DOWNLOAD THE DAV-WI 2010-11 LEGISLATIVE AGENDA HERE
2010 DAV Legislative Agenda with Resolutions Text
TEXT OF THE 2010-11 LEGISLATIVE AGENDA
The DAV is the authoritative voice for our nation’s service-connected disabled veterans, including the young men and women wounded or injured as a result of the current wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The spirit of our members in support of our legislative initiatives is essential to our efforts to secure and enhance the programs that benefit disabled veterans.
Our legislative goals are the guide used in our mission to build better lives for disabled veterans and their families. They are drawn from resolution adopted by the delegates at our annual State Convention. Below are some of the major objectives the Wisconsin DAV will pursue during 2010-11.
STATE OF WISCONSIN BENEFITS, PROGRAMS, SERVICES
1) 2010-07: Divorce and Compensation. A veteran’s VA disability Compensation should not be considered divisible property at the time of a divorce.
2) 2010-09: Support for the Wisconsin G.I. Bill Tuition Remission. Expresses full support for the Wisconsin G.I. Bill tuition remission and opposes any legislative, policy or administrative change that would reduce in any way the full benefits provided under the Wisconsin G.I. Bill tuition remission program.
3) 2010-19: Support Restoration of State Veterans Entrepreneurship Training Program. Support for administrative, policy or legislative changes that would that will result in the restoration of an entrepreneurship training program in Wisconsin for veterans, particularly disabled veterans.
4) 2010-11: Increasing Veterans Employment at WDVA. Calls for a new focus at WDVA resulting in a substantial increase in the total number of veterans hired and employed by WDVA, especially wartime and disabled veterans.
5) 2010-12: Increasing Veterans Employment in State Government. Calls for a new focus in Wisconsin State Government resulting in a substantial increase in the total number of veterans hired and employed by State and local governments, especially wartime and disabled veterans.
6) 2010-13: Veterans Employment in WDVA’s Milwaukee Claims Office. Calls for a focus by WDVA on hiring only veterans, especially disabled veterans, for WDVA’s Milwaukee Claims Office positions.
7) 2010-14: Staffing Levels in WDVA’s Milwaukee Claims Office. Supports increased staffing in, and opposes any changes to WDVA claims office that would, in actuality or in effect, reduce staffing or increase per-caseworker caseload.
8) 2010-16: Support Modernizing WDVA’s Eligibility Processing. Supports administrative, policy or legislative change that would reform the WDVA eligibility determination process to make it fully modern, electronic, efficient, and rapid.
9) 2010-15: Support for Changes to Staffing in WDVA’s Eligibility Section to Eliminate and Prevent Backlogs. Supports administrative, policy or legislative change that would expand WDVA eligibility and adjudication staffing permanently or on an as-needed basis to eliminate or substantially reduce the actuality and possibility of backlogs.
10) 2010-17: Support Modernizing WDVA’s Discharge Database. Supports administrative, policy or legislative changes that would modernize WDVA’s DD-214 military discharge database, reforming it from an image-based database to a robust relational line-entry database that would expedite processing, improve data mining, and allow for targeted outreach and proactive assistance to veterans.
11) 2010-20: Support for Veterans Trust Fund Revenue Generators. Support for publicity noting the tax-deductible status of “donations” to the Veterans Trust Fund that include the special plate issuance/reissuance fee for the Wisconsin Salutes Veterans license plate, the Veterans/Military license plate, and the state tax form designated donation line donations.
12) 2010-04: State Lottery Scratch Off Ticket “GI Dough”. The State of Wisconsin should establish a special scratch off lottery ticket to be known as “GI Dough” and that any monies collected from this scratch-off game shall be used only as a supplemental financial resource to be added directly into the WDVA Property Tax Credit Program.
13) 2010-18: Support Changes to Disabled Veterans License Plates. Supports administrative, policy or legislative changes that would that will allow for disabled veterans to obtain a license plate from DMV showing authorization for disability parking privileges along with any of the full range of military medal, period, or branch of service designations available on DMV’s Military License Plates.
FEDERAL ISSUES AFFECTING WISCONSIN VETERANS
1) 2010-23: Hearing Impairments. Supports granting veterans with chronic high frequency loss a compensable rating (10 percent) when it has been medically determined that the veteran requires and has been issued a hearing amplification device for quality of life.
2) 2010-08: Non-Serviceconnected Burial Allowance. Support an increase to the Non Service Connected Burial Allowance from $300.00 to $1,000.00.
3) 2010-07: Divorce and Compensation. A veteran’s VA disability Compensation should not be considered divisible property at the time of a divorce.
