SESSION OF 2024
SUPPLEMENTAL NOTE ON HOUSE BILL NO. 2758
As Amended by House Committee on Veterans
and Military
Brief*
HB 2758, as amended, would update the term “military
service” and would add the term “Space Force” to the
definition of Armed Forces.
Active Service (Sections 2-4 and 6-7)
The bill would update the term “military service” to
“active service.” The term would be made applicable to
service members from the Space Force, as well as service
members from any component of the military reserves and
the National Guard of several states and territories, Puerto
Rico, and the District of Columbia.
Armed Forces (Section 1)
The bill would define a member of the Armed Forces to
mean a person performing active service in the Army, Navy,
Marine Corps, Air Force, Space Force, Coast Guard, or any
U.S. Military Reserve component.
Veteran (Section 5)
The bill would update the term “veteran” to mean a
person who served in the active military, naval, air, or space
service and who was discharged or released under conditions
other than dishonorable.
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*Supplemental notes are prepared by the Legislative Research
Department and do not express legislative intent. The supplemental
note and fiscal note for this bill may be accessed on the Internet at
http://www.kslegislature.org Technical Amendments
The bill would make technical amendments to various
statutes to modernize language and ensure consistency in
statutory phrasing. The bill would also replace the term
“branch” with “component” when referencing the U.S. Military
Reserve.
Background
The bill was introduced by the House Committee on
Veterans and Military at the request of Representative
Goddard on behalf of Representative Dodson.
House Committee on Veterans and Military
In the House Committee hearing on February 13, 2023,
Representative Goddard and a representative of the Military
Officers Association of America provided proponent
testimony. The proponents noted the bill would recognize the
recently establish Space Force as part of the U.S. Armed
Forces and provide consistency with federal code concerning
benefits for service members and veterans.
The House Committee amended the bill to:
●Replace a remaining singular use of the term
“branch” with “component”; and
●Revert to the original use of the term “provided”
rather than “defined” in a certain instance.
2- 2758 Fiscal Information
According to the fiscal note prepared by the Division of
the Budget on the bill, as introduced, the Adjutant General’s
Department and the Kansas Commission on Veterans Affairs
state that enactment of the bill would have no fiscal effect on
either agency.
Veterans and military; Space Force; active service
3- 2758