Secretary of Veterans & Defense Affairs Overview for Public Safety Subcommittee, Senate Finance & Appropriations Committee Secretary Carlos L. Hopkins January 29, 2020 1
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Secretary of Veterans & Defense Affairs
Overview for Public Safety Subcommittee,Senate Finance & Appropriations Committee
Secretary Carlos L. HopkinsJanuary 29, 2020 1
Past Year’s Accomplishments• Opened three new DVS offices: Ft Lee, on Ft Belvoir, and Virginia Beach;• Filed 79,876 submissions to VA in FY19 (contributed to $3.2B in federal disability
compensation benefits paid to Virginia veterans in FY-20);• Connected 3,196 veterans to behavioral health/supportive services;• Helped 950 homeless veterans obtain secure housing;• Governor’s Challenge: Led the Commonwealth’s national roadmap to prevent suicide
among Service Members, Veterans, and Families (SMVF) and trained 525 providers at regional military culture and suicide prevention summits;
• Virginia Values Veterans (V3) Program: 13,121 hires in FY19;• Women Veterans Program: 2019 Summit had 800+ participants;• 529th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion and 192nd Wing deployed and returned home;• 116th Brigade Successfully completed a complex three-week multi-service training
exercise;• 91st Cyber Command Federal Deployments and National Cyber Exercises. 2
Department of Veterans Services(DVS)
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DVS: Statewide Overlay
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Presenter
Presentation Notes
What’s next? Virginia War Memorial grand reopening February 29, 2020 Conclude $10.2M expansion project at Suffolk cemetery – Spring 2020 “Shovel in ground” on the Veterans Care Centers – Spring 2020 (projected opening = Spring 2022) Planning underway for phase expansion of Amelia cemetery Targeted expansion of Benefits, VVFS, V3, and other programs to meet service demand
Benefits Services Programs
$528,000 (FY21) /$732,000 (FY22) (GF) (Item 464)• Hire three new Veterans Service Representatives (VSRs) in FY21, two more in FY22:Work with veterans to develop the needed information and evidence to submit disability compensation, pension,
and other claims to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA);First point of entry for veterans/families in accessing other federal/state veterans programs;New positions will help meet high workload/service demand (almost 80,000 submissions in FY19).
• Locality-based salary adjustments for Northern Virginia:Critical to recruitment/retention in competitive job market with high cost-of-living: Over the last 25 months,
VSR loss was 37 of 70 positions (53% loss);NOVA VSR Attrition rate for FY20 was: 8 of 16 (50% loss);Training for new VSRs 6-9 months to recruit/train new VSR.
• Salary adjustments for appeals attorneys:Highly specialized, complex area of the law. The increase is critical to recruitment/retention;DVS appeals attorneys have lost 3 of 6 attorneys in the last 24 months (50% loss).
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Presentation Notes
New VSRs – FY21: 1 floater VSR in western part of state (tentative Roanoke/Salem area), 2 VSR in Fredericksburg; FY22: 1 floater VSR in Hampton Roads area; 1 VSR in western Virginia (tentative Harrisonburg/Staunton area) Approved compensation claim results in average $14,000/year in disability compensation VA paid $3.2B in disability compensation and pension benefits to Virginia Veterans in FFY18 Approved claim results in priority access to VA medical care (VA spent almost $1.8B spent on medical care for 163,000+ unique patients in Virginia in FFY18) Work regularly results in $100,000+ lump sum retroactive payments to veterans/families, plus monthly payments and access to VA medical care going forward ALL VSRs departed (voluntarily and non-voluntarily) since Dec 2017 (25 months): 37 of 70 positions (53% loss) · Total VSAs departed: 8 of 16 positions (50% loss) · Note also, we’ve lost 3 of 6 appeals attorneys in the past 2 years (50% loss)
Veteran & Family Support Programs
$341,000 (FY21/22) (GF) (Item 464)• Hire three new Veterans Peer Specialists in FY21:Integral part of care coordination delivered by the VVFS program and partners and an
important part of the Governor’s Challenge to Prevent Suicide;
Delivers individualized peer coaching and advocacy services to veterans, members of the National Guard and Reserves, and transitioning service members;
Supports veterans in their personal management of daily living and behavioral challenges;
Provides support, knowledge, coaching, role-modeling, connection, navigation, and additional one-on-one support through the veteran peer specialist’s lived experience as a military service member or veteran with challenges related to their own military service and/or transition;
New positions will go to DVS offices in west/southwest Virginia (2) and NoVa (1), where distance or gaps in service are barriers to helping veterans get this service. 6
Education Programs
• Hire one new VMSDEP program manager in FY21 (GF)The Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program
(VMSDEP) waives tuition and mandatory fees at state colleges and universities for children and spouses of KIA, POW, MIA, and veterans 90% or greater service-connected disabled;The 2019 General Assembly expanded VMSDEP eligibility. As a result,
applications for the first six months of FY20 were double what they were during the same period on FY19:July 1, 2018 - January 22, 2019 - 573 applications received;
July 1, 2019 - January 22, 2020 - 1133 applications received (a 50% increase from 2018).
$83,140 (FY21) / $110,853 (FY22) (GF) (Item 464)
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Memorial Programs
Virginia War Memorial$92,900 (FY21/22) (GF) (Item 465)
• Funding for parking deck operations and maintenance.
• Ceremony February 29, 2020 at 10 a.m.:Dedication of the Shrine of Memory – Global War on Terrorism and Beyond;Opening of the C. Kenneth Wright Pavilion.
State Veterans Cemeteries(Item 465)
• Hire three new grounds worker and/or administrative positions (NGF) in FY21 to meet increasing workload: Current operations and perpetual care. 8
Care Center Programs
FY21: $5,100,000 (NGF) (Item 463)FY22: $17,100,000 (NGF) (Item 463)
• $5,100,000 (NGF) and FTE for current veterans care centers:New nursing positions at Virginia Veterans Care Center (VVCC) in Roanoke;Launch new C.N.A nurse training program at VVCC to recruit/hire new staff;Continuing building maintenance projects.
• $12,000,000 (NGF) and FTE for new care centers in FY22:New 128-bed centers to be built in Virginia Beach and Fauquier County;Hiring to begin spring/summer 2021 for late 2021/early 2022 opening; Funding and positions for operations.
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Presenter
Presentation Notes
Increased staffing levels driven by new and upcoming changes in federal/state regulations designed to lower staff/patient ratios and implement new QC/infection control measures Short-term in-patient rehabilitative services now offered at VVCC Examples include replacement of emergency generator and hot water heaters at Sitter & Barfoot Veterans Care Center (SBVCC) in Richmond and boilers at VVCC
Other items included in DVS budget
FY21: $5,000,000 (GF) (Item 465)
• $5,000,000 (GF) for Army Museum:Funding for Fairfax County to support the construction of the Virginia Veteran's Parade
Field within the National Museum of the United States Army in Fairfax County.
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Department of Military Affairs(DMA)
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Governor’s FY21-22 Budget Amendments
• $500,000 Annual Increase for Tuition Assistance (Item 469):
Funding for tuition assistance for members of the Virginia National Guard to help recruitment and retention of Guard members.
• Language Authorizing the Establishment of State Active Duty Pay Table (Item 472C):
Authorization to establish a pay table that would increase pay for Guard members on State Active Duty.
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Presenter
Presentation Notes
1. TA Approx 500 soldiers/airmen supported any given semester. TAG goal is fully funded tuition up to Bachelor at state school Amount of award depends on number of takers and funds available Increase will allow more Guard members to be helped, or larger awards to the existing number. 2. SAD No one loses money from current pay table. Simplifies pay table for ease of administration Provides increased pay for all soldiers, especially junior soldiers. Approx 11% increase over past expenses, about $30K additional per year. ($10K increase calculated for Charlottesville, times 3 events per year).
• $3M for a Capital Project for Fire Safety Systems (C-62):Bond funding, added to $5M previously authorized in FY18, for improvement of
Fire Safety Systems in armories state-wide.
• $3.35M for a Capital Project to Build Fire Station (C-63):Federal trust funding to build a Fire Station at Blackstone Army Airfield:100% federally reimbursed.
Governor’s FY21-22 Budget Amendments
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Presenter
Presentation Notes
. Fire Systems Armories used as staging areas for soldiers on SAD. Current fire safety systems limit the number of soldiers that can sleep in armory overnight. Improvements will allow much larger force to sleep overnight without a fireguard. Cost avoidance of using hotels. First 5M, design pretty much completed, work to commence soon on actual installation/improvement. . Fire Station BAAF heavily used by all services. Current facilities have been labeled inadequate, poses significant safety risk. Army to fund additional fire/rescue equipment, current facilities inadequate to protect the equipment and additional personnel 100% federally reimbursed. May also send money for additional bay to existing fire station on Ft. Pickett proper to house an additional piece of equipment.
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FY21 Operating Budget (Changes to the Base)Agency Fiscal
Year Source GF NGF Total
VDA 2021 Addenda (Changes to the Base) ($4,053) $4,863 $810
DVS 2021 Addenda (Changes to the Base) $7,851,806 $10,383,164 $18,234,970
DMA 2021 Addenda (Changes to the Base) $995,943 $7,580,004 $8,575,947
VSF 2021 Addenda (Changes to the Base) $6,575 $0 $6,575
Total $8,850,271 $17,968,031 $26,818,302
FY22 Operating Budget (Changes to the Base)Agency Fiscal
Year Source GF NGF Total
VDA 2022 Addenda (Changes to the Base) ($4,053) $4,863 $810
DVS 2022 Addenda (Changes to the Base) $3,083,519 $22,388,164 $25,471,683
DMA 2022 Addenda (Changes to the Base) $995,943 $7,580,004 $8,575,947
VSF 2022 Addenda (Changes to the Base) $6,575 $0 $6,575
Total $4,081,984 $29,973,031 $34,055,015
FY21 Positions (Changes to the Base)Agency Fiscal
Year Source GF NGF Total
VDA 2021 Addenda (Changes to the Base) 0 0 0
DVS 2021 Addenda (Changes to the Base) 3 25 28
DMA 2021 Addenda (Changes to the Base) 0 0 0
VSF 2021 Addenda (Changes to the Base) 0 0 0
Total 3 25 28
FY22 Positions(Changes to the Base)Agency Fiscal
Year Source GF NGF Total
VDA 2022 Addenda (Changes to the Base) 0 0 0
DVS 2022 Addenda (Changes to the Base) 3 245 248
DMA 2022 Addenda (Changes to the Base) 0 0 0
VSF 2022 Addenda (Changes to the Base) 0 0 0
Total 3 245 248
Summary of Changes from Base Budget
Positions
Operating Budget
Department of Military Affairs (DMA) Total:0 FTEs and $1,991,886 GF
0 FTEs and $15,160,008 NGF
$6.35 Million Federal Trust and bond proceeds
Virginia Department of Veterans Services (DVS) Total:6 FTEs and $10,935,325 GF
270 FTEs and $32,771,328 NGF
Secretary of VADA TOTAL (DMA & DVS): 6 FTEs and $12,927,211 GF
270 FTEs and $55,511,340 NGF$6.35 Million Federal and bond proceeds
Governor’s FY21-22 Budget Amendments
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Questions?
Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs, Carlos L. Hopkins
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