Montana Department of Military Affairs - Veterans’ Affairs Division

County and Multi-County Veteran’s Service Office Grant Program

The Montana Board of Veterans’ Affairs has been charged by the 2019 Legislature to administer a program that would provide grant funding to assist eligible county and multi-county veterans’ service offices specified in MCA 10-2-155. Grant funding was established in MCA 10-2-116. 

Program Overview:

MCA 10-2-116.  Funding County Veterans' Service Offices -- Grant -- Conditions And Reporting

(Temporary) Funding county veterans' service offices -- grant -- conditions and reporting. (1) (a) The board shall administer a grant program and award grants to county and multicounty veterans' service offices from funding appropriated by the legislature for the purposes of this section.

(b) The amount paid to each county or multicounty veterans' service office is calculated by multiplying the total annual appropriation for the grant program by the ratio of the number of veterans residing in a county or counties serviced by a county or multicounty veterans' service office to the total number of veterans residing in all counties participating in the grant program and rounding to the nearest whole dollar amount. The number of veterans residing in a county is determined using the most recent data reported by the U.S. department of veterans affairs.

(c) The board shall ensure that all funds are distributed to eligible county or multicounty veterans' service offices.

(2) To receive a grant, a county or multicounty veterans' service office shall:

(a) have established county funding as provided for in 15-10-425 or through other means provided by law;

(b) have established a physical office at an accessible location where veterans and their family members may visit in person;

(c) provide for at least one veterans' service officer;

(d) ensure that each county veterans' service officer meets the qualifications and requirements of 10-2-115; and

(e) ensure that all of the grant money received pursuant to this section is spent in support of veterans and their family members and may not be used for any other purpose.

(3) If the requirements of subsection (2) are met, a grant must be awarded:

(a) to a county veterans' service office established before July 1, 2019;

(b) to a new county veterans' service office during the biennium immediately following the date it was established; and

(c) each subsequent fiscal year a county veterans' service office continues to meet the requirements in subsection (2).

(4) The amount of grant money a county veterans' service office receives is in proportion to the number of veterans residing in the county or counties served by that office as specified in subsection (1)(b).

(5) A county veterans' service office that receives a grant shall report data and information to the department at the end of the fiscal year in which a grant was dispersed. Reported data and information shall encompass the following:

(a) disability benefit claims data and information, including but not limited to:

(i) the number of claim forms submitted by the county veterans' service office to the U.S. department of veterans affairs; and

(ii) the number of notices of disagreement or appeals submitted through the county veterans' service office to the U.S. department of veterans affairs;

(b) the number of medical enrollments submitted by the county veterans' service office to the U.S. department of veterans affairs;

(c) the number of veterans' education enrollments submitted by the county veterans' office to the U.S. department of veterans affairs;

(d) the number of county and state burial benefits processed by the county veterans' service office; and

(e) a description of any other ancillary services provided to county veterans, such as transportation services, mental health services, homeless services, crisis intervention, and military records requests. (Terminates June 30, 2023--sec. 6, Ch. 462, L. 2019.)

 PROGRAM PURPOSE

The purpose of the County and Multi-County Veteran’s Service Office Grant Program is to provide funding assistance to county and multi-county veterans’ service offices in order to:

• Provide increased access to veterans’ services
• Provide localized access to veterans’ services
• Brings more resources to the table as county taxpayers provide funds for the county and multicounty veterans’ service offices
• Creates connections between county and multicounty offices and the state veterans’ services offices
• Allows services to be tailored to needs of veterans in the communities served by each county and multi-county veterans’ service office.

 ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

• County or Multi-county Veterans’ Services Office as detailed in MCA 10-2-115:

10-2-115. (Temporary) County and multicounty veterans' service offices.

(1) A county may provide for a county veterans' service office to assist veterans and their families in filing benefit claims.

(2) The governing body of two or more counties may enter into a memorandum of understanding to establish a multicounty veterans' service office that operates under the same guidelines as a single-county office.

(3) Veterans' service officers assigned to county veterans' service offices must be trained, accredited, and supervised in accordance with applicable provisions of 38 CFR 14.629.

(4) A county may fund its veterans' service office as provided for in 15-10-425 or through other means provided by law. (Terminates June 30, 2023--sec. 6, Ch. 462, L. 2019.)

 ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES - REIMBURSABLE COSTS

• Purchase of equipment
• Outreach costs – including travel and advertising costs
• Other one-time costs that increase veterans’ access to services or increase effectiveness of services to veterans in the region served
• Personnel expense
• Software needed to assist veterans

 PERIOD OF GRANT ACTIVITIES

• Activities will be performed from July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021.

 AMOUNT OF FUNDING AVAILABLE

• Up to $30,000 is available for all applicant organizations statewide.  The amount available to each eligible organization will be a ratio of the number veterans in the county or counties serviced by the applicant organization and the total number of veterans statewide and the number of eligible applications received for that year’s funding.

 DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION: September 30, 2020 – 4pm

 For questions pertaining to the funding opportunity, contact Montana Veterans’ Affairs state office, Casey McInerney, Office Manager at (406) 324-3740 or by email at casey.mcinerney@mt.gov.