FINAL BILL REPORT

SJM 8040

As Passed Legislature

Brief Description: Requesting funding for veterans' health care needs.

Sponsors: Senators Shin, Jacobsen, Kastama, Thibaudeau, Berkey, Fraser, Doumit, Prentice, Horn, Kohl-Welles, Kline, Fairley, Oke, Stevens, Hale, Zarelli, T. Sheldon, B. Sheldon, Schmidt, McAuliffe, Keiser, Murray, Spanel, Brown, Eide, Rasmussen, Winsley and Benton.

Senate Committee on Government Operations & Elections

House Committee on State Government

Background: The veteran population in Washington numbers about 670,000. The number of veterans receiving health care through the United States Department of Veterans Affairs ranks second to last among the states. The network for veterans' service provision that includes Washington has the largest number of veterans waiting for non-emergent clinic visits. Increasingly numbers of Washington State veterans who had previously had other arrangements for their health care must for the first time now turn to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs for their primary health care. The United States Department of Veterans Affairs Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services (CARES) has not fully considered the current and future need for veterans' health care.

Summary: The Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington petition President Bush, the Congress of the United States, and the Secretary of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to serve adequately the current and future demands of our state's veterans and to affirm the debt owed these veterans.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate       49  0

House       95  0