Hugh Lessig
Virginia lawmakers are considering a flurry of bills to help the 780,000-plus veterans in the state, including a measure to authorize up to $28.5 million for a care center in Hampton Roads.
Another bill targets veterans charged with criminal offenses who need help with a drug addiction or mental health problem. Still another would create a fund for former service members seeking hyperbaric oxygen treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury.
Finally, a Chesterfield County lawmaker wants to set aside a day in July to honor veterans who participated in above-ground nuclear tests during their service. Many of these “atomic veterans” suffered from radiation exposure, but they could not seek care or compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs until years later.
The 2015 General Assembly convened Wednesday and is scheduled to last 46 days.
Virginia has two care centers for aging and infirm veterans, in Richmond and the western Virginia city of Salem. Two more are proposed, for Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia.
The bill sponsored by Del. Kirk Cox, R-Colonial Heights, would authorize $28.5 million from the sale of bonds. He has a companion bill that sets aside an identical amount for the Northern Virginia center.
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