VA Awards $710,550 to Support Transportation Access for Rural North Dakota Veterans

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) awarded $710,550 to the North Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs through the Highly Rural Transportation Grants (HRTG) program. The funding provides free transportation for veterans traveling to VA and VA-authorized health care facilities in eligible counties. Roughly 2.7 million veterans reside in highly rural areas across the country.

U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), a member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee (SVAC), introduced the Supporting Rural Veterans Access to Healthcare Services Act to permanently reauthorize the HRTG program. Cramer's legislation passed the SVAC on July 30 and would add Tribal Organizations and Veterans Service Organizations (VSO) as entities eligible to apply directly for the program and provide additional assistance for entities to purchase vehicles.

"I don't think it's any big surprise that many North Dakota veterans live hours from the care they need, and transportation should never be the reason they miss an appointment," said Cramer. "This funding will help bridge that gap by getting veterans to VA and community care appointments, and then ensures they have reliable access to the care they've earned."

Several organizations support the Supporting Rural Veterans Access to Healthcare Services Act, including the North Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs, the Disabled American Veterans (DAV), the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. (VFW), and The American Legion (TAL).

The HRTG program serves the 35 North Dakota counties of Adams, Benson, Billings, Bottineau, Bowman, Burke, Cavalier, Dickey, Divide, Dunn, Eddy, Emmons, Foster, Golden Valley, Grant, Griggs, Hettinger, Kidder, Lamoure, Logan, McHenry, Mcintosh, McKenzie, McLean, Nelson, Oliver, Pierce, Renville, Sargent, Sheridan, Sioux, Slope, Steele, Towner, and Wells.