A group of state lawmakers announced Sunday they have packaged six bills that deal with veterans affairs under the banner "Help Our Heroes" in order to help gain passage by the legislature.

The bills have a variety of aims, ranging from making it easier for troops overseas to vote to granting them in-state tuition while they serve in Colorado. Collectively, the measures would cost between $500,000 to $600,000 to fund, lawmakers said.

They also vowed to try to gradually increase Colorado's trust fund for veterans programs from its current level of $1.2 million to $20 million by building it up over several years.

By doing that, Colorado would get out from the bottom rank in terms of what it spends on veterans, said Rep. Joe Rice, D-Littleton, a veteran who served in the Iraq War.

Rice said Colorado currently spends an average of 97 cents per veteran, compared with a national average of between $6 to $12.

"Colorado is using pennies, instead of dollars" to figure out what benefits it provides to veterans, Rice said during a press conference outside the Colorado National Guard's Denver Armory at 5275 Franklin St.

Sen. Chris Romer, D-Denver, said the legislature should do something to find the money this year.

"We are pathetically funding our veterans in Colorado," he said.

When asked where the money would come from, Romer said he hoped to have a proposal within a few weeks. He also raised the idea of going to the voters for additional funding.

Rice and Romer were joined by Rep. Frank McNulty, R-Highlands Ranch, and Sen. Steve Ward, R-Littleton, in supporting the package of bills.

The measures include:

• Spending $300,000 on a three- year pilot project that would treat the mental health of veterans in Colorado Springs;

• Spending about $93,000 to pick up the costs of life insurance premiums of Colorado soldiers during the time they are serving in a combat zone;

• Creating a program that would make any member of the military assigned temporarily to Colorado eligible for in-state tuition rates at state universities or colleges. This initiative would cost about $90,000.

• Making it easier for soldiers serving overseas to vote by streamlining the required paperwork;

• Forbidding insurance carriers from denying coverage to a state resident solely on the basis that they are serving in the military;

• Making it possible for the National Guard to receive forfeited property or cash seized in connection with drug enforcement operations.

The Guard is authorized to help with activities such as reconnaissance or marijuana field eradication.