The Full Ways and Means Committee passed HB 5039, which is the state agency budget for the Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs (ODVA).  HB 5039 includes pass through dollars for County Veterans Service Officers (CVSO’s) that will double the current allocation from $4.35 million to $8.7 million.

On Thursday, June 21, the Full Ways and Means Committee passed the 2017-19 Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs (ODVA) budget bill (House Bill 5039).  As part of HB 5039, the state’s funding of County Veteran Service Officers (CVSO) would be enhanced by $4,354,861, for total CVSO funding of $8,709,722, and the National Service Organizations (NSO) program would be enhanced by $118,156 for total NSO funding of $236,312. This increase in CVSO and NSO funding is intended to enhance existing state and county funding, helping to serve more veterans, increase the number of claims filed and bring more federal dollars to the state.

Details of 2017-19 ODVA Budget General and Lottery Fund Allocations

  • Doubles current state funding level of CVSO’s from $4.35 million to $8.7 million.
  • Increasing Lottery Funds expenditure limitation by $4,125,211 to shift the funding for veterans’ services from Other Funds supported by home loan revenues to Lottery Funds. Eliminating the subsidization of veterans’ services program activities will strengthen, stabilize, and sustain the Home Loan Program for future generations of veterans.
  • $350,000 Lottery Funds expenditure limitation to support a veterans’ crisis and suicide prevention hotline.
  • Restoration of the $103,700 General Fund in the current service level budget for the Emergency Financial Assistance Program, which provides one-time grants to veterans who have emergency needs.
  • Lottery Funds allocation of $1,500,000 to address veterans’ housing and homelessness issues with instruction to the Department to work with the Housing and Community Services Department and report back to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means in February 2018 with a proposal for strategic investments that will result in long-term housing stability for veterans.
  • Establishing a reserve balance of $2,336,575 in the Veterans’ Services Fund to allow for fluctuations in revenue projects and provide a working capital balance to accommodate Lottery Funds expenditure increases during the biennium.

Contributed by: Andy Smith | AOC Veterans Policy Manager