This Senate Resolution supports a federal bill that would create a three-year grant program to fund research and development of new treatments for veterans with chronic mild traumatic brain injury. The proposed grants would support academic institutions, healthcare providers, and community organizations in testing non-drug interventions, conducting clinical trials, training clinicians, and building partnerships to scale effective care strategies. The measure specifically aims to address mental health needs and suicide prevention among veterans, with Pennsylvania institutions encouraged to participate in the program. The resolution urges Congress to pass the federal legislation and calls for ongoing collaboration between state and federal officials to monitor and improve outcomes for veterans.
House Bill 993 creates an official logotype for veteran-owned businesses in Pennsylvania. The Department of Military and Veterans Affairs will develop this logotype and establish an application process and eligibility guidelines for businesses to use it. A veteran-owned business is defined as one where at least 51% of the ownership is held by a veteran. The bill also establishes a penalty for fraudulently claiming veteran status to use the logotype and creates a Veteran-Owned Business Coordinator to assist veteran entrepreneurs.
SB 1091 designates Bridge Key 7041 on Pennsylvania Route 513 over Neshaminy Creek in Hulmeville Borough, Bucks County, as the "Corporal Robert Lee Clampffer Memorial Bridge." The bill directly affects the bridge's official name and honors Corporal Robert Lee Clampffer, a Bucks County resident who died in service. This is a commemorative resolution with no substantive policy changes or financial provisions. The bill was referred to the Transportation committee on November 24, 2025.
This bill creates a Veterans' Trust Fund in Pennsylvania by adding fees collected from paid veterans' claims assistance providers and directs those funds to support grants for veterans' service officer programs. It establishes new registration and disclosure requirements for individuals and organizations that charge fees to help veterans with benefits claims, requiring them to register annually and provide clear written information about their services and compensation to veterans before working with them. The law exempts government employees, accredited representatives from recognized veterans' organizations, and nonprofit groups from these requirements while maintaining existing protections for free assistance sources.
SB 533 creates a fee exemption for veterans and active military members participating in approved hunting events. It allows the Pennsylvania Game Commission to issue "Military Event License Exemption Permits" for events on private land (with landowner approval) that provide rehabilitation or enjoyment for eligible individuals. Eligible participants include veterans with 30%+ service-connected disabilities, Purple Heart recipients, and one designated assistant per participant. Events are limited to 10 people for no more than seven consecutive days, require 14-day advance applications, and still require adherence to all hunting regulations like seasons and bag limits. The bill takes effect 60 days after passage.
HB 1405 amends Pennsylvania's Public School Code to create new pathways for veterans to become career and technical teachers in public schools. It allows veterans who served at least 8,000 hours (four years full-time) in an occupation they will teach to qualify for a Career and Technical Intern Certificate or Career and Technical Instructional I Certificate, bypassing some standard certification requirements. The bill specifically defines "veteran" as someone discharged under honorable conditions from U.S. Armed Forces, including National Guard or reserves. This directly affects veterans seeking teaching roles in career and technical education programs across Pennsylvania's public schools.
SB 475 creates a framework for Pennsylvania courts to establish specialized "problem-solving" treatment courts (including veterans, drug, mental health, and DUI courts) and modifies probation rules. It allows courts to create "veterans tracks" within existing treatment programs and requires judges to consider a defendant's employment status when sentencing for technical probation violations. The bill specifically permits up to 30 days of incarceration to allow defendants to enter treatment courts instead of imposing full sentences for technical probation violations. This directly affects Pennsylvania courts, probation officers, and individuals on probation who commit minor violations.
This Pennsylvania Senate resolution (SR 116) urges Congress to support H.R. 2102, the Major Richard Star Act, which would eliminate a rule reducing retirement pay for medically retired service members. Currently, veterans with less than 20 years of service and a disability rating under 50% lose $1 in retirement pay for every $1 in disability benefits they receive. The resolution highlights that an estimated 50,000 veterans are affected by this offset, with average monthly reductions of about $1,900. It specifically calls for removing this restriction to allow medically retired service members to receive full retirement pay and VA disability benefits simultaneously.
HB 799 requires businesses with more than 50 full-time employees (working 40+ hours weekly) in Pennsylvania to display or provide online a standardized workplace posting about veteran resources. The posting must include contact information for state and federal veteran benefits, the VA Crisis Line, and local county veterans affairs offices. Employers can meet this requirement by placing the posting in a visible location or on an employee-accessible company website. The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry will create and maintain this standardized posting on its public website. The law took effect on July 7, 2025, with specific provisions requiring the posting to be implemented within 180 days.
SB 78 is a procedural bill that renames specific bridges and road segments across Pennsylvania in honor of deceased military personnel. It designates 30+ locations - including bridges over streams and highways in counties like Indiana, Cambria, and Blair - with memorial names for service members (e.g., "PFC John Tabacsko Memorial Bridge" over Bear Run in Indiana County). The bill does not create new policies or allocate funds; it solely updates official infrastructure signage to commemorate veterans. This renaming affects public infrastructure directly, with each designation specifying exact locations via bridge keys or route segments.
