LANSING — State Rep. Mari Manoogian (D-Birmingham) introduced House Bill 5231 yesterday to better protect and expand outreach to Michigan’s female veterans by creating the Michigan Women Veterans Office within the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. The office director would be tasked with making recommendations for how the state can better serve its female veteran population.
“I’m proud to introduce this legislation that will raise awareness of the issues facing female veterans, conduct outreach and make recommendations for how we can better serve Michigan’s 46,000 female veterans,” Manoogian said. “Our state needs to recognize the changing demographics of its veteran population and work to ensure all veterans can access the care and services they need. While governors have the latitude to establish this position within the department should they so choose, this position should not be subject to political change.”
Manoogian’s bill is part of House Democrats’ comprehensive Supporting MI Veterans package, which aims to support Michigan’s 550,000 veterans by waiving teaching license fees, providing property tax credits, offering access to free public transportation and more.
A fact sheet outlining the full package is attached.
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