Bill > S949

Introduced Session

Research has shown that being outdoors has restorative powers, helping to inspire people and heal their bodies and spirits. Research has also shown that outdoor recreation can be an effective form of treatment, rehabilitation, and healing for veterans. According to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD, between 11 and 20 percent of veterans who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom and 12 percent of veterans who served in Operation Desert Storm have post-traumatic stress disorder in a given year, and 30 percent of veterans who served in Vietnam will have had post-traumatic stress disorder in their lifetime. Veterans have given so much for this State and country that an effort to eliminate barriers and provide more public outdoor space for use by veterans is necessary and appropriate. The task force will: identify opportunities to formalize coordination between the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, public land agencies, and organizations regarding the use of public lands or other outdoor spaces for medical treatment and therapy for veterans; identify barriers that exist to providing veterans with opportunities for medical treatment and therapy through the use of outdoor recreation on public lands or other outdoor spaces; and develop recommendations to better facilitate the use of public lands or other outdoor spaces for preventative care, medical treatment, and therapy for veterans. The task force may make recommendations for legislation or such other action as it deems appropriate with regard to improving, expanding, and facilitating the use of public lands and outdoor spaces to assist veterans with their healing and recovery. Under the bill, the term veteran means any person discharged from the Armed Forces of the United States or a Reserve component thereof, including the National Guard, under conditions other than dishonorable. The task force will report its findings and recommendations to the Legislature and the Governor within eighteen months of its initial organizational meeting. The report will be publicly available and posted on the websites of the Department of Military and Veterans and the Department of Environmental Protection. The task force will expire after the submission of its report. This bill is modeled on federal legislation that unanimously passed both houses of Congress.

Committee Categories

Kristin Corrado (R)*, 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee (on 01/09/2024)

Official Document