description: This bill appropriates $400,000 from the state general fund to the department of economic security to distribute to the Navajo nation for costs associated with the Navajo veterans housing assistance program administered by the Navajo nation.

https://apps.azleg.gov/BillStatus/BillOverview/71648

HB2020 “parks; veterans; military personnel; access”

Sponsors: Jay Lawrence (R)

Description: The bill would allow all veterans and active duty military personnel free entrance to all state parks on presentation of military identification.

https://apps.azleg.gov/BillStatus/BillOverview/71028

HB2281 “liquor omnibus”

Sponsor: Jeff Weninger (R)

Description: This bill would limit the number of events any nonmember of any military club or organization such as the VFW, DAV, or American Legion could attend. It specifically limits events such as bingo games and nonmember recruitment events, where nonmembers are allowed to purchase alcohol, to 12 events per year for each of those types of events.

https://apps.azleg.gov/BillStatus/BillOverview/71393

HB2011 “veterans; increased income subtraction”

Sponsor: Gail Griffin (R), Sonny Borrelli (R)

Description: The Bill would increase the subtraction from gross income for “benefits, annuities, and pensions received as retired or retainer pay of the uniformed services of the United States…” from the current $2,500 in 2019 and $3,500 in 2019 to $6,250 in 2020 and $10,000 in 2021.

https://apps.azleg.gov/BillStatus/BillOverview/71017

HB2046 “military funerals; honor guard; compensation

Sponsors: David Cook (R), Noel Campbell (R)

Description: This bill would require the Adjutant General to pay any members of Veterans’ Service Organizations in the state who serve on a detail for a deceased person eligible for military funeral honors.

https://apps.azleg.gov/BillStatus/BillOverview/71070

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