H-0736.1
SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1102
State of Washington
69th Legislature
2025 Regular Session
By House Technology, Economic Development, & Veterans (originally sponsored by Representatives Shavers, Ryu, Leavitt, Callan, Simmons, Goodman, Wylie, Nance, Fosse, and Reeves)
READ FIRST TIME 01/23/25.
AN ACT Relating to increasing support and services for veterans; amending RCW 43.60A.230 ; adding a new section to chapter 43.60A RCW; and creating a new section.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that veterans are eligible for state and federal benefits, but may be unaware of those benefits or the process to apply for them. Veterans service officers serve a critical role in assisting veterans and their families with identifying and applying for federal benefits, including health care, service-connected disability, nonservice-connected pension, employment, education, housing, burial, and survival benefits. The federal department of veterans affairs provides over $6.5 billion per year in benefits to veterans in Washington. The average veteran receiving service-connected disability compensation benefits receives over $1,700 per month.
The legislature further finds that nationwide, approximately 32 percent of veterans receive federal disability compensation. Washington currently has approximately 530,000 resident veterans, but only 158,000 veterans are receiving federal benefits. Currently, veterans in 15 Washington counties receive benefits at or above the national average, 21 counties are within 10 percent of the national average, and three counties are more than 10 percent below the national average.