ATLANTA – State Representative Mary Margaret Oliver (D-Decatur) commented today on the General Assembly’s passage of House Bill 535, which passed the state Senate with a unanimous vote and passed the state House with a vote of 147 to 13, showing broad bipartisan support for the measure. Sponsored by Rep. Oliver, HB 535 modernizes funding for the Georgia State War Veterans’ Home.
“With a more modernized funding system, we will not only be able to serve more veterans, but we will also save Georgia an estimated $3 to 6 million,” said Rep. Oliver. “While we still have more work ahead of us in ensuring veterans get the benefits they deserve, HB 535 is a great step in the right direction.”
HB 535 modernizes the Georgia State War Veterans’ Home’s funding system by allowing the Veterans Service Board to establish a fee for residency and a waiver of fees for those with economic need. The measure will ensure the facility obtains federal Aid and Attendance benefits, which have been refused by the Georgia Veterans’ Administration since the facilities’ creation in 1950. Georgia is the only state that currently does not accept these funds at veterans’ homes.
The Georgia War Veterans Home, located in Milledgeville, and the Georgia War Veterans Nursing Home, located in Augusta, provide long term care to Georgians who have served in the armed forces during times of war.
For more information on HB 535, please click here.
Representative Mary Margaret Oliver represents the citizens of District 83, which includes portions of DeKalb County. She was elected into the House of Representatives in 2002, plus five years previous service. She currently serves on the Appropriations, Governmental Affairs, Judiciary, and Science and Technology committees.
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