Legislation Strengthens the Services, Support, and Recognition due to Wisconsin Veterans
Today, Wisconsin Democratic Legislators unveiled three bills in the “Veterans Promise” Package, which will strengthen the services, support and recognition due to Wisconsin Veterans.
The group of legislators spearheading development of the Veterans Promise legislation including Senate Democratic Leader Dianne Hesselbein (D-Middleton), Senator Sarah Keyeski (D-Lodi), Representative Christine Sinicki (D-Milwaukee), Representative Maureen McCarville (D-DeForest), and Representative Angelito Tenorio (D-West Allis) released the following statement:
“There are more than 300,000 vets who call Wisconsin home. They served our Country with dignity, commitment and bravery. In retirement from service they have brought their skills home to Wisconsin to benefit and serve our communities. The bills we are introducing today help strengthen the services, support, and recognition due to our veterans for their service to our nation and state. We look forward to doing all we can to work with our Republican Colleagues to get these bills passed and signed into law.”
The three bills announced in today’s package are:
Missing-in-Action Recovery and Identification Project — LRB 5254/4720
Provides $500,000 in each year of the biennium to the UW Missing in Action Recovery and Identification Project to recover and identify veterans who are still missing in action. The MIA Recovery and Identification Project brings together multi-disciplinary teams of researchers, students, veterans, alumni, and volunteers to perform site surveys and assist in finding, identifying, and repatriating veterans’ remains.
Mental Health & Emergency Support – 2025 LRB 4716
Appropriates $5 million (one year) and requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to promote and assist veterans’ access to, and provide grants to organizations that provide to veterans, community-based and emergency crisis mental health services.
Making Veterans Day a State Holiday – 2025 LRB 5241/4617
Officially recognizes Veterans Day (November 11) as a State Holiday on which government offices are closed.
Copies of the bills and co-sponsorship memos are available at https://legis.wisconsin.gov/senate/27/hesselbein/veterans-promise-package-proposed-bills/
