| 17 | 17 | | |
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| 18 | 18 | | Referred to Committee on VETERANS' AFFAIRS |
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| 19 | 19 | | |
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| 20 | 20 | | Introduced by: |
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| 21 | 21 | | |
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| 22 | 22 | | (VA) |
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| 23 | 23 | | |
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| 24 | 24 | | AN ACT CONCERNING REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION TO THE STATE VETERANS' HOME. |
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| 25 | 25 | | |
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| 26 | 26 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened: |
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| 27 | 27 | | |
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| 28 | 28 | | Section 1. Section 27-103 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2016): |
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| 29 | 29 | | |
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| 30 | 30 | | (a) As used in the general statutes, except chapter 504, and except as otherwise provided: (1) "Armed forces" means the United States Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Air Force and any reserve component thereof, including the Connecticut National Guard performing duty as provided in Title 32 of the United States Code; (2) "veteran" means any person honorably discharged from, or released under honorable conditions from active service in, the armed forces; (3) "service in time of war" means service of ninety or more cumulative days except, if the period of war lasted less than ninety days, "service in time of war" means service for the entire period of war, unless separated from service earlier because of a service-connected disability rated by the Veterans' Administration, during a period of war; and (4) "period of war" has the same meaning as provided in 38 USC 101, as amended, except that the "Vietnam Era" means the period beginning on February 28, 1961, and ending on July 1, 1975, in all cases; and "period of war" shall include service while engaged in combat or a combat support role in Lebanon, July 1, 1958, to November 1, 1958, or September 29, 1982, to March 30, 1984; Grenada, October 25, 1983, to December 15, 1983; Operation Earnest Will, involving the escort of Kuwaiti oil tankers flying the United States flag in the Persian Gulf, July 24, 1987, to August 1, 1990; and Panama, December 20, 1989, to January 31, 1990, and shall include service during such periods with the armed forces of any government associated with the United States. |
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| 31 | 31 | | |
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| 32 | 32 | | (b) As used in this part, "home" means the Veterans' Home maintained by the state; "hospital" means any incorporated hospital or tuberculosis sanatorium in the state and any state chronic disease hospital, or hospital for persons with mental illness, "veteran" means any veteran, [who served in time of war,] as defined in subsection (a) of this section, [and] who is a resident of this state, provided, if he or she was not a resident or resident alien of this state at the time of enlistment or induction into the armed forces, he or she shall have resided continuously in this state for at least [two years] thirty days; "eligible dependent" means any parent, wife or husband, or child of a veteran who has no adequate means of support; and "eligible family member" means any parent, brother or sister, wife or husband, or child or children under eighteen years of age, of any veteran whose cooperation in the program is integral to the treatment of the veteran. |
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| 33 | 33 | | |
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| 34 | 34 | | Sec. 2. Subsection (c) of section 27-108 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2016): |
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| 35 | 35 | | |
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| 36 | 36 | | (c) Any such veteran desiring care or treatment under the provisions of this chapter shall make application under oath to the Commissioner of Veterans' Affairs; but, if, by reason of his or her physical condition, he or she is unable to make such application, some other veteran may make such application in his or her behalf. Said commissioner, or his or her designee, shall have sole power to determine whether such veteran is entitled to admission to the home or to a hospital, [and] provided said commissioner or designee shall give preference to any such veteran who has resided continuously in this state for one year or more. Any such veteran, if admitted, may, upon application to the commissioner, receive transportation at the expense of the state from his or her place of residence to the home or such hospital. No veteran so admitted shall be discharged from the home except upon the approval of the commissioner or his or her designee. The commissioner shall have sole power to remove any veteran whose care and treatment is paid for by the state from any hospital to another and shall appoint such agents as are necessary to see that veterans admitted to hospitals are receiving necessary food, clothing, care and treatment. |
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| 37 | 37 | | |
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| 38 | 38 | | |
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| 39 | 39 | | |
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| 40 | 40 | | |
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| 41 | 41 | | This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections: |
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| 42 | 42 | | Section 1 July 1, 2016 27-103 |
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| 43 | 43 | | Sec. 2 July 1, 2016 27-108(c) |
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| 44 | 44 | | |
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| 45 | 45 | | This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections: |
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| 46 | 46 | | |
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| 47 | 47 | | Section 1 |
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| 48 | 48 | | |
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| 49 | 49 | | July 1, 2016 |
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| 50 | 50 | | |
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| 51 | 51 | | 27-103 |
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| 52 | 52 | | |
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| 53 | 53 | | Sec. 2 |
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| 54 | 54 | | |
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| 55 | 55 | | July 1, 2016 |
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| 56 | 56 | | |
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| 57 | 57 | | 27-108(c) |
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| 58 | 58 | | |
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| 59 | 59 | | |
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| 60 | 60 | | |
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| 61 | 61 | | VA Joint Favorable |
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