PA House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness — 2026-09-24

informational meeting to order. I am joined in person by House Chairman Jared Solomon and House Republican Chairman Mark Gillen, and remotely, yes, well, soon to be, okay, Senator Katie Muth will join us sooner, and Senator Cain is with us?

Thank you. And for this, my friend, could you lead us in the pledge?

Thank you. today's focus from combat to careers will highlight some of the past legislative efforts successful public and private sector programs as well as a preview of where we're headed legislatively all this is going this ongoing effort is to ensure a seamless transition for our military members to civilian workforce it's an outstanding initiative I'd like to thank the Penn State Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness for working with Chairman Solomon and myself on this informational meeting, but also on potential legislation similar to what Kentucky is doing that could help transition service members and military spouses, very important, connect with jobs and career pathways after serving in uniform. While there are only a handful of legislative days remaining in this session, we can certainly set the table for action in the next session. I am also excited to help promote the good work being done by Mount Aloysius College and at UPMC. We'll also hear today from DMVA, Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, State Police. You guys look great in uniform there. Thank you for your service to our community. And the Department of State to talk about Pennsylvania-based programs and results. If one veteran hears about the efforts or takes advantage of these opportunities today, we've made a difference. And I look forward to a day that all service members and veterans, as well as their spouses, see Pennsylvania as a destination based on support for them and providing a seamless transition to a civilian career. And with that, over to Chairman Solomon.

I know. But when it comes to veterans and first responders, I haven't seen that. We've managed to get a lot of good legislation across the line together, both from the House and the Senate, that's really making a difference for our first fire and EMS, our police, and for our veterans. And so thank you for working so well and looking out for those folks out there who serve the community and or the nation. And the transition's not easy. I hit mandatory retirement after 30 years in the Army, and they said, it's time to go. And Revy could tell you that I did not want to leave, and transition was not easy. Politics was not in my scope, but you never know which way it's going to lead. When I went to the government portal, put all my credentials in and experience, number one on the list from the Department of Labor was I should consider being an interpretive dancer. Do you believe that? You don't want to see me dance. So with that, so we're going to try not to have that kind of lame garbage come out of how we help our veterans. So we're going to make a difference in Pennsylvania. So with that, Chairman Gillen, over to you, sir.

Sir, we were told not to correct you.

Thank you.

You're setting a high bar there, brother, but it's okay. I'm going to hand it over to Chairman Solomon here to wrap up introductions of folks online and to do a presentation as well. Sir, over to you. Thank you so much, Chairman and Senator. We're going to do the roll call and then a citation. Jamie, please.

Here.

Now to a citation presentation. Mark, if you want to come up, please, with your family. You okay? Okay. Mark Ferreira is going to be retiring from the DMVA, And the citation goes into a lot of detail about Mark impressive dedication to our Commonwealth his service to our country his military service But how many of you here know Mark? Okay. You're the fortunate ones. I'm sorry if you haven't had an opportunity to work and get to know Mark. When you run for office, you're on the campaign trail, and you make a lot of promises. Some of them you have a sense that you're going to be able to deliver on. A lot of them you're unclear because you're just campaigning. You've never done the hard stuff of governing, which is, as the senator, the chairman had mentioned, is about building relationships, getting bills done. What you don't realize, and I never realized until I got here, because I had talked a lot since I was in the Army, I'm still serving in the National Guard, I talked a lot about delivering on veterans' issues. What you don't realize is key to that is a constant search for centers of excellence, particularly in the bureaucracy, that are sort of going to bend the bureaucracy to serve people. That skill set of bending the bureaucracy to serve people, in this case a truly honorable service to serve our veterans, is such a unique skill set. It's truly a remarkable skill set to go into that office every day in this big labyrinth, this behemoth of an agency, but to always think I am here to serve, to work for those who defend our liberties and freedom. Mark is top of the top. He shines above everybody, and I know it because I worked with him, because I saw him in the trenches always trying to figure out a way every day, every moment, to advance the veterans' agenda. He is a hidden gem for our Commonwealth. I wish everyone knew Mark like I know him. Every day he pushes a veterans' first agenda. Mark, I am so grateful to you. I'm grateful to your family, to supporting his efforts, because you have supported veterans just as much as Mark has each and every day. We thank you. You are a true gift to our Commonwealth and our country. Thank you, Mark. Thank you, Mark, and to your family as well. you're going to be missed. Thanks for making a lasting difference here, both in and out of uniform. With that, if you don't mind, would you take a picture with us? Does family want to be in this one or no? Okay, come on up. Thank you. I understand Senator Gephardt already gave you the second one. Yes, thank you. And let's just get one with all the committee members. Come up here. Do you want us to put the mics down? That's what he said. Do they look really – is that a problem? You're okay? They want me back here. Tuck away. Okay. Stay close. Stay close. You got it. Thanks. You got it. Hold on. Okay. Okay. We'll next turn to our participants. When speaking, make sure they green light's on. I actually started the meeting with it off. I'm like, great, I'm out of practice. That's fantastic. So we're going to turn to Dr. Daniel Perkins, who helped found the Penn State Clearinghouse for military families. Well done, by the way. Great work. And helped coordinate a review of programs and outcomes in other states and what can be done in Pennsylvania. I'd like to commend the Clearinghouse for including military families in its name. It's very important. Having served, I do see the sacrifice, especially of our spouses and our children, who have to relocate. My wife used to say every couple of years a house vomits onto the yard, and you find it somewhere else a few weeks later or a few months later overseas. So thank you for including them in all your work. So over to you, Dr. Perkins. Sorry, one second, Dr. Perkins. We're just joined by Representative Genst online and Representative Mayco in person.

Sorry, Chairman. Thank you.

Thank you, sir. I'm going to open it up to the committee for questions. Representative Mako.

Sir, I have a lot of tweaks. I think it's a good start, but I really don't think it goes far enough. And I think as a state, if we're going to really walk the talk, it's going to require us to think about how we support that effort. So to your credit, I think the effort makes a lot of sense. We are very familiar with it. But it does not go far enough, and it would require resources, which I know are tough to do. But I think are something we should really consider. Can you talk more about that?

There's lots of reasons. It's, of course, very complex. But I'll just say this, right? When legislation passes without resources, when we look at other states, and I mentioned three, Florida, Iowa, and Kentucky, those legislations came with teeth, right? And teeth being that we're going to fund human navigators to help people. and we're not just going to have a crosswalk. We're going to look at what are the licensing requirements? How do we fast track things? Could people test out of certain things? So the committee I mentioned, the VCAT, that's what we're spending our time really digging in saying, okay, what does it take for a medic to become an advanced EMT? Where are the fast tracks? That takes a lot of time and effort and, quite frankly, resources, unfortunately. And so I think given our workforce shortage, there's no question we have to spend a little bit of money and make Pennsylvania a place people want to come to. They're not. It's only 4% of transitioning veterans moving to the Commonwealth. And as a person who's raised their children here and was raised here, it's a fantastic place to live. But we are not getting folks to come back or come here at all.

Well, I think the bill that hopefully will come up next session, the Vauer bill, builds into it support to really outreach, to think about where you break down licensure barriers if possible. I can't break them all the way down. We're all clear on that. And then think about recruitment. You'll hear a little bit later today from Adrian, who will talk about the Neese Family Foundation work in Pittsburgh, where they are proactively seeking transitioning service members as they get out, As they transition out, excuse me. And that takes resources and efforts. And I don't think Kentucky is doing it. And whether you like Kentucky or not, it's not a bad state, by the way. I think we need to follow suit, probably make it better because, of course, we can be better than them for sure. So, yeah. Yes, ma'am. because the if i'm remembering the session we had with the legislature legislator from kentucky who authored the bill the ramp up was long the numbers were not great um in fact they were pretty meager so and he was actually a little disappointed with the numbers how do we move people at a faster clip into the healthcare industry. So you mentioned the bureaucracy, and that can slow things down a bit. And so one of the things I would say that we're doing right now with the VCAT is trying to figure out how we get some barriers out of the way. So when we, if that bill ever gets passed with resources, we can streamline, at least within the healthcare industry fairly quickly and then think about other industries which is about and we're doing it at the clearinghouse we're looking at the crosswalk is great but it you also need to think about what is in the way and how do we move it out of the way and that will take time I do believe if we do a concerted effort and given the resources in Pennsylvania in terms of its awesome schools a great place for raising families I think we could do a much better job of recruiting folks and having them think about living in the Commonwealth.

Is it my turn to take a hit on Kentucky? Am I up? Kentucky has a higher unemployment rate than Pennsylvania, I think 4.7. versus around 3.7. But one of the demographic characteristics of Kentucky, and I think it's to their advantage, not just singling out Kentucky, I'll last to size my remarks, is their net in migration is certainly higher than that of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania has a net domestic out-migration, which would lead to some broader issues that need to be discussed relative to why are people leaving above and beyond the military, but including the military, whether it's weather, taxes, I hear often mentioned, family situations. So having looked at Virginia, Kentucky, Florida, et cetera, Wisconsin, are there any track record gleanables that maybe we should do this a little differently? Or if you had the apex of success in their programs, I know I'm talking in the aggregate now beyond Kentucky. I know when I was involved starting a couple nonprofits, I went and I looked at similar nonprofits. I said, give me two things that you would do differently. What are two mistakes, a couple mistakes that you've made, and I use that as a foundation. So there's some things that they're doing well, and maybe there's a couple things that they could sharpen up on. Let us learn from their lessons if you have anything to contribute relative to that.

Thank you, Danny. Clearinghouse does phenomenal work and really appreciate your testimony. Thank you. We're joined online by Representative Sappy. Thank you. Over to Chairman Mastriano for the introduction of our next panel.

Hello, everyone. Thank you so much for providing me with this opportunity to talk to you all today about our initiative and my perspective on how the transition of our veterans into higher education and civilian careers. My passion for this initiative comes from my own experience. I myself served more than 13 years in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, first as a medic and later as an Army nurse. During my military service, I had the opportunity to work alongside some of the finest health care providers and witnessed firsthand the extensive knowledge, technical training, and practical experience that service members develop. Many veterans who leave military service have already completed significant education and specialized training, but that preparation is not always recognized when they pursue a college degree. I experienced this personally. Before beginning nursing school, I completed the Army's intensive training program as an Army medic and then performed in that role. Whenever I went to nursing school, I didn't get any advanced credit. I started where everybody else started, and it was never recognized. Yes, there was stuff that was repeated. Repetition can be good, but I almost felt like it was a disservice because the experience I brought to the table was not recognized. This experience really pushed me and my passion to move towards this program, and the support of Mount Aloysius College allowed it to come to fruition. I know that I'm not alone. I know whenever I talk to veterans that are looking at different programs, this is an ongoing concern that we see across the state. The military training, the military occupational specialties, the hands-on experience, we need to create those meaningful pathways for our veterans to be able to experience them, to be able to use them. Our veterans, we know they are successful in careers when they enter the civilian world because of the leadership experiences they bring, because of the experiences they bring from those military experiences. At Mount Elastor's College, we value our veterans and are committed to supporting their continued professional and educational development. One example of this commitment is our medical provider to RN transition program, which provides a pathway for individuals with prior health care training to build upon their existing knowledge and pursue nursing education. The program recognizes training and experience for individuals, including licensed practical nurses, paramedics, Navy corpsmen, combat medics, aerospace medical service personnel. Eligible students have the opportunity to complete the National League for Nursing NACE Challenge exam to demonstrate their existing knowledge before entering upper level nursing coursework. Students who successfully complete the examination can complete the Associate of Science in Nursing degree program in three semesters. The program also provides opportunities to receive academic credit for applicable prior training in areas such as anatomy and physiology and medical terminology. In addition, military transcripts are reviewed, and the American Council on Education Military Guide is used to identify applicable credit for additional coursework. This approach allows students to build upon what they already know rather than requiring them to repeat education and training they have previously completed It creates a more seamless transition from military healthcare experience to professional nursing education. Our program also provides veterans the opportunity to take all general education courses in the online format with priority scheduling. This increases flexibility of the program for veterans, balancing their daily lives with home and school. Mount Aloysius College currently has 13 full-time veterans enrolled, including five in the nursing program. While these numbers represent a relatively small population within the institution, Mount Aloysius College has made a deliberate commitment to creating an environment where veterans can succeed. Recently, the college converted a dedicated space into a veterans lounge, providing veterans with an environment separate from the traditional college setting where they can connect, study, and access support. Veteran input was very important whenever we were developing all of our strategies. Mount Elwishits College has also been designated a military-friendly school, recognizing its commitment to supporting veterans and enhancing their transition into higher education. Institutional efforts include waiving application fees and tuition deposits for veterans, providing a dedicated veterans lounge, maintaining a dedicated veteran liaison to assist students and faculty, supporting veterans as they transition from military service into higher education, developing educational pathways that recognize prior military training and experience. The transition from military service to higher education should recognize a significant investment already made in a veteran's education and professional development. Veterans who have completed rigorous military training and gained hands-on experience should have meaningful opportunities to receive recognition for applicable prior learning. Doing so can reduce unnecessary duplication of coursework, create more efficient educational pathways, and help veterans move more quickly into high-demand civilian careers. Programs such as our medical provider to transition program demonstrates what is possible when higher education institutions intentionally build on veterans' existing knowledge and experience. We look forward to opportunities to continue to identify ways to expand these pathways, strengthen partnerships, and collaborate with state leaders, educational institutions, and health care organizations to be able to have them enter our program. Thank you.

And Chairman Solomon and I were kind of mumbling to each other eight years in service. You went to the Walter Reed campus, probably Bethsaida for medical school, excellent medical school, and got zero credit for that. What nonsense. So thank you for taking the lead and rectifying that. If, Dr. Zonce, if you can stand by there and if we can have Dr. Morihan come on up and join us. Thank you. Is she here? I guess. We will proceed with questions. Chairman Sullivan. Thank you, Chairman. I want to just focus on you, Heather, and your experience. So when you were transitioning into military, did you seek to – sorry, into the civilian world – did you seek to get credit for your military service? Talk about that.

That was a really long time ago. That was back in 2000. Okay. You mentioned some book guide that you use. What is this guide book?

And basically any MOS, you can, it provides guidance about what that might look like on the civilian side.

But then you go in and say, what does this make sense with this particular MOS, with this particular student at their moment in life?

Yes. We actually just recently had a student come in. I worked with them all summer. They had prior service. They wanted to come back for nursing. And they had had training on anatomy and physiology, and they had that information. but it was a while ago they've only been working for a small amount of time in the field so we said hey we'll bring it in do you want to take the challenge to make sure that you are adequately prepared because if you don't have a solid foundation of the coursework you know you also don't want to you want to see everyone succeed right um so we have them take the the

Yes. I think a lot of institutions are very concerned with their outcomes. I think they're concerned with bringing people in and they don't know for sure if they're prepared for what the rigors are of the program. And I think numbers drive a lot of decisions, not necessarily people. And sometimes you have to take a leap of faith and put your support where you know it's going to be needed to be able to have those people be successful. So your resources need to shift a little bit to be able to meet those needs. And I think that's one thing that that was not where I was at. They were looking at outcomes. They were looking at numbers. They didn't look at what me and what I actually had to bring to offer.

Thank you.

So they will gain that experience. you can gain that experience in acute care facilities. You can gain that experience in long-term care facilities. We try to rotate our students through the long-term care facilities as well as the acute care components. I'm going to tell you most of the people in the hospital are old. So they get the geriatric component. I know I hear a lot of students say to me, I don't want to work with old people. And I'm like, you do realize a majority of your patients are in the hospital if they are 60 and over. All right. So they will gather that and gain that experience through their clinical rotations and be able to be confident in caring for that population based on those experiences Thank you Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Good afternoon, Chairman Mastriano, Chairman Muth, Chairman Solomon, Chairman Gillen, and members of the Senate and House Veterans Affairs Emergency Preparers Committees. Thank you for the opportunity to speak about transitions from the military service to the civilian careers in Pennsylvania. Our purpose today is to briefly share several areas where the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs is currently engaged and what we are learning through that work. My name is Keith Graham. I'm the Executive Director of Veterans Programs and Services for the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. I retired from the military after more than 26 years as an Army aviator. With me is my colleague, Anthony Caliclio, who supports strategic planning and workforce development and economic wellness. Tony's a new member of our team, so we decided to put him right under the gun right off the bat and bring him here. Tony joined our team about two months ago, and he's uniquely positioned to talk about the Skill Bridge programs, as he was once a participant in it as well. So with that, I'm going to turn it over to Tony. Thank you, Keith.

Thank you, gentlemen, for your service. Where did you fly, sir, when you were in the Army?

Outstanding. Let's just go down the line here and make it easy. So Keith and then Adrian and then Major Rush. So just go, please, with your opening statement. Eric, sorry, Eric-oriented. Over to you, sir.

Thank you. Thank you. Sir, is your mic on? Now it's really green. There we go.

No.

Chairman, members of the committee, thank you for inviting me to participate in today's hearing, and thank you for your work in support of veterans and service members. My name is Adrienne O'Donnell. I serve as the executive director of the Ross and Carol Neese Foundation. Our foundation is working to advance the health and well-being of individuals and communities in western Pennsylvania. For the record, the views expressed in my testimony are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views and positions of the Ross and Carol Neese Foundation. There are many challenges faced by members of the military as they transition to civilian life, including barriers related to credentialing, unfamiliarity with civilian hiring processes, challenges in translating military skills, and limited access to career pathways that value military experience. I appreciate this committee focus on the efforts underway in Pittsburgh to address these challenges One important consequence of population decline in the Commonwealth is the difficulty of maintaining adequate staffing for first responder services At the same time many veterans leaving military service want to continue serving their communities but encounter real obstacles entering first responder careers. As this committee knows, even service members not in combat medic roles receive basic life-saving skills training, while others are trained as military police, and yet others serving logistics and crisis response roles, all positions relative to first responder careers. The From Service to Safety initiative was developed through a collaboration among the Nice Foundation, the City of Pittsburgh, and the Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness at Penn State. This initiative addresses both workforce shortages in public safety and employment challenges faced by transitioning service members and veterans. Service to Safety combines evidence-based practices with practical implementation strategies to strengthen recruitment, training, job placement, and retention pathways for veterans pursuing first responder careers. While the initial focus is on law enforcement and emergency medical services, the long-term goal is to develop and demonstrate a successful model that can be adapted and transferred to other public and private sector employers. To support this effort, the Nice Foundation awarded the City of Pittsburgh a $1 million five-year grant. The funding supports a newly established head of talent acquisition role within the city and provides resources for the clearinghouse to deliver ongoing implementation support, technical assistance, and evaluation expertise throughout the initiative. Through this investment, Pittsburgh is serving as a national demonstration site for leveraging veteran talent to strengthen the public safety workforce while creating a scalable model that can be replicated in communities across the Commonwealth. Throughout this project, the city has demonstrated a strong willingness to collaborate and to consider more comprehensive ways to support their first responder initiatives. Together, we are examining recruitment, hiring, and retention trends across the first responder workforce to identify opportunities for greater efficiency and effectiveness. This work can help increase the likelihood that all individuals, veterans, and civilians who secure first responder positions will experience fulfilling, sustainable careers. When a veteran moves to Pittsburgh, we have the opportunity to attract not only an employee, but a family. That can be new residents, new consumers, new homeowners, and new contributors to our neighborhoods and economy. This work is also expected to strengthen recognition as veterans as valuable community and workforce assets. Veterans understand what it means to put the mission and the people they serve ahead of themselves. They bring extensive training, leadership experience, discipline, and a commitment to public service, qualities that can benefit civilian employers while strengthening the communities in which the veterans live and work. By attracting veterans to Pittsburgh, we can strengthen our public safety workforce, our communities, support veterans and their families, and demonstrate that the skills learned through military service remain an extraordinary asset. Drawing on the Clearinghouse's applied research expertise and systematic approach to problem solving, this work has the potential to improve workforce planning, reduce reliance on overtime, and strengthen the quality and continuity of policing and emergency services in Pittsburgh. The collaborative nature of this work has fostered a culture of engagement and creative problem solving. As such, it offers a promising model for how applied researchers and local government can work together to address complex workforce challenges one with clear potential to expand beyond Pittsburgh Partnerships that provide practical tools structured support and evidence guidance can help local governments make progress on issues that directly affect public safety, veteran employment, and community well-being. Thank you for the opportunity to testify.

Good afternoon, Chairman Mastriano, Chair Muth, Chairman Solomon, Chairman Gillen, and members of the Senate and House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee. I'm Major Jonathan Rush. I am the Director of the Office of Community Engagement for the Pennsylvania State Police. Meeting to my right is Sergeant Aaron Hunt, who is a supervisor of our Recruitment Services Division. and next to him is Captain Adam Reed, who is Assistant Director in the Office of the Community Engagement. Thank you for the opportunity to provide remarks regarding the efforts of the Pennsylvania State Police to recruit military members and veterans. Military service develops many of the qualities that the PSP seeks in its members, which include discipline, teamwork, accountability, leadership, and commitment to service. They are fundamental to both professions. Military personnel were also accustomed to making sound decisions in stressful and rapidly changing environments, which is a skill that translates directly to the work troopers perform every day. Perhaps most importantly, military service and law enforcement tend to attract people willing to place service to others ahead of themselves. For a service member considering what comes next after military service, a career with the PSP provides an opportunity to continue serving just in a different capacity. The connection is already reflected within our ranks. Approximately 1,150 current PSP members and cadets have military experience, including approximately 180 who continue to serve in the National Guard or Reserves. These members bring not only their military training, but also valuable life and leadership experience to our department. For that reason, the PSP's recruitment strategy includes meeting military-connected candidates where they already are. Our recruiters participate in events at military installations, readiness centers, and armories and seek opportunities to engage service members who are beginning to consider their careers following military separation. One example is the PSP's participation in the U.S. Army Partnership for Your Success, also known as the PAIS program, which helps connect eligible soldiers and ROTC cadets with employment opportunities that can make use of the skills, experience, and leadership developed during military service. PSP recruiters have also traveled to military installations, including Camp Lejeune, to speak directly with service members about opportunities with our department. Our outreach also includes participation in Yellow Ribbon events and National Guard drill weekends, where recruiters can speak with Guard members and military families in a familiar setting. The PSP has participated in hiring our heroes events, including at Camp Lejeune, providing opportunity to introduce military-connected candidates to careers as both PSP cadets and liquor control enforcement officers. The department has also participated in Tunnels to Tower events, which provides another opportunity to engage veterans, military members, first responders, and others drawn to careers centered on public service. While attending recruiting events is important, our goal is to build relationships rather than just simply attending events. Those relationships help the PSP maintain a presence within military communities and provide service members with a resource when they begin considering civilian employment This is particularly evident in our partnership with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. That partnership extends beyond traditional recruiting. The Pennsylvania National Guard has assisted the PSP with two programs intended to introduce participants to careers in public service and help develop skills that can prepare them for future opportunities. The WHO Impact is a 14-week program for youth ages 15 through 18. Participants are introduced to the PSP through experience emphasizing leadership, teamwork, discipline, personal development, and service. The PSP currently operates the program in locations across the Commonwealth, with several programs hosted at the Pennsylvania Army National Guard facilities. National Guard members also participate in the program allowing young people to learn about opportunities for both military and law enforcement service. Our other program, the Law and Leadership Program, provides a similar opportunity for adults 18 and older. During this 15-week program, participants receive an inside look at the mission, responsibilities, and career opportunities of the PSP while developing leadership skills and preparing them for expectations associated with a law enforcement career. The Pennsylvania National Guard has provided facilities for several of these programs also, and Guard members have assisted with physical training, marching instruction, and other program activities. These partnerships benefit both organizations. They expose participants to different avenues of public service, allow the PSP and the National Guard to combine resources and expertise, and help both organizations develop lasting relationships with individuals who may one day serve Pennsylvania in uniform. We also recognize that there are opportunities to do more. The PSP would like to expand its presence at military installations and develop stronger relationships with transition assistance program offices and other organizations that work directly with service members, preparing to leave active duty. Reaching individuals before their separation provides an opportunity to explain the application process, academy requirements, and career opportunities early enough for service members to plan for a transition into law enforcement. Additionally, the PSP is exploring veteran-focused recruiting organizations, such as JobZone and RecruitMilitary, to provide opportunities to reach transitioning service members, veterans, and members of the National Guard and Reserves, and military spouses through career fairs held on or near military installations. The PSP continues to evaluate additional targeted outreach opportunities that could increase awareness of department careers within the military community. Recruiting qualified individuals remains a priority for the PSP. There is no single program or recruiting event that will accomplish this goal. Success requires sustained outreach, strong partnerships, and ensuring that individuals who possess the qualities we seek understand that there is a place for those qualities within our department. For military members and veterans who still have a desire to serve, the PSP offers an opportunity to continue that service here at home. Their discipline, leadership, teamwork, accountability, and experience are valuable to our organization and the communities that we serve. The PSP appreciates the committee's interest in connecting veterans with meaningful careers and the opportunity to discuss our ongoing recruitment efforts. We remain committed to identifying new ways to strengthen our relationships with the military community and to attract highly qualified individuals who want to continue a career. and public service. Thank you all for listening to my testimony.

Thank you for all that everyone's doing here to help with our veterans.

Well, thank you for the question. So there's a couple things. One, the TAP program is what it is, right? It's a standard boilerplate program spread across every active duty installation in the United States military. And it's going to be responsive to that system and that system alone. So really what we're trying to focus on, we look at the transitioning service member. One, identifying the transitioning service member, right? And the PSP talked about being out there at the different installations and at the different locations. That's where the talent is, right? And you've got to find a way to get the information for Pennsylvania out to the talent. There's limited ways for us to do that. We do it digitally mostly, so we definitely have some ideas on how to improve that. But I would say more so we take a look at the veteran holistically.

Rep Krupa.

There's a number of ways. One of the things we work actively with is quite a few of the chambers of commerce here in Pennsylvania. It's a great way to get messaging out about the different things going on. I think, like Eric had talked about, you know, just the visibility on the program and him networking people in the Skill Bridge program throughout the area, you know, definitely increases the viability of the program because people see the talent in it. You know, we have the rural tea here in Pennsylvania. Always a challenge for us for just about any veteran issue out there. So we welcome any ideas that Eric or the Clearinghouse or anybody else has on some of those things. But Chambers of Commerce are a big one for us. We work with Department of State, DCED, D&I, Labor and Industry, you know, through all those partners and just pushing the information out as much as possible. Thank you for the question.

Thank you, Chairman, both of you for this. Just going over my notes here. Colonel Graham, great to see a fellow 47 driver in the house.

And I want to give a shout-out to you for the – or I appreciate the shout-out for the military spouses, that they're the unsung heroes, especially for deployments and everything. It's a lot of burden on them. Okay, so we just talked about the skill bridge. I had a couple questions on that. So that's the last 180 days you're getting out. So that's not for active Guard members that are currently serving, correct? And do we have anything for them aside from the Chamber of Commerce like you just spoke of?

No, no, no, like M-Day soldiers. Okay.

Unless they're not. Agreed. That's why I was kind of thinking through this, like, okay, as an M-Day soldier, what would I be looking for? Well, as an M-Day soldier, comma, what would I be looking for? Is there a skill bridge, I guess a USAA jobs or something along those lines? Is it something that M-Day soldiers would be looking at?

Yeah I just you know Pennsylvania National Guard is what second or third largest in the country We got 18 members So what is it four Is it four? You know, we have 18,000 members between the Air Guard and the National Guard. Trying to find employment for the people that are actually still serving I think is important, too, because they are the ones, as we're trying to retain people here in Pennsylvania, I think that's something we should do. So you did mention CareerLink, Four Blocks, Hire Our Heroes. That's one thing that I found too in this role is there's like 95 organizations to help veterans, and it's kind of – I forget who mentioned the Yellow Ribbon programs. I've deployed twice to Afghanistan. You've got to sit through the Yellow Ribbon programs, and it's a fire hose of information. And it's like, I don't know. I've been gone for a year. I just want to hang out with my family, and you're hitting me with 95 different programs. on how to, I don't know if we could do a better job of streamlining that.

And I just had this thought, too, just in this conversation. A lot of my buddies are getting out. I've been in 18 years, still serving. But from my understanding, right, about a year out, you've got to let them know, let the guard know, hey, I'm planning to retire. And then that starts the process, and you've got to do all the exit strategy and all that. What is the Department of Veterans Affairs doing with that information? Kind of like you just mentioned and alluded to, you know, I don't know all these programs out there. Is the department pushing that information out to employers or saying, hey, this guy is going to be available in a year? Maybe take a look at him?

Chairman Mastriano has the bolt, so final remarks.

Thank you, Chairman.

Thanks for that question. I can address some of it in brief. Military spouse unemployment trends at double the national average and has for at least the past decade. You've outlined some of the challenges to that. And the way those manifest is with career breaks that make a resume look awful, make it appear that someone can't hold down a job or has no career trajectory or career progression. And I see it daily at UPMC where those people will get passed over because they just don't look competitive on paper. an absent an advocate who can take a look at that resume and say, hey, recruiter, hey, hiring manager, here's somebody, and let me tell you what this person can do and what they're capable of, it's an easy no. And I'm somewhat sympathetic to when we have 450,000 applications a year, we're looking for easy no's because we can't umpire everything. And so it's a real challenge that I don't know if anyone has figured out how to address unless those spouses can get to someone on the inside, a military advocate or a recruiting team who can do that case management also in effect with them and say, I know what you've done, I know what you're capable of, and let me give you a little bit of a nudge here. I can say we're doing it at UPMC, but still those challenges are real because those folks are easy to overlook.

Can you hear me okay? We can.

My name is Karen Morihan, and I serve as the director of the UPMC Jameson School of Nursing at UPMC Hammett in Erie, PA. I am also a United States Air Force veteran, having served 11 years on active duty, and retiring after 20 years of combined military service. Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today about our Military Medic to Registered Nurse Program, an initiative aligned with From Combat to Career. Every year, highly trained military healthcare professionals return to civilian life with extensive clinical experience. experience. They have provided emergency care in unpredictable environments, responded to trauma, administered medications, monitored critically ill patients, and worked with interdisciplinary teams. They've made rapid decisions when lives are at stake. They possess discipline, resilience, leadership, accountability, and a commitment to service, qualities Pennsylvania urgently needs in its nursing workforce. Yet too often when military medics and medical technicians transition to their civilian careers, their knowledge and expertise and experience are not fully recognized. They may be required to begin their education alongside students with no previous healthcare background. This duplication costs veterans time and money, delays their entry into the workforce, and can discourage talented individuals from pursuing nursing altogether. Our military medic to RM pathway is designed to change that. The program will provide qualified military healthcare personnel with an advanced pathway into our registered nurse diploma program. Applicants would submit their joint services transcript and their DD Form 214 so that their military education and experience could be appropriately evaluated. They would also demonstrate competency in nursing fundamentals and medication dosage calculations before receiving advanced placement. This is not about lowering standards or granting nursing credits simply because someone served in the military. It is about recognizing verified military education, assessing competency, identifying gaps and providing the focused instruction and clinical experiences needed for the individual to meet the same rigorous outcomes as every other nursing graduate. Military medicine and civilian nursing are not identical. Veterans entering this pathway may need additional preparation in areas such as long-term disease management, care across the lifespan, behavioral health, maternal child nursing, and the regulatory responsibilities of the registered nurse. Our program addresses those areas while building upon the clinical judgment, technical ability, leadership, and composure these veterans already possess. Participants complete the required nursing coursework and supervise clinical education, satisfy all Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing requirements, and be required to pass the same nursing licensure exam as every other registered nurse. Pennsylvania benefits in several important ways. First, this pathway strengthens our nursing workforce. Hospitals and healthcare facilities across the Commonwealth continue to need practice-ready nurses, particularly in medical surgical units, emergency departments, critical care, behavioral health, and rural communities. Second, it creates a meaningful civilian career pathway for our veterans. Registered nursing offers professional growth, financial stability, and opportunities to continue serving others. For many veterans, nursing is not a completely new career. It is the civilian continuation of a calling they began while wearing the uniform. Third, it helps keep veterans and their families in Pennsylvania. By connecting military experience to education and employment, we can reduce barriers that might otherwise cause veterans to leave the Commonwealth in search of more accessible opportunities. Finally, this program makes responsible use of the training our nation has already invested in these service members. Their experience should not be ignored, but it must be translated thoughtfully and safely into civilian nursing practice. I respectfully ask the General Assembly and committees to support our military medic-to-RM pathways through policies that encourage appropriate recognition of military health care education, collaboration with the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing and financial support for veterans completing the transition to registered nursing Our veterans should not have to leave their healthcare knowledge leadership and identity behind when they leave their military service We will provide them with a clear bridge, one that honors what they have already achieved while preparing them for the full scope and responsibility of registered nursing. The journey from combat to career should not require veterans to start over. It should allow them to move forward. With your support, Pennsylvania can be a leader in transforming military medical experience into nursing careers, strengthening our health care workforce, and honoring veterans through opportunity, not simply with words, but through meaningful action. Thank you for your time, your service to the Commonwealth, and your commitment to Pennsylvania's veterans. I welcome your questions.

Good afternoon. Thank you. I know I'm the last line of defense here between us and having lunch, so I'll try to keep everything brief. And I wanted to thank all the service members and their spouses for their service in the room here. My name is Andrew LaFrat. I'm the Deputy Director of Policy for the Pennsylvania Department of State. And I wanted to give an update today to the committee on the Department of State's Military and Veterans Licensure Program, which has significantly reduced barriers for service members, veterans, and their families seeking professional licensure in Pennsylvania. Act 35 of 2022 was passed unanimously by the House and Senate and signed into law in July of 2022. Act 35 improved the professional licensing process administered through the Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs for military applicants, veterans, active duty service members, and military spouses. Since 2023, our BPOA has approved nearly 6,000 licensure applications submitted by military applicants. Act 35 directed BPOA to implement several reforms to streamline licensure processes and remove unnecessary obstacles for military applicants, including an expedited review of applications submitted by military applicants, which means that they will move to the top of our prioritization queue. Our processing times right now are at three days for initial licensees and one-day renewals for military applicants. It also includes a waiver of initial licensure fees for military spouses that are relocating to Pennsylvania due to military orders, allows for a reactivation of a license without penalty due to deployment, and finally calls for the development of the Military Occupational Code crosswalk to assess the extent to which military training and experience align with Pennsylvania's requirements for licensure. The crosswalk serves as a tool to identify substantial equivalencies between military occupational qualifications and state licensure standards, as well as any gaps in education, training, or experience. It assists licensing boards and commissions, employers, and members of the veteran community in understanding how military experience translates to civilian professional practice. The crosswalk is available on the Department of State's website, and since its launch in 2023, it has been accessed by more than 2,500 individuals. Additionally, in 2025, the Shapiro administration fully implemented three healthcare licensure compacts which enabled qualified physicians, nurses, and physical therapists to practice more easily across multiple states. And in 2026 the General Assembly enacted legislation entering Pennsylvania into the counseling occupational therapy and cosmetology compacts all signed by Governor Shapiro and are set to be implemented in 2027 These compacts further expand opportunities for military applicants and spouses to practice their professions in the Commonwealth with reduced administrative burden. I'd also like to point out the veteran fee waivers program that our Bureau of Corporations and charitable organizations maintain. And in 2025, we waived fees for 3,800 business filings that were submitted by veterans. And that's all I have for today, but happy to answer questions.

So to me, it's an evolving tool, right? It is a great start. Happy to hear the recommendations from VCAT. I actually sit on the committee that Danny was mentioning. So if there's more that we can do there, I would love to add more professions to the crosswalk. I mean, currently we're close to about 300 military occupational codes that are featured in the crosswalk that pertain to, you know, the 150 or so professions that we license under our 29 boards and commissions. So happy to take the committee's recommendations if it's to add more professions or pathways and, you know, incorporate that into the crosswalk.

Well, you know, see, the thing is, you know, when it comes to licensure, there's the three E's of licensure that I like to refer to, right? You have your examinations, your education, and your experience requirements. Typically, there's not much that we can do around examination requirements, right? Like, you have to meet the requirements to sit for the NCLEX that the NCLEX sets out, right, for the nursing exams. And that could be like an education requirement. So, you know, you have to have the nursing degree in order to sit for the nursing exam. Where the crosswalk really excels and where we have the flexibility with our licensing boards is the experience part of it. And that's really where basically what we're saying is if you did the job in the military or a similar role, that experience will meet the requirements needed for civilian licensure, you know, in the professional sense with us. so that that's really the most that our boards have discretion on is that experience part and that's where we've seen the most success so if there's anything you know that the committee comes up with or the legislature in terms of you know smoothing those pathways to sit for the examinations

at departments to seamlessly integrate folks? Please. Sorry. I think that's a great idea. And, you know, even in conversations, you know, with Danny and his team in the past, you know, we're just the subject matter experts when it comes to professional licensure, right? And there a delicate balance there between having standards but also protecting the public but you also want to increase workforce access right Having the navigators especially folks that have the military background and the experience that can talk that language and relate to the applicant, I think would be great. If we could have somebody like that at Department of State that would work with our licensing boards, especially the high-interest ones.

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