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