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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR Harrison

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

2/08/06

HB 783

SHORT TITLE

EASTERN NAVAJO CHAPTER VETERANS'

SERVICES

SB

ANALYST Weber

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY06

FY07

$3,315.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Relates to SB 616

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Veterans Services Department

Indian Affairs Department (IAD)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 783 appropriates $3.315 million from the general fund to the Indian Affairs

Department for the purpose of providing Veterans’ services in Crownpoint and other eastern

Navajo chapters of the Navajo Nation.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $3.315 million contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general

fund. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY07 shall revert to

the general fund.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

The Indian Affairs Department reports:

House Bill 783 – Page 2

The Department of Navajo Veterans Affairs (DNVA) operates five agency offices, including one

in the Eastern Navajo Agency which serves the Navajo Chapters in New Mexico. There are

approximately 1,901 veterans in the Eastern Navajo Agency.

According to DNVA, there is currently a need for housing for over 650 Navajo veterans residing

in New Mexico. The unemployment rate of Navajo veterans is at least 60% and approximately

10% of Navajo veterans are requesting housing assistance. Many of these veterans are homeless,

elderly, handicap/disabled, or are otherwise on a fixed income and do not have the means to

finance a home.

Additionally, Navajo veterans need medical and health care, benefits and financial support,

transportation, education and employment, and training. The appropriation request would assist

Navajo veterans living in the Eastern Navajo Agency to access those government benefits to

which they are entitled. The funding may help fund veterans’ service Officer positions. Such

Officers assist veterans to process compensation and pension applications, file appeals, request

military service records, etc. Navajo veterans would benefit by learning how to navigate through

a cumbersome system which requires a lot of paperwork. Ultimately, this proposal would help

improve the quality of life of Navajo veterans in the Crownpoint and other Eastern Navajo

Chapters.

The Veterans’ Services Department adds:

The Department of Veteran Services has two Veteran Service Officers that serve the Navajo

Nation, one in Gallup, and one in Farmington. The Department of Veteran Services has initiated

a Native American Veteran Outreach Program that was funded during the 47th Legislative

Session, 2005. The DVS has made contacts in each pueblo, the two Apache Tribes as well as the

Navajo Nation. This program will serve as a clearing house for training and information for

Native American Veterans in New Mexico.

MW/yr