Senate Bill No. 861
Public Act No. 19-33
AN ACT CONCERNING TH E DEFINITION OF "SERVICE IN TIME
OF WAR" AND STATE RE SIDENCY REQUIREMENTS FOR
CERTAIN VETERANS' SE RVICES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Subsections (a) and (b) of section 27-103 of the general
statutes are repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof
(Effective October 1, 2019):
(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, as
amended from time to time; (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,] during a period of war unless separated from
service earlier because of an injury incurred or aggravated in the line
of duty or a service-connected disability rated by the United States
Department of Veterans Affairs, [during a period of war] except that if Senate Bill No. 861
Public Act No. 19-33 2 of 3
the period of war lasted less than ninety days, "service in time of war"
means service for the entire such period of war unless separated
because of any such injury or disability; (4) "period of war" has the
same meaning as provided in 38 USC 101, as amended from time to
time, 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;
and (5) "qualifying condition" means a diagnosis of post-traumatic
stress disorder or traumatic brain injury made by, or an experience of
military sexual trauma, as described in 38 USC 1720D, as amended
from time to time, disclosed to, an individual licensed to provide
health care services at a United States Department of Veterans Affairs
facility.
(b) As used in this part, "Veterans Residential Services facility"
means the Veterans Residential Services facility in Rocky Hill
maintained by the Department of Veterans Affairs that provides
temporary and other supported residential services for qualifying
veterans; "hospital" means any incorporated hospital or tuberculosis
sanatorium in the state and any state chronic disease hospital, or
hospital for persons with mental illness; "Healthcare Center" means the
hospital in Rocky Hill maintained by the Department of Veterans
Affairs; "veteran" means any veteran, as defined in subsection (a) of
this section, 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 Senate Bill No. 861
Public Act No. 19-33 3 of 3
continuously in this state for at least two years;] "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.