ND Veterans Affairs News: State

Study on Treatments for PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI)

• A study for nontraditional healing therapies, massage, healing touch, reflexology, stress management, yoga, hyperbaric chamber treatments and gathers information on the needs of women veterans.
• Appropriations: $0.

Agent Orange

Origination: Representative Trottier, ACOVA, NDVCC

• $50,000 appropriation of general funds to ND Department of Veterans Affairs to provide grants for the identification and provision of services to ND Veterans who had been exposed to Agent Orange during the Vietnam conflict.
• Requires ND Department of Veterans Affairs to report to the budget section on the use and outcome of the grants awarded
• Appropriations: $50,000

Fishing License Fees

• Lowers disability level requirement from 100% to 50%
• Adds Unemployability
• Fee goes from $3 to $5
• Fiscal note: $1,425. Not general funds.

Disabled Veterans Rent Credit

Origination of bill: Representative Guggisberg, Ron

• Provided renters credit for 50% or higher disabled veterans who would qualify for property tax exemption, but rent.
• Fiscal note: $1,472,000

NDNG State Active Duty

• Protects National Guard members from employer discrimination when involuntarily activated for State Active Duty emergencies for more than twenty regular working days in a calendar year. Under NDCC 37-29-03
• Fiscal note: $0

ND DVA Budget

• Veterans Affairs: Adds one FTE
• Veterans Affairs: $15,000 for website improvements
• Veterans Home funding: Demolish old veterans home $1,121,000
• Veterans Home Approved: Hold over Veterans Home construction funds into next biennium to complete all billings
• Veterans Home Approved: Carry over funding for Electronic Health record system into next biennium
• Veterans Home Approved: Authorization of Melvin Norgard funds for construction of a workshop $788,200
• Reduced Veterans Home operating budget by $50,000

ND National Guard UCMJ and License Plates

• Adds state active duty time to be subject to discipline as set forth in USMJ
• Changes to veteran definition dates for adjusted compensation (war bonus)
• Adds motorcycle plates available for NDNG license plates
• Fiscal note: $0

Interment at Veterans’ Cemetery Eligibility

• Add: "a child who is without any sibling and who survives the veteran" to eligibility for internment at ND State Veterans Cemetery
• Fiscal note: $350,000. Federal VA Cemetery Grants

ND National Guard-Emergency Management

• Allows local emergency management organizations to enter into interstate mutual aid agreements with nearby political subdivisions.

DAV Plates

• Allows 100% disabled Veterans with DAV plates to park in handicapped parking without additional handicapped parking tab
• Fiscal note: $0
• NDCC 39-01-15 (1&2)