LCO 1 of 6
General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 6748
January Session, 2025
AN ACT CONCERNING THE RECORDING OF A MILITARY
DISCHARGE CHARACTERIZATION UPON A STATE VETERANS
REGISTRY AS "HONORABLE" AND MAKING A MINOR TECHNICAL
REVISION TO A CERTAIN SUCH CHARACTERIZATION.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Subsection (d) of section 27-103 of the general statutes is 1
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from 2
passage): 3
(d) (1) (A) Any veteran who receives an [other than honorable] other-4
than-honorable discharge and who believes such discharge 5
characterization was based on such veteran's sexual orientation, gender 6
identity or gender expression, may file an application for state-based 7
veterans benefits. Such veteran may include evidence supporting [his or 8
her] such veteran's claim that such [discharge characterization] other-9
than-honorable discharge was based on such veteran's sexual 10
orientation, gender identity or gender expression. 11
(B) Any veteran who receives an other-than-honorable discharge and 12
who believes such discharge characterization was based on a qualifying 13
condition may file an application to be recorded upon a state veterans 14
registry as having a discharge characterization of "honorable". Such 15
veteran may include evidence supporting such veteran's claim that such 16 Substitute Bill No. 6748
LCO 2 of 6
other-than-honorable discharge was based on a qualifying condition. 17
(2) The commissioner shall promulgate a standardized application 18
form enumerating the required documentation necessary for filing an 19
application under this subsection and shall make such form available on 20
the Department of Veterans Affairs' Internet web site along with 21
instructions for filing the application. 22
(3) The commissioner shall promulgate a standardized request for 23
reconsideration form enumerating the required documentation 24
necessary for filing a request for reconsideration pursuant to 25
subdivision (5) of this subsection and shall make such form available on 26
the Department of Veterans Affairs' Internet web site along with 27
instructions for filing the request for reconsideration. 28
(4) (A) The board shall review each application submitted pursuant 29
to subparagraph (A) of subdivision (1) of this subsection and render a 30
recommendation to the commissioner as to whether the veteran's sexual 31
orientation, gender identity or gender expression was more likely than 32
not the primary reason for an [other than honorable] other-than-33
honorable discharge. The board shall review each such application not 34
later than thirty days after receipt and render a written recommendation 35
to the commissioner not later than thirty days after such review. The 36
commissioner shall issue a written decision on such application not later 37
than ten days after receipt of the board's recommendation, approving or 38
denying the application. If the commissioner approves the application, 39
such veteran shall be eligible for state-based veterans benefits. 40
(B) The board shall review each application submitted pursuant to 41
subparagraph (B) of subdivision (1) of this subsection and render a 42
recommendation to the commissioner as to whether the veteran's other-43
than-honorable discharge was based on a qualifying condition. The 44
board shall review each such application not later than thirty days after 45
receipt and render a written recommendation to the commissioner not 46
later than thirty days after such review. The commissioner shall issue a 47
written decision on such application not later than ten days after receipt 48 Substitute Bill No. 6748
LCO 3 of 6
of the board's recommendation, approving or denying the application. 49
If the commissioner approves the application, such veteran shall be 50
recorded upon a state veterans registry as having a discharge 51
characterization of "honorable". 52
(5) A veteran aggrieved by the commissioner's decision may file a 53
request for reconsideration with the commissioner not later than fifteen 54
days after receipt of the commissioner's decision. Such veteran may 55
include supplemental documentation in support of the request for 56
reconsideration. The commissioner shall provide due consideration to 57
the request for reconsideration and render a decision not later than ten 58
days after receipt of such request for reconsideration. The 59
commissioner's decision shall be a final decision by the Department of 60
Veterans Affairs and may be appealed to the Superior Court in 61
accordance with the provisions of section 4-183. 62
Sec. 2. Subsection (c) of section 14-20b of the general statutes is 63
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from 64
passage): 65
(c) As used in this section, "eligible former reservist" means any 66
person honorably discharged from, released under honorable 67
conditions from or released with an [other than honorable] other-than-68
honorable discharge based on a qualifying condition from, the United 69
States Army Reserve, Army National Guard, Navy Reserve, Marine 70
Corps Reserve, Coast Guard Reserve, Air Force Reserve or Air National 71
Guard; and "veteran", "armed forces" and "qualifying condition" have 72
the same meanings as provided in section 27-103, as amended by this 73
act. 74
Sec. 3. Subsection (g) of section 14-36h of the general statutes is 75
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from 76
passage): 77
(g) As used in this section: (1) "Full legal name" means the most 78
complete version of the name that appears on a person's certificate of 79
birth, official passport or other document or documents accepted by the 80 Substitute Bill No. 6748
LCO 4 of 6
Commissioner of Motor Vehicles to verify the person's identity, unless 81
the person presents a marriage license or certificate, a certificate of civil 82
union, a divorce decree or an order of a court of competent jurisdiction 83
pertaining to a permanent change of the person's name; (2) "veteran" has 84
the same meaning as provided in section 27-103, as amended by this act, 85
or any former member of the armed forces who is entitled to retirement 86
pay under 10 USC Chapter 1223, as amended from time to time, or, but 87
for age, would be so entitled; (3) "eligible former reservist" means any 88
person honorably discharged from, released under honorable 89
conditions from or released with an [other than honorable] other-than-90
honorable discharge based on a qualifying condition from, the United 91
States Army Reserve, Army National Guard, Navy Reserve, Marine 92
Corps Reserve, Coast Guard Reserve, Air Force Reserve or Air National 93
Guard; and (4) "armed forces" and "qualifying condition" have the same 94
meanings as provided in section 27-103, as amended by this act. 95
Sec. 4. Subsection (a) of section 27-103 of the general statutes is 96
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from 97
passage): 98
(a) As used in the general statutes, except chapter 504, and except as 99
otherwise provided: (1) "Armed forces" means the United States Army, 100
Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Air Force and Space Force and any 101
reserve component thereof, including the Connecticut National Guard 102
performing duty as provided in Title 32 of the United States Code, as 103
amended from time to time; (2) "veteran" means any person honorably 104
discharged from, released under honorable conditions from or released 105
with an [other than honorable] other-than-honorable discharge based 106
on a qualifying condition from, active service in, the armed forces; (3) 107
"service in time of war" means service of ninety or more cumulative days 108
during a period of war unless separated from service earlier because of 109
an injury incurred or aggravated in the line of duty or a service-110
connected disability rated by the United States Department of Veterans 111
Affairs, except that if the period of war lasted less than ninety days, 112
"service in time of war" means service for the entire period of war unless 113
separated because of any such injury or disability; (4) "period of war" 114 Substitute Bill No. 6748
LCO 5 of 6
has the same meaning as provided in 38 USC 101, as amended from time 115
to time, except that the "Vietnam Era" means the period beginning on 116
February 28, 1961, and ending on July 1, 1975, in all cases; and "period 117
of war" shall include service while engaged in combat or a combat 118
support role in Lebanon, July 1, 1958, to November 1, 1958, or September 119
29, 1982, to March 30, 1984; Grenada, October 25, 1983, to December 15, 120
1983; Operation Earnest Will, involving the escort of Kuwaiti oil tankers 121
flying the United States flag in the Persian Gulf, July 24, 1987, to August 122
1, 1990; Panama, December 20, 1989, to January 31, 1990; Afghanistan, 123
October 24, 2001, to August 30, 2021; and Iraq, March 19, 2003, to 124
December 31, 2011, or June 1, 2014, to December 9, 2021, and shall 125
include service during such periods with the armed forces of any 126
government associated with the United States; and (5) "qualifying 127
condition" means (A) a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder or 128
traumatic brain injury made by an individual licensed to provide health 129
care services at a United States Department of Veterans Affairs facility, 130
(B) an experience of military sexual trauma, as described in 38 USC 131
1720D, as amended from time to time, disclosed to an individual 132
licensed to provide health care services at a United States Department 133
of Veterans Affairs facility, or (C) a determination that sexual 134
orientation, gender identity or gender expression was more likely than 135
not the primary reason for an [other than honorable] other-than-136
honorable discharge, as determined in accordance with subsections (c) 137
and (d) of this section. 138
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 from passage 27-103(d)
Sec. 2 from passage 14-20b(c)
Sec. 3 from passage 14-36h(g)
Sec. 4 from passage 27-103(a)
Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
The title was changed.
Substitute Bill No. 6748
LCO 6 of 6
VA Joint Favorable Subst.