HOUSE BILL REPORT
SB 5253
This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in
their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a
statement of legislative intent.
As Reported by House Committee On:
State Government & Tribal Affairs
Title: An act relating to veteran-owned businesses.
Brief Description: Creating a list of and decal for veteran-owned businesses.
Sponsors: Senators Kilmer, Swecker, Hobbs, Shin, Kohl-Welles, Regala, Marr, Hatfield, Murray, Weinstein, Rockefeller, Keiser, Sheldon, McAuliffe, Clements, Kauffman, Franklin, Eide, Jacobsen, Rasmussen and Honeyford.
Brief History:
State Government & Tribal Affairs: 3/16/07, 3/20/07 [DP].
Brief Summary of Bill |
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HOUSE COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT & TRIBAL AFFAIRS
Majority Report: Do pass. Signed by 8 members: Representatives Hunt, Chair; Appleton, Vice Chair; Chandler, Ranking Minority Member; Armstrong, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Green, Kretz, McDermott and Ormsby.
Staff: Marsha Reilly (786-7135).
Background:
The Department of Veterans Affairs (Department) provides a variety of services to veterans,
including assistance with finding employment, submitting entitlement claims, managing
long-term health care, obtaining counseling for post-traumatic stress syndrome, and
addressing a variety of other needs specific to veterans.
Summary of Bill:
The Department shall develop and maintain a current list of veteran-owned businesses and
make that list available on the Department's web site. The Department must also create a
decal to be distributed to veteran-owned businesses. The purpose of the decal is to identify a
business to the public as a veteran-owned business.
To qualify as a veteran-owned business, a business must be 51 percent owned and controlled
by a veteran or an active or reserve member in any branch of the armed forces of the United
States, including the National Guard, Coast Guard, and Armed Forces Reserves.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Not requested.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.
Staff Summary of Public Testimony:
(In support) Local service members face problems after deployment. People would support
veteran-owned businesses if they knew who they were. The bill provides tools for people to
support those businesses owned by veterans. It directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to
develop a web site of veteran-owned businesses and to create a decal that could be posted in
the windows of veteran-owned businesses. The bill provides a small step to help our
veterans. The federal government has established a program to purchase goods and services
from veteran-owned businesses. However, in Washington, there is no way presently to know
who these businesses are. This may be something to look at down the road.
The Department of Veterans Affairs looks forward to working with veterans to develop a
web site to identify veteran-owned businesses. This is one more way to support our troops.
The fiscal note was indeterminate because it is not known how many veterans businesses
there are.
The Paralyzed Veterans of America supports the bill. There are at least 4,000 businesses
owned by veterans. The bill prioritizes the values of services to the community through
identification of veteran-owned businesses.
(Opposed) None.
Persons Testifying: Senator Kilmer, prime sponsor; Heidi Audette, Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs; and Skip Dreps, Northwest Chapter of the Paralyzed Veterans of America.