Oklahoma has a long tradition of honoring and taking great pride in the noble sacrifices that members of the military have made to protect our freedoms and way of life. And legislatively we have a nationwide reputation as a veteran’s friendly state.

As we welcome home our members of the 45th the purpose of this column will be to advise concerning SB1222, the Oklahoma Veteran’s Treatment Act.

Studies have shown that military service exacts a tremendous psychological toll on members of the military who are faced with the constant threat of death or injury over an extended period of time. This includes mental health injuries such as traumatic brain injury, post traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety and acute stress disorder. Such service related injuries, including the use of drugs and alcohol to cope with such injuries, can lead to encounters with the criminal justice system.

While these encounters are few, and it is a small percentage of the population we are talking about, as a grateful state we must continue to honor the military service of our men and women by providing them with an alternative to incarceration and treatment programs whenever possible as they reintegrate to civilian life.  That’s why I was pleased to co-author Senate Bill 1222 with Rep. Tommy Hardin (R-Ardmore).

The Oklahoma Veteran’s Treatment Act authorizes any district or municipal court to establish a Veteran’s Treatment Program.  These programs will operate very similar to our existing Drug Courts. When a veteran successfully completes the program, their criminal case may be dismissed, reduced or differed. Under the proposed law a program team, after making some assessments and clinical evaluations, will make a recommendation whether the applicant is appropriate of the program.  Persons charged with violent crimes would be ineligible.  As with any of our specialized courts, there will be challenges with funding and manpower – but it must start somewhere.

I am proud of Oklahoma’s steps to continue reaching out to our Veterans after they return home from their service. SB 1222 honors our long standing tradition of support for those veterans.

If you need assistance or would like to visit about this or any other issue pending before the legislature, please feel free to contact my capitol office at 1-800-522-8502 or email me at bensherrer@okhouse.gov. Until next week, God bless you.