Sen. Mann to lead interim study on improving veterans’ access to services and benefits through technology modernization

OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. Mark Mann, D-Oklahoma City, will lead an interim study called “Serving Veterans in the 21^st Century,” to look at how Oklahoma veterans could better access benefits and other services through technology modernization. The study will be held on Tuesday, October 14, at 10 a.m. in room 4S9.

“The Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs (ODVA) is working with outdated technology, and the end result is an unnecessarily complicated and problematic system for veterans to navigate,” Mann said. “This study will help legislators learn how we can upgrade the department’s systems to better support our state’s veterans and their families.”

There are currently over 261,000 veterans in Oklahoma who rely on ODVA for a host of services, including benefits, claims and survivor support, access to education, employment and mental health resources and more.

The study, to be heard in the Senate’s Veterans and Military Affairs Committee, will examine the challenges of their current systems, and how services would be vastly improved with modernized hardware and software, including AI, providing unified platforms, greater efficiency, and transparency.

“I appreciate the chair of our Veterans and Military Affairs Committee, Senator Brenda Stanley, for agreeing to hear this study,” Mann said. “Oklahoma veterans have served at great sacrifice to themselves and their families – they shouldn’t have to jump through hoops or deal with outdated technology that can make getting services a needlessly frustrating process. Modernizing these systems can make Oklahoma a leader in veterans services, better assisting and honoring those who have served our country.”

Members of the press and the public are welcome to attend the hearing, which will also be livestreamed at oksenate.gov.

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For more information, contact:  Sen. Mark Mann at 405-590-4471 or Mark.Mann@oksenate.gov