"Our veterans are a population in this country that are largely ignored," laments Zachary Federico, manager of the American Legislative Exchange Council's (ALEC) newly established Veterans and Military Affairs Task Force.
After volunteering to protect America's freedoms, he says veterans often return from some of the most dangerous parts of the world and "feel forgotten." They struggle to reintegrate, find quality employment, and access their V.A. benefits. They also carry the scars of war both physically and mentally.
"We saw that this was a problem that we could find solutions for," Federico relays. "We created this task force to support these heroes by bringing together this collection of state legislators and industry experts."
Federico, who hails from a "family full of veterans" and also serves in the Army National Guard, says the task force will debate issues and try to find the best solutions for states.
One example is the Veterans Justice Act, a model policy that came out of different ALEC task force last year. It allows judges to consider that veterans in the justice system may have acted out because of PTSD and decide that they may need treatment instead of incarceration.
So rather than sentencing them and making them a convicted felon, they may be placed in a rehabilitative program.
"That idea has actually been very popular in the states," says Federico.
Nebraska passed this legislation in 2024 with sponsors on both sides of the aisle, which tells Federico that supporting veterans is not a partisan issue.
