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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Utah soon could have a full-time employee dedicated to informing 160,000 military veterans about benefits possibly available to them.
The Legislature recently passed a bill changing the name of the Division of Veterans Affairs to Department of Veterans Affairs. It also carries 250-thousand dollars, with a portion going toward informing veterans about health-care benefits and compensation.
It would take effect July 1st, if signed into law by Governor Jon Huntsman.
Veterans Affairs director Terry Schow says 16-point-six percent of Utah veterans, or 26,000, are enrolled in some type of health-care program through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
But he says only about nine percent of Utah veterans are getting compensation and pensions available to people with service-related disabilities.
Schow says more veterans would receive benefits if they knew about them.
On the Net: House Bill 426 http://le.utah.gov/ 7/82007/bills/hbillamd/hb0426.htm
Information from: Deseret Morning News,
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
