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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 203 FILED ON: 1/7/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2956
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Adam J. Scanlon
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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 the veteran allowance for public retirees.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Adam J. Scanlon14th Bristol1/7/2025Rodney M. Elliott16th Middlesex2/28/2025 1 of 3
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 203 FILED ON: 1/7/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2956
By Representative Scanlon of North Attleborough, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
2956) of Adam J. Scanlon and Rodney M. Elliott relative to the veteran allowance for public
retirees. Public Service.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
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An Act relative to the veteran allowance for public retirees.
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. Paragraph (b) of subdivision (2) of section 5 of chapter 32 of the General
2Laws, as appearing in the 2018 Official Edition, is amended by inserting in line 142 after the
3word “dollars” the following words:- or upon acceptance of paragraph (b 1/2) fifty dollars.
4 SECTION 2. Paragraph (b) of subdivision (2) of section 5 of said chapter 32, as so
5appearing, is further amended by deleting in line 145 the words “in any case” and inserting in
6place thereof the following words:- or upon acceptance of paragraph (b 1/2) one thousand
7dollars.
8 SECTION 3. Subdivision (2) of section 5 of said chapter 32 is hereby further amended by
9inserting the following new paragraph:-
10 (b 1/2) Upon acceptance of this provision by a retirement system, any member of Group
111 or Group 2 or Group 4, who is a veteran as defined in section one, shall receive, in lieu of
12paragraph (b), an additional yearly allowance of fifty dollars for each year of creditable service 2 of 3
13or fraction thereof; provided, that the total amount of said additional retirement allowance shall
14not exceed one thousand dollars in any case. Acceptance of this provision by a retirement system
15shall be by a majority vote of the board of each such system, subject to the approval of the
16legislative body. For the purposes herein, “legislative body” shall mean, in the case of a city, the
17city council in accordance with its charter, in the case of a town, the town meeting, in the case of
18a county, the county retirement board advisory council, in the case of a region, the regional
19retirement board advisory council, in the case of a district, the district members, and, in the case
20of an authority, the governing body. Acceptance shall be deemed to have occurred upon the
21filing of a certification of such votes with the commission. For purposes herein, the state
22teachers’ and state employees’ retirement systems shall be deemed to have accepted this
23provision.
24 SECTION 4. Paragraph (e) of subdivision (2) of section 7 of said chapter 32, as
25appearing in the 2018 Official Edition, is amended by inserting in line 160 after the dollar
26amount “$15” the following words:- or upon acceptance of paragraph (f) $50; and is further
27amended by inserting in line 162 after the dollar amount “$300” the following words:- or upon
28acceptance of paragraph (f) $1,000.
29 SECTION 5. Subdivision (2) of section 7 of said chapter 32 is hereby further amended by
30inserting at the end thereof the following new paragraph:-
31 (f) Upon acceptance of this provision by a retirement system, any member of Group 1 or
32Group 2 or Group 4, who is a veteran as defined in section one, shall receive, in lieu of paragraph
33(b), an additional yearly allowance of fifty dollars for each year of creditable service or fraction
34thereof; provided, that the total amount of said additional retirement allowance shall not exceed 3 of 3
35one thousand dollars in any case. Acceptance of this provision by a retirement system shall be by
36a majority vote of the board of each such system, subject to the approval of the legislative body.
37For the purposes herein, “legislative body” shall mean, in the case of a city, the city council in
38accordance with its charter, in the case of a town, the town meeting, in the case of a county, the
39county retirement board advisory council, in the case of a region, the regional retirement board
40advisory council, in the case of a district, the district members, and, in the case of an authority,
41the governing body. Acceptance shall be deemed to have occurred upon the filing of a
42certification of such votes with the commission. For purposes herein, the state teachers’ and state
43employees’ retirement systems shall be deemed to have accepted this provision.
44 SECTION 6. Paragraph (c) of subdivision (2) of section 26 of said chapter 32, as
45appearing, is amended by deleting in line 131 the dollar amount “$15”and inserting in place
46thereof the following dollar amount:- $50; and is further amended by deleting in line 134 the
47dollar amount $300 and inserting in place thereof the following dollar amount:- $1,000.
48 SECTION 7. The provisions of this act shall be prospective from the date of acceptance
49of this act and shall not entitle a member, who is entitled to the benefits provided under this act,
50to any retroactive benefits.