Each year, the General Assembly makes it a priority to pass legislation providing support for Hoosier veterans and their families.
This week, the following bills to make Indiana a more veteran-friendly state were signed into law:
SEA 145 requires the Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs (IDVA) to work with Veteran Service Organizations to establish a set of standards for the unclaimed remains of deceased veterans, allowing for the proper burial of veterans with no family members.
SEA 154 increases the funeral allowance for a member of the Indiana National Guard who dies in the active service of the state from $4,000 to $8,000.
SEA 189 provides that information concerning attendance records and academic progress for a student attending an adult high school who is a member of the military or children in military families must be submitted to the Department of Education by each school corporation and charter school.
SEA 219 requires certain profession and occupation boards to adopt rules that establish procedures to expedite the issuance or renewal of a license, certificate, registration or permit to a military spouse whose husband or wife is assigned to a duty station in Indiana.
SEA 295 expands the Military Family Relief Fund to all veterans. Currently, the fund is only open to those who served post 9/11. Language in the enrolled act also includes new criteria for eligibility (income, use of other funds, etc.). Additionally, the bill includes a requirement that a county veteran service officer sit on the Veterans Affairs Commission.
SEA 304 increases the assessed value limit for property-tax deductions from $143,000 to $175,000 for veterans with at least a 10-percent disability.
SEA 362 extends the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act’s guidelines to the state level, and now includes the military service for the National Guard regiment of another state. The bill also allows the military records of an individual to be released to a person with power of attorney, a court order or a court-appointed representative.
HEA 1089 urges a legislative study committee to examine the duties, standards and practices of veteran district service officers.
HEA 1187 makes it a Class A misdemeanor for a person to fraudulently represent himself or herself to be an active member or veteran of the Armed Forces of the United States with the intent to obtain money, property or another benefit by using falsified military identification; or fraudulently claiming to be the recipient of certain military honors.
HEA 1312 allows veteran-owned businesses to register directly with the State of Indiana instead of the federal government. This registration allows veteran-owned businesses to receive greater consideration during the state’s contracting and procurement process.
HEA 1313 creates a definition of “Hoosier veteran” to recognize the military service of individuals who do not meet the federal criteria to be recognized as a veteran.
HEA 1359 waives the maximum hiring age restrictions that apply to the appointment and hiring of police officers and firefighters for an individual who is a veteran of the armed forces.
HEA 1373 extends employment protections to guard members who are called to active duty. It also extends the Medicaid eligibility of a service member and the service member’s dependent, if they are called to active duty or deployed outside of Indiana.
