OFFICE OF FISCAL ANALYSIS
Legislative Office Building, Room 5200
Hartford, CT 06106 (860) 240-0200
http://www.cga.ct.gov/ofa
SB-376
AN ACT ELIMINATING SERVICE IN TIME OF WAR AS AN
ELIGIBILITY CRITERION FOR CERTAIN STATE AND MUNICIPAL
VETERANS' BENEFITS.
Primary Analyst: DD 3/4/25
Contributing Analyst(s): LD, ME, LG, WL, PM, JP, BP, ES
Reviewer: JS
OFA Fiscal Note
State Impact:
Agency Affected Fund-Effect FY 26 $ FY 27 $
Soldiers, Sailors & Marines' Fund SF - Cost 540,000 540,000
Military Dept. GF - Cost 120,000 160,000
Motor Vehicle Dept. TF – Potential
Revenue Loss
Minimal Minimal
Constituent Units of Higher
Education
OF - Potential
Revenue Loss
Minimal Minimal
Note: SF=Special Fund (Non-appropriated); GF=General Fund; TF=Transportation Fund; OF= Other Fund
Municipal Impact:
Municipalities Effect FY 26 $ FY 27 $
All Municipalities Revenue
Loss
None See Below
Various Municipalities Potential
Revenue
Loss
Minimal Minimal
Explanation
The bill expands certain benefits, currently available to veterans who
served in a time of war, to veterans who served during peacetime,
resulting in numerous fiscal impacts. The bill results, annually
beginning in FY 26, in a cost to the Military Department, and the
Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines Fund, and a potential, minimal revenue
loss to the Department of Motor Vehicles and to the constituent units of
higher education. It also results in a revenue loss to all municipalities 2025SB-00376-R000036-FN.DOCX Page 2 of 4
annually beginning in FY 27 and a potential revenue loss to various
municipalities annually beginning in FY 26.
Sections 1 – 3 result in a potential, minimal revenue loss to the
constituent units of higher education annually beginning in FY 26. The
bill expands, to veterans who did not serve during a time of war, a
tuition waiver currently available only to veterans who did serve during
a time of war.
It is not known how many peacetime veterans are currently attending
the constituent units, but the number is expected to be minimal.
According to the federal Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), eras of
peacetime include periods between: (1) WWII and the Korean War; (2)
the Korean War and the Vietnam War; (3) the Vietnam War and the Gulf
War; and (4) after the end of the war in Afghanistan. The VA indicates
that there are currently no veterans who served entirely since the end of
the war in Afghanistan.
If ten veterans at each constituent unit receive a tuition waiver as a
result of the bill, the total revenue loss (assuming undergraduate, in-
state tuition rates) would be $286,160. This is broken down by unit as
follows: (1) $170,100 for UConn; (2) $69,980 at the Connecticut State
Universities; and (3) $46,080 at CT State.
Sections 4 - 5 have no fiscal impact. They expand a requirement to
add points to an examination for employment to peacetime veterans.
Previously this requirement was only available to veterans with
wartime service. This is not anticipated to result in a fiscal impact to the
state or municipalities as it would not increase the number of
individuals hired.
Sections 6 - 7 result in a cost to the Department of Veterans Affairs
and its Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines Fund (SSMF) of an estimated
$540,000 annually beginning in FY 26. The bill expands access to
temporary financial assistance via the SSMF to include peacetime
veterans. It is anticipated this will result in around 200 veterans
applying. 2025SB-00376-R000036-FN.DOCX Page 3 of 4
Section 8 results in a potential minimal annual revenue loss
beginning in FY 26 to the Special Transportation Fund by broadening
the eligibility for certain motor vehicle benefits and fee exemptions. The
population that would be newly eligible under this section is unknown
but expected to be small.
Section 9 results in a revenue loss to all municipalities annually
beginning in FY 27 by expanding eligibility for the property tax
exemption described in CGS Sec. 12-81(19). If the newly eligible
peacetime veterans and spouses own homes at the state average rate
1
, it
would result in an estimated annual revenue loss of $800,000. The
impact will be dependent on the number of peacetime veterans and their
spouses who apply for the exemption.
Section 10 removes wartime service as a requirement for a veteran to
receive an honor guard detail at a funeral resulting in a cost to the
Military Department of approximately $120,000 in FY 26
2
and $160,000
annually beginning in FY 27. Removing the wartime service
requirement increases the number of veterans eligible for honor guard
details at funerals by 35%.
3
Section 11 exempts all veterans from a municipal permit fee related
to peddler or hawking on public streets or state highways. Previously
this exemption only applied to veterans with wartime service. This may
result in a revenue loss beginning in FY 26 to the extent municipalities
have an ordinance that imposes this fee.
4
Any revenue loss will be
dependent on the number of permit fees that would have otherwise
been required.
The Out Years
1
https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/CT/HSD310223
2
The cost in FY 26 reflects nine months of expenditures due to the bills October 1, 2025,
effective date.
3
There are approximately 112,000 wartime veterans and 40,000 peacetime veterans in
the state. The average honor guard expenditures for wartime veterans from FY 20 to
FY 24 is approximately $455,000 per year.
4
The maximum for this permit fee is $200 a year. 2025SB-00376-R000036-FN.DOCX Page 4 of 4
The annualized ongoing fiscal impact identified above would
continue into the future subject to inflation and the number of peacetime
veterans who use the benefits described above.