LDVA continues to make Louisiana more veteran friendly, announces success from 2025 legislative session

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 20, 2025

LDVA CONTINUES TO MAKE LOUISIANA MORE VETERAN FRIENDLY, ANNOUNCES SUCCESS FROM 2025 LEGISLATIVE SESSION

BATON ROUGE, La.—Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Charlton Meginley, Col (Ret), USAF is proud to announce the department’s success from the 2025 Regular Session of Legislature. Legislation includes protection for military families against discrimination and expands the financial assistance that can be provided to veterans through the Military Family Assistance Fund.

“Governor Landry and the LDVA team is committed to making Louisiana the most veteran-friendly state in our nation, and we couldn’t do it without the help of our state legislative delegation,” said Secretary Meginley. “It is vital that we are able to work with our legislators to continue fulfilling the mission of serving those who served, and I thank them for their support of the veteran community.”

Sen. Franklin Foil authored Act 100 (Senate Bill 66), which prohibits discrimination against service members on the basis of their service in the areas of housing, education and more. Secretary Meginley noted, “This legislation is as much for the military spouse as it is for the service member.” “Military spouses are the backbone of the Department of Defense, most of whom have given up their own opportunities and career to ensure their service member can continue to serve. After hearing the story of a military spouse who was denied admission into an education program because she was an active duty military spouse, I knew we had to address this. Make no mistake, taking care of our military spouses is a national security issue; if we don’t take care of the military family, we won’t have a military. We are grateful to Sen. Foil and all members of the Legislature for this groundbreaking legislation.”

Act 241 (House Bill 116) by Rep. Peter Egan provides for the Military Family Assistance Board to be able to pay for the burials of indigent veterans; pay up to $1,000 of educational benefits for children of certain disabled veterans; and issue grants of up to $10,000 to organizations dedicated to helping veterans. The MFA Fund has awarded more than $2 million to veterans in need of financial assistance.

Additional department legislation includes:

• Act 130 (House Bill 54) by Rep. Dodie Horton provides for colleges and universities in the state to be designated as a “Purple Star Campus” if they meet the necessary requirements. These schools will have demonstrated their commitment to helping veteran and active military students.
• Act 132 (House Bill 60) by Rep. Jay Galle provides for Louisiana National Guard veterans and retirees that did not deploy under federal orders to be eligible for residency in our state veterans homes.
• Act 137 (House Bill 96) by Rep. Alonzo Knox provides for the United States Space Force to be included in the definition of Armed Forces under Louisiana law.
• Act 191 (House Bill 387) by Rep. Kellee Hennessy Dickerson provides for the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs to adjust any applicable fees for the care and maintenance of spouses and Gold Star families that reside in state veterans homes.
• Act 197 (House Bill 468) by Rep. Roy Daryl Adams provides for the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs to begin issuing, at the discretion of the Secretary, a Civilian Honor Medal to those Louisiana non-veteran citizens that have demonstrated a commitment to caring for and supporting the veterans and military members of our state.

Other veteran legislation includes:

• Act 242 (House Bill 120) by Rep. Jeff Wiley provides for the members of the Louisiana State Guard to be eligible for death and disability benefits.
• Act 12 (House Bill 167) by Rep. Sylvia Elaine Taylor provides for a portion of Louisiana Highway 3188 to now be known as the “Veterans Memorial Highway.”
• Act 86 (House Bill 508) by Rep. Ed Larvadain provides for only Louisiana resident disabled veterans to be eligible for free parking at the New Orleans cruise terminal.
• House Resolution 258 by Rep. Chuck Owen provides for the Louisiana Legislature to urge the Trump Administration to support and sign the Major Richard Star Act currently pending in Congress, which would grant combat disabled veterans both any retirement pay and any disability pay they are entitled to, without offset or reduction.
• Act 23 (Senate Bill 9) by Sen. Adam Bass provides for drones and other unmanned aerial devices to now be prohibited from flying over Louisiana military installations.
• Act 321 (Senate Bill 69) by Sen. Brach Myers provides for honorably discharged veterans to now be eligible for an 80% discount on hunting and fishing licenses.

All acts are effective Aug. 1, 2025. For the full text of all legislation, visit https://legis.la.gov/Legis/BillSearch.aspx?sid=current. For more information about the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs, call 225.219.5000 or email veteran@la.gov.

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