Bill Overview
Title: Free Veterans from Fees Act
Description: This bill waives the application fee for any application for any special use permit the sole purpose of which is to hold a veterans' special event at a war memorial on land administered by the National Park Service in the District of Columbia and its environs.
Sponsors: Sen. Rubio, Marco [R-FL]
Target Audience
Population: Veterans organizing or attending events at war memorials in the D.C. area
Estimated Size: 1900000
- The bill specifically mentions waiving fees for special use permits for veterans' events.
- Thus, the primary impacted population would be veterans who are organizing or attending such events.
- The bill is specific to events at war memorials on land administered by the National Park Service in Washington D.C., indicating that it targets a subset of veterans highlighted by location and event type.
- Events at war memorials may draw veterans from across the United States but primarily from those living near or able to travel to Washington, D.C.
- There is no specific limitation on which veterans from around the world can participate in such events, so theoretically, global veterans could be impacted when visiting.
- The target population is tied to veterans' organizations or individuals who organize events at these memorials, likely benefitting a smaller but significant group of people globally.
Reasoning
- The target population for this policy is relatively specific: veterans interested in organizing or attending events at war memorials in D.C. The budget is also quite limited given the scale and cost of organizing events.
- The potential benefits primarily pertain to cost savings for veteran organizations, which may indirectly influence veterans through increased number of events or more comprehensive services at events.
- Many veterans, while proud of the recognition, may not be directly involved in organizing such events and hence may not feel a direct impact.
- Given the geographic focus on D.C., the largest impact will be on veterans organizations based in or frequently working with memorials in the area rather than individual veterans nationwide.
- Population diversity is incorporated by including different demographics like age, involvement in veteran affairs, current employment status, and others to simulate the range of impact under the policy.
Simulated Interviews
Retired Army Colonel (Washington, D.C.)
Age: 68 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 2/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy will help us organize more frequent events without worrying about permit costs.
- We can redirect saved funds to enhancing event quality and outreach.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Veteran Affairs Coordinator (New York, NY)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think this policy will reduce the financial burden on organizations that I work with.
- It might allow us to support veterans in more meaningful ways.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
Non-profit worker (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 30 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm not directly involved in organizing events, but it's nice that organizers could benefit.
- I might attend more events if they increase.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
Veterans' Organization Leader (Houston, TX)
Age: 52 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The fee waiver would be immensely beneficial to our organization, allowing us to focus on accessibility and inclusion.
- These savings could lead to more frequent, inclusive events.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Historian and Veterans' Advocate (Chicago, IL)
Age: 38 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- While not directly impacted, I believe this policy could enhance veteran interactions with our national history.
- More accessible events may encourage veteran involvement, which I support.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Retired Veteran (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 72 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I love attending veterans' events at memorials; would appreciate more frequent gatherings without financial constraints.
- Good that organizers are getting some relief even if it doesn't impact me directly.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
Retired Navy Officer (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 60 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 1.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- A step in the right direction for government to acknowledge veterans but unsure of its widespread impact.
- Focus should also be on veterans' everyday struggles, not just events.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 4 | 3 |
Freelance Event Coordinator (Washington, D.C.)
Age: 28 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 7.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy can streamline my work by reducing procedural barriers, allowing for more creativity.
- Fee removal can mean we free more funds for substantive event content.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
Veteran and Entrepreneur (Philadelphia, PA)
Age: 34 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This could open doors for many budding veteran leaders looking to create impactful events.
- I'm excited to see if more opportunities arise from these financial savings.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Public School Teacher and Reservist (Atlanta, GA)
Age: 40 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's good to support veterans in any way possible, though I am not directly affected.
- Waived fees could lead to more events that I could incorporate into teaching.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $500000 (Low: $400000, High: $600000)
Year 2: $510000 (Low: $410000, High: $610000)
Year 3: $520200 (Low: $420000, High: $620000)
Year 5: $540800 (Low: $440000, High: $640000)
Year 10: $592400 (Low: $480000, High: $700000)
Year 100: $889800 (Low: $700000, High: $1000000)
Key Considerations
- The bill supports veterans by waiving fees, facilitating memorial events without financial hurdle.
- Impact on NPS and its resource allocation, considering loss of fees, however minimal, needs strategic review.
- Social and diplomatic benefits by promoting veterans' welfare and commemorative events financially.
- Minimal economic impact due to scale - targeting a specific, limited population and purpose.