The Mt Vernon Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) and its 600 members are a part of the Virginia Joint Leadership Council of Veterans Service Organizations (JLC) which has a combined membership of over 250,000 members in the 23 veterans service organizations (VSOs) throughout the Commonwealth. The JLC is organized by Virginia statute to represent the concerns of all the 827,000 veterans in Virginia.
The mission of the JLC is to provide advice and assistance to the Governor and the Department of Veterans Services on matters of concern to the veterans community, and provides a conduit of information to and from the veterans service organizations on policy and legislation, pending and enacted, as well as information on existing services.
As the voice of Virginia’s veterans, the JLC identifies issues of concern to veterans, their spouses, orphans, and dependents, and serves in an advisory capacity to the Virginia Department of Veterans Services. Each year, the JLC presents a list of prioritized key legislative objectives for the Governor’s consideration. So, when you ask, “what are Virginia’s veterans’ issues,” these are the top issues.
A full presentation of the JLC can be found at http://www.dvs.virginia.gov/jlc.htm.
The JLC adopted the following legislative objectives for 2009 on August 13, 2008. These are the top JLC legislative objectives for the Virginia General Assembly which will convene in January, 2009. These objectives include:
- Automated System
for the Electronic Preparation of Veterans’ Disability Claims: The JLC recommends that the Governor and
General Assembly direct that “subject to the availability of
sufficient funds, the Department of Veterans Services shall … develop and
deploy an automated system for the electronic preparation of veterans’
disability claims.”
- Homeless
Veterans Study: The JLC recommends
that the Governor and General Assembly fund a study to examine the current
level of services provided to homeless veterans in the Commonwealth of Virginia,
and the need for and cost of additional services.
- Burial
Vaults for Virginia State Veterans Cemeteries: The JLC recommends that the Governor and
General Assembly appropriate funds so that burial vaults may be provided
at no cost at Virginia
state veterans cemeteries.
- Real Estate
Tax Relief for 100% Disabled Veterans:
The JLC recommends that Governor and General Assembly pass
legislation to amend the Virginia Constitution that would require local
governments to grant real estate tax exemptions for 100% disabled veterans
without regard to means testing.
- Interstate
Compact on Educational Opportunities for Military Children: The JLC recommends that the Governor
and General Assembly enact HB395 (2008), Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity
for Military Children.
- Military
Family Relief Fund: The JLC recommends that the Governor and
General Assembly enact legislation such that benefits paid from the Military
Family Relief Fund shall be nontaxable.
Members of the Mt. Vernon Chapter will visit delegates and senators from our local districts in the Virginia General Assembly on January 26, 2009 to seek full support for these objectives.