PWVC Legislative Committee Report

MARCH 2026

Bob Gray, Legislative Committee Chair 

The PWVC Legislative Committee drafted letters to the House and Senate Appropriations Committee Majority and Minority chairs requesting program funding increases for the next state budget. Those mirror the House Veterans Affairs Committee priorities letter sent to the House Appropriations Committee. The PWVC letters did not include funding amounts but emphasized the need to increase funding.

The body of the letter is below:

As the General Assembly approaches the FY 2026-2027 budget, The Pennsylvania War Veterans Council respectfully submits the following veteran-related funding priorities for consideration and requests an in-person meeting to further discuss the importance of these issues to Pennsylvania’s veterans:

1. The Act 66 of 2007 Veterans Service Officer Program supports provides funding to accredited organizations (Americal Legion, VFW, DAV, VVA, and AMVETS) to dramatically expand claims and other benefits services to veterans in Pennsylvania – the VA and DMVA systems are complex. However, the annual grant award cycle established by DMVA has perennially put these organizations in debt without relief, especially when the passage of the state’s annual budget appropriation is The system has not allowed for a budgetary reserve to bridge the gap during such times to allow for budget impasses delays and subsequent slow administrative approvals.

Consequently, these organizations must borrow money to pay service officers and otherwise sustain their continuously needed services. A one-time statutory shift in the VSO grant program award cycle would solve this problem, but this requires bridge funding into the middle of the next budget year.

The Veterans Temporary Assistance Program provides emergency financial support to veterans facing short-term hardships. It is a primary tool for providing assistance to needy veterans at a county level (through county directors of veteran’s affairs). The program last had a separate line-item appropriation in 2013-2014. For whatever reason, the Administration decided to entirely fund this statutorily required program by overburdening the Veterans Trust Fund, which was never meant to be the sole source of funding. A side effect is the projected collapse of this trust fund so important to community partnerships in support of our veterans.

The Council requests reestablishment of the line time and funding it to a level that relieves the overwhelming burden on the Veterans Trust Fund.

2. The Blind Veterans Pension and the Amputee/Paralyzed Veterans Pension provide essential financial support to veterans with extreme service-connected disabilities, but the monthly payment has not been increased since 1999. The pension increase is long overdue, especially considering the recent extreme rise in the cost of living in
3. We believe such a meeting, meaningfully done, may significantly contribute to better understanding of why these issues are so important to our veterans and their families – and to the commonwealth’s welfare also.

The PWVC Legislative Committee plans to schedule an office visit with both the House and Senate Budget Committee chairmen to discuss funding these goals.

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Veterans Justice: The announcement of a state Supreme Court Judiciary Procedural Rule change for Pennsylvania’s common pleas courts will require the court to ask defendants convicted of a felony if they are veterans.

Title 234—RULES OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE [ 234 PA. CODE CH. 7 ]

Proposed Amendment of Pa.R.Crim.P. 702, (B) ] (b) [ PSYCHIATRIC OR PSYCHOLOGICAL EXAMINATION ] Psychiatric or Psychological Examination. After a finding of guilt and before the imposition of sentence, after notice to counsel for both parties, the sentencing judge may, as provided by law, order the defendant to undergo a psychiatric or psychological examination. For this purpose the defendant may be remanded to any available clinic, hospital, institution, or state correctional diagnostic and classification center for a period not exceeding 60 days. (c) Veterans. (1) As used in this subdivision, the term ‘‘veteran’’ shall mean a person who served in the active military, naval, air, or space service, and who was discharged or released therefrom under conditions other than dishonorable. (2) Upon conviction of a felony, the judge shall determine if the defendant is a veteran by questioning the defendant or the defendant’s counsel.

(3) If a veteran is convicted of a felony, in addition to any sentencing aids described in subdivisions (a) and (b), the court may also order a neuropsychological examination by a licensed neuropsychologist to determine if the defendant suffers from a traumatic brain injury, unless: (i) the defendant will not be incarcerated pursuant to a plea agreement; (ii) the defendant provides the court with a copy of existing and reasonably current mental health or medical records that would otherwise satisfy the purpose of the examination; or (iii) the defendant objects to undergoing the examination

PWVC commented that the procedural rule should be expanded.

SUGGESTIONS We also ask that proposed Section 702(c)(2) be changed as follows: Upon conviction of a felony, the judge shall determine by questioning the defendant or the defendant’s counsel: (i) if the defendant is a veteran, and (ii) if the defendant is a veteran whether the defendant has ever been examined for PTSD or TBI, and if so, what were the results of such examinations. And that Section 702(c)(3), as proposed, be modified to read: If a veteran is convicted of a felony, in addition to any sentencing aids described in subdivisions (a) and (b), the court may also order a neuropsychological examination by a licensed neuropsychologist or neuropsychiatrist to determine if the defendant suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder or a traumatic brain injury, unless:

Representative Soloman is continuing to pursue a veteran cranial justice system legislative issue as reported. Looking at what Nebraska has done to bring unity and uniformity into the system.

Claims Shark issue. The Veterans Guardians, a national company that assists veterans file their VA paperwork for a fee, has lobbied successfully to prevent a full ban on claims services for a fee as the VFW and others have wanted. One bill was reintroduced in January by Rep. Delozier, HB       The Legislative Committee will contact the Rep. to discuss wording in the bill.

PAY DAY LENDING TRYING TO RETURN TO PA:         Philadelphia legal aid attorneys have heard that a financial company called EarnIn has been looking for legislators to introduce a bill that will bring back pay day lending in a new form, it is an app on your phone. You provide your personal information, bank account number, automatic withdrawal form and make small dollar loans from your wireless phone. No need to go to a fixed location. An automatic withdrawal repays the loan on payday. The Center for Responsible Lending has provided a history on this company and the effects of loans on low-income families. Research has shown that people have had three loans open at the same time. This creates the cycle to at feeds pay day lender’s bottom line. A Philadelphia legal aid attorney is contacting organizations to ask if they will join a statewide coalition to as done in prior years to fight against pay day lending. The Legislative Committee is restoring a prior goal to its list of goals for 2026: No change to Pennsylvania’s small dollar lending law. More information on the company’s operations will be provided.

The Global War on Terrorism Bonus seems to be off the table this session due to funding but we are not giving up on keeping it on our list.

SB 1146 Sen. Baker, Revising the operation of the Veterans Trust Fund. The bill is going through a final review before passing out of the House committee. It passed in the Senate in the fall.