Legislation would approve new marketing tool to promote veteran-owned businesses

A bill recently approved by the Senate would direct the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) to create special logos to promote veteran-owned businesses.

Veteran-owned businesses are those owned by veterans, reservists, and members of the National Guard.

Senate Bill 957 instructs the DMVA to develop criteria to receive the logo and a method of verifying military status for business owners seeking the designation.

Protections are written into the bill to ensure no one obtains the logo fraudulently.

“Pennsylvanians are eternally grateful to our military heroes, and there is a strong willingness in our communities to support the businesses they create when they return to civilian life,” Sen. Camera Bartolotta (R-Greene County), the bill’s sponsor, said. “Economists predict that it will take years, or maybe even decades for us to recover from the financial consequences of COVID-19. Nurturing the entrepreneurial spirit of our veterans not only shows our thanks to the brave individuals who served our Commonwealth and our nation, but it also helps the economy by supporting new job options and business opportunities at a time when they are needed most.”

The program mirrors one currently being utilized in Wisconsin.

The bill moves to the House of Representatives for consideration.