SESSION OF 2024
SUPPLEMENTAL NOTE ON HOUSE BILL NO. 2829
As Recommended by House Committee on
Veterans and Military
Brief*
HB 2829 would update the term “military service” and
would add the term “Space Force” to the definition of Armed
Forces.
Updates to Definitions
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. Active service would also
include members of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force,
and Coast Guard.
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.
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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 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.
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
Taxation at the request of Representative Ellis. [Note: The bill
is identical to the provisions of 2024 HB 2758, passed as
amended by the House Committee of Veterans and Military,
but the bill was stricken from the calendar by Rule 1507.] The
bill was referred to the House Committee on Veterans and
Military on March 12, 2024.
House Committee on Veterans and Military
In the House Committee hearing on March 14, 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 established Space Force as part of the U.S. Armed
Forces and provide consistency with federal code concerning
benefits for service members and veterans.
Written-only proponent testimony was provided by a
representative of the U.S. Department of Defense, State
Liaison Office.
2- 2829 No other testimony was provided.
Fiscal Information
According to the fiscal note prepared by the Division of
the Budget on the bill, as introduced, the Kansas Commission
on Veterans Affairs states that enactment of the bill would
have no fiscal effect the agency. Enactment of the bill would
have no fiscal effect on the Kansas State Board of Healing
Arts, the Kansas Board of Emergency Medical Services, or
the Kansas Department of Labor. The State Board of Nursing
indicates revisions in licensing software may be necessary,
but the fiscal effect could likely be handled with existing
resources. Any fiscal effect associated with the bill is not
reflected in The FY 2025 Governor’s Budget Report.
Veterans and military; Space Force; active service
3- 2829