Veterans Housing Bill Passes Committee
House roundup: Veterans homes inspection bill advances
BY RANDY KREHBIEL World Staff Writer
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
OKLAHOMA CITY – A bill returning responsibility for inspecting the state’s seven veterans homes to the Oklahoma Department of Health advanced from House committee on Monday despite concerns about the cost and the frequency of the inspections.
Senate Bill 629, by Sen. Frank Simpson, R-Ardmore, was the subject of a lengthy discussion and four amendments – one of which was withdrawn – but ultimately passed the House Veterans and Military Affairs Committee 10-0. It is expected to get a vote on the House floor sometime in the next two weeks.
The measure is the result of a series of embarrassing and sometimes deadly events involving the veterans centers, which provide residential care for about 1,400 disabled veterans. For the past 10 years, the centers have been exempt from the same Health Department inspections required of other nursing facilities.