| 1 | 1 | | 1 of 1 |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3400 FILED ON: 1/20/2023 |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3530 |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | _________________ |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | PRESENTED BY: |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | David Allen Robertson and Kenneth I. Gordon |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | _________________ |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | Court assembled: |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill: |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | An Act relative to retirement benefits for veterans. |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | _______________ |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | PETITION OF: |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:David Allen Robertson19th Middlesex1/20/2023Kenneth I. Gordon21st Middlesex1/20/2023 1 of 2 |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3400 FILED ON: 1/20/2023 |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3530 |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | By Representatives Robertson of Tewksbury and Gordon of Bedford, a petition (accompanied by |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | bill, House, No. 3530) of David Allen Robertson and Kenneth I. Gordon relative to retirement |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | benefits for veterans. Veterans and Federal Affairs. |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | _______________ |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | (2023-2024) |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | _______________ |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | An Act relative to retirement benefits for veterans. |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | of the same, as follows: |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | 1 SECTION 1. Notwithstanding the provisions of chapter 32 of the General Laws or any |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | 2other general or special law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, a member retired prior to July 24, |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | 31996, in a retirement system as defined in section one who is a veteran, as defined Chapter 4 |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | 4section 7, who served in the armed forces of the United States shall be entitled to credit for active |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | 5service in the armed services of the United States; provided that such creditable service shall not |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | 6be construed to include service for more than four years; and, provided further, that such |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | 7creditable service shall not be allowed for any period of active service for which said veteran has |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | 8received credit pursuant to paragraph (h) of subsection (1) of section 4 of chapter thirty-two of |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | 9the General Laws and provided further, that the amount does not exceed the eighty percent |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | 10allowed to retire. This act shall also apply to National Guard and Active Reserve personnel, who |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | 11are veterans, both former and present. Creditable service time, both enlisted and commissioned, |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | 12may be applied toward retirement on a ratio of five years guard service or five years active |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | 13reserve service substitutable for each year of active service. 2 of 2 |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | 14 SECTION 2. For the retirement system of any political subdivision, the provisions of this |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | 15act shall take effect on the effective date of this act by majority vote of the board of such system |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | 16and by the local legislative body. For the purposes of this paragraph, local legislative body shall |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | 17mean a town meeting for a town system, the city council subject to the provisions of its charter |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | 18for a city system, the county commissioners for a county system, the district members for a |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | 19district system and the governing body of an authority for an authority system. Acceptance shall |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | 20be deemed to have occurred upon the filing of a certification of such vote with the commissioner. |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | 21Members retired prior to July 24, 1996 of a retirement system eligible for said creditable service |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | 22under this act shall become eligible for said creditable service the month following the |
|---|
| 51 | 51 | | 23acceptance of this act by the local legislative body. Terms used in this act shall have the same |
|---|
| 52 | 52 | | 24meaning as those terms defined in section one of chapter thirty-two of the General Laws. For |
|---|
| 53 | 53 | | 25purposes of this section, the state teachers’ and state employees’ retirement systems shall be |
|---|
| 54 | 54 | | 26deemed to have accepted the provisions of this act. |
|---|
| 55 | 55 | | 27 SECTION 3. Section 6 of Chapter 116 of the acts of 2002 is hereby amended by striking |
|---|
| 56 | 56 | | 28out the last sentence. |
|---|