LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE

Dean Noechel

The Legislative Convention Committee met in the Hilton Riverside, Churchill Room A2, 2nd Floor at 9:00 AM on Sunday, August 25th, 2024. Legislative Director Julia Mathis, temporary chairperson, conducted roll call in which all delegates, except five Departments, were represent. Patricia Harris (NC) was elected as committee chairperson and Lee Hinkleman (NY) was elected as recording secretary.

No resolutions were presented. A motion was made to allow technical corrections to the report. Chairwoman Harris shared thanks for the dedication to grassroots efforts in legislative work. There being no further business to come before the Committee, a motion to adjourn was made and seconded. The committee adjourned at 09:19 am.

We as the largest Department need to get our members to sign up for the action alert at www.legion.org/action please take this back to your Sections, Districts and Posts and get our members to sign up and help push our legislative priority actions. Currently we have 10 actions that we need your help to push.

Our Congress members will be in their home districts in October, get out and meet with your legislators in your areas, ask them to support the Richard Star Act, Elizabeth Dole Act, Fix VA Funding Shortfall. You can call, email or visit their offices. No American Legion Legislative priorities from the 118th Congress have been passed this year. The PACT ACT has received 1M claims for a cost of $5.7B, which has caused a shortfall in the VA Budget.

In closing, we as The American Legion need to APPLY THE PRESSURE to our Congress members and Senators here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.