Veterans' homes

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Wendell Jones and 1 co-sponsor

The bill standardizes admissions and discharges for SC veterans’ homes and requires transparent criteria, stakeholder analyses, and public access, plus fees and possible use of ben

Referred to Committee on Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs

Overview

Bill H 5743 (2025-2026) from South Carolina would require the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) to establish formal criteria and procedures for admissions to and discharges from South Carolina veterans’ homes. It also sets out transparency, oversight, and financial provisions related to such homes.

Purpose and intent

Create standardized criteria, policies, and procedures governing who can be admitted to and discharged from the state's veterans' homes.

Enhance transparency and public accountability by sharing adopted criteria and related analyses with legislative oversight committees and making them publicly accessible.

Establish mechanisms for funding and accepting payments for residence and services, including potential use of state or federal benefits as payment.

Key provisions

Admissions and discharges (Section 25-11-730(A))

The DVA must adopt and implement criteria, policies, and procedures for admissions to and discharges from South Carolina veterans’ homes.

Within 60 days of adopting or amending any admissions/discharge criteria, the DVA must, for informational purposes only, submit the full text of these criteria, policies, or procedures to:

House Government Efficiency and Legislative Oversight Committee
Senate Legislative Oversight Committee

The submission must include:

A summary of stakeholder engagement
An analysis of potential impacts on low-income, disabled, and minority veterans
Public accessibility via the DVA website and prompt updates upon revisions

Financing and payments (Section 25-11-730(B)-(C))

The DVA shall set and collect fees for residence and services at South Carolina veterans’ homes.

The DVA is authorized to accept, as full or partial payment of any fees, the assignment of any state or federal benefit.

Who is affected

Veterans and prospective residents of South Carolina veterans’ homes.

Low-income, disabled, and minority veterans, whose potential impacts are to be analyzed and disclosed when criteria are adopted or amended.

Stakeholders and the general public, who gain access to criteria and policies via the DVA website.

The DVA, which will develop, publish, and administer admissions/discharge criteria and related fees.

Procedural and timeline aspects

Effective date: Upon Governor’s approval.

Administrative process: DVA must develop criteria, policies, and procedures and implement them.

Reporting/oversight: Within 60 days of adoption or amendment, provide full text of criteria to specified legislative oversight committees (informational submission only) along with stakeholder engagement summary and impact analysis.

Ongoing transparency: Policies and criteria must be publicly accessible online and updated promptly after revisions.

Potential implications

Standardization of admission and discharge decisions for veterans’ homes.

Increased transparency and public scrutiny of how decisions affect various veteran groups, particularly low-income, disabled, and minority veterans.

Clarity around what fees may be charged and the potential use of state or federal benefits to satisfy those fees.

Potential administrative workload for the DVA to publish, update, and report on criteria and stakeholder analyses.

Bill