ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
Kansas veterans sometimes need extra help with identification paperwork, and some action taken at the state level to help with just that.
Recently, Gov. Laura Kelly signed House Bill 2274, which provides homeless veterans greater access to non-driver’s identification cards and also designates Kansas as a Purple Heart State.
"Our military members and veterans make tremendous sacrifices out of a deep, selfless commitment to our state and to our country," Gov. Kelly noted in a release from the State of Kansas. "This commonsense legislation is one way we can show our respect and appreciation for those who have served, while also making life a bit easier for veterans who are finding their footing upon return to civilian life. HB 2274 allows any person who is a veteran and homeless to apply for and be issued a non-driver’s ID card without having to provide an address of residence, so long as the individual provides a copy of a military discharge document to the Kansas Office of Veterans Service (KOVS) to verify military service.
By expanding veterans’ access to identification cards, this bill will help remove barriers to services, employment opportunities, and treatments that require a form of ID, supporting Kansas veterans as they adjust to life post-military service, the State of Kansas release noted.
"By expanding veterans’ access to ID cards, we’re reinforcing our steadfast support of Kansas veterans across the state," Senator for District 29 Oletha Faust Goudeau noted in the State of Kansas release. "I’m proud to have introduced legislation that makes Kansas a better and more welcoming state for those who have served our country."
HB 2274 also designates Kansas as a Purple Heart State in recognition of Kansans who have earned the Purple Heart Medal, a United States military decoration awarded to those wounded or killed by enemy action while serving with the U.S. military. Each year on August 7, the governor will issue a proclamation recognizing Purple Heart Day, with supporting observance activities facilitated by KOVS.
"Kansas has always taken pride in the men and women who were either drafted or volunteered to defend our nation," Representative for House District 68 Nate Butler noted in the State of Kansas release. "Designating Kansas as a Purple Heart State reinforces Kansas’ reputation as a military-friendly state."
