The Veterans Subcommittee on Feb. 10 received testimony on Senate File 674, a funding request for Hometown Hero Outdoors (HHO), a nonprofit that runs outdoor recreation trips intended to improve mental health among service members, veterans and first responders.

Senator Seaburger presented the bill and said Hometown Hero Outdoors has served thousands since 2017. Christopher Tetrault, HHO president and co-founder, told the committee HHO has expanded into 26 states and that 85% of its participants are current service members or veterans. He said pre‑ and post‑trip survey data the organization collects show reported improvements in mental health (74.1% reporting excellent mental health post-trip, a 38.8% increase from pre-trip) and high rates of continued outdoor activity.

Tetrault described program components and planned uses for state funds: roughly 50% for outdoor adventures, 30% for additional mental-health training and to engage mental‑health professionals, 10% for outreach and growth (including application/website work), and 10% for administrative needs (insurance, accounting). He emphasized that volunteers deliver most services and that the organization uses screening and pre/post surveys to measure outcomes.

Multiple speakers described individual outcomes and the organization’s peer-support network. Jason Keane, a member of HHO and an Iraq veteran, recounted receiving help from HHO contacts after a severe illness and said the organization connected him to services during a crisis. Chaplain Matthew Dietner, currently serving in the Army Reserve, described long-term peer contacts from trips that continued to provide mutual support during family and personal crises.

Senators questioned program scope and partnership choices; testifiers named partnerships with an equine-therapy provider (Bison on the Backside) and a suicidologist (Wellness That Fits). Tetrault said HHO also trains volunteers in applied suicide intervention skills training (ASIST) so staff can provide crisis stabilization and referrals. He told the committee HHO operates primarily on volunteer time and that per-person costs are about $100.

The subcommittee held Senate File 674 over for possible inclusion; no appropriation vote occurred at the hearing.

Ending: The committee recorded supportive testimony, noted partnerships and outcomes data provided by HHO, and will consider the bill in future deliberations.