NEWS: Baldwin’s Bill to Connect Veterans with Earned Benefits Now Heads to the President’s Desk

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) announced her bipartisan Commitment to Veteran Support and Outreach Act passed the House and Senate as part of a larger legislative package to support veterans. Baldwin’s legislation expands support for County Veterans Service Officers (CVSO), the community-based employees who work directly with veterans to inform them of eligibility for VA programs and services, file pension and compensation claims, and help them enroll in job, housing, disability, and education benefits.

“Traveling the state, I’ve heard firsthand from veterans the outsized impact that these local advocates have had on their lives – helping make sure they got the right health care at the VA, deliver overdue pensions, and so much more,” said Senator Baldwin. “County and Tribal Veteran Service Officers are the boots on the ground that really make sure our veterans get what they are owed, but sadly, we give them zero support. Our bill gives these advocates the support they need so they can reach more heroes, and I’m thrilled my bipartisan legislation is now heading to the president’s desk.”

Out of the estimated 19 million veterans in the United States, only a small fraction are aware of and utilize the care and benefits they have earned from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). CVSOs are local county employees who are nationally accredited by the VA and are often the first to inform veterans about their eligibility for VA programs and services. They also help enroll veterans into the Veterans Health Administration and provide assistance on a range of benefits, including service-connected disability compensation, VA home loans, education benefits, and job placement assistance.

The Commitment to Veteran Support and Outreach Act will authorize $10 million each for FY26 and FY27 to expand and support CVSOs or similar local entities. The VA will award competitive grants to states in order to improve outreach to veterans and enhance the ability of states to develop and submit claims on behalf of veterans, and increase the number of county and tribal service officers serving in the state by hiring new officers. States will be required to submit an application containing a detailed plan for the use of these funds, and the Secretary will develop guidance for outcome measures to determine the effectiveness of the programs and will prioritize grants to areas with high rates of suicide among veterans or referrals to the Veterans Crisis Line. By increasing the number of CVSOs, states will be better able to leverage their local and federal resources to serve our veterans.

In Wisconsin, several CVSOs helped sound the alarm about a doctor at the Tomah VA who was misdiagnosing veterans who were suffering from traumatic brain injury. In part because CVSOs identified a troubling pattern, Senator Baldwin and impacted patients successfully got the VA to identify, reexamine, and in appropriate cases, deliver those misdiagnosed their earned benefits.  

In December 2017, Senator Baldwin met with Joe Aulik, who has held several leadership positions within the County and Tribal Veterans Service Officers Association of Wisconsin. During their meeting, Aulik advocated for what would eventually become the CVSO Act. “This is a great day for veterans and the CVSO and TVSO community, as this bill will allow funding new CVSOs and TVSOs within states and provide training for current staff, a big thanks to all who supported the bill,” said Joe Aulik.  

The CVSO Act is supported by the National Association of Counties (NACo), the National Association of County Veteran Service Officers (NACVSO), the Wisconsin and Alaska Departments of Veterans Affairs, the Wisconsin State Association of County Veterans Service Commissions and Committees (WSACVSC), the Wisconsin Association of Counties, the National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs (NASDVA), and multiple individual CVSOs and local officials in Wisconsin.

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