SMYRNA, Del. — Delaware is establishing a new state-level agency focused entirely on supporting the needs of more than 70,000 veterans who call the First State home.
Gov. Matt Meyer signed House Bill 1 to create the Delaware Department of Veterans Affairs, elevating veterans’ services and advocacy to the highest level within state government.
“If you go out and fight for your country and your neighbor when you return home you should have the best services and the right people the strongest possible advocate in state government,” said Governor Matt Meyer. “Today we are elevating their voices to the cabinet level, empowering a Secretary of Veterans Affairs, guided by lived experience, to lead. This is not a gesture, it’s a guarantee to honor those who protected us.”
"When you take off that uniform, there's no excuse for you to not get the best of the best of America," says Gov. Matt Meyer
The department will be led by a cabinet-level secretary, although Meyer confirmed no one has yet been selected to fill the role. According to the Governor's office, to lead the new agency, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs must be a veteran, and all supervisory staff must also be veterans whenever possible.
Gov. Matt Meyer signed legislation creating the Delaware Department of Veterans Affairs
The bipartisan legislation creating the Department received unanimous House and Senate approval.
The move is intended to streamline access to healthcare, housing, and other veteran benefits—services that many people who live in Delaware say are currently difficult to navigate.
Matthew Sammon, who served in the U.S. Army, Army National Guard and Air National Guard beginning in 1985, said he struggled to find support after retiring.
"At the time we got out, we didn't have much information on it," Sammon said. "I know a lot of people don't even know what the Legion would do for them or the VFW at this point, and we'd had no idea."
That’s a reality state leaders say they’re trying to change. State Rep. Bill Carson, who sponsored the bill, emphasized the need for leadership and accountability in serving Delaware veterans.
"We need a leader to be at the forefront of all this," Carson said. "Someone that's in charge and can take over and review all the services and go to all the veterans posts and just travel throughout the state and work for veterans issues."
Robert Price with American Legion Post 14, said the new department could be a game changer.
"There's a lot of things we're missing out on," Price said. "I knew about some of them, but this bill right here, this will take care of us because they're directly going to work for us."
Currently, the Department of Veterans Affairs will operate within the Department of State. It's slated to become a standalone agency by 2030. The Delaware Commission of Veterans Affairs will continue its work, retaining oversight of the Delaware Veterans Home and serving in an advisory role to the new department.