Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H3871 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 189 FILED ON: 1/7/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3871
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Kelly W. Pease
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 authorizing amending, updating, and aligning the Commonwealth’s definition of veteran.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Kelly W. Pease4th Hampden1/7/2025Dennis C. Gallagher8th Plymouth1/9/2025Kenneth P. Sweezey6th Plymouth1/28/2025 1 of 2
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 189 FILED ON: 1/7/2025
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3871
18	18	By Representative Pease of Westfield, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3871) of
19	19	Kelly W. Pease, Dennis C. Gallagher and Kenneth P. Sweezey relative to the definition of
20	20	veteran. Veterans and Federal Affairs.
21	21	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
22	22	_______________
23	23	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
24	24	(2025-2026)
25	25	_______________
26	26	An Act authorizing amending, updating, and aligning the Commonwealth’s definition of veteran.
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. Section 7, 43rd clause of Chapter 4 of the General Laws, is hereby amended
30	30	2by striking the 43rd clause in its entirety and inserting in its place the following:
31	31	3 Forty-third, ''Veteran'' shall mean (1) a person who served on active duty in the
32	32	4Uniformed Services or on full time national guard or reserve duty, under Titles 10 or 32 of the
33	33	5United States Code or under sections 38, 40 and 41 of chapter 33, and (2) who was discharged or
34	34	6released therefrom under conditions other than dishonorable; (3) a member of the American
35	35	7Merchant Marine who served in armed conflict between December 7, 1941 and December 31,
36	36	81946, and who was discharged or released therefrom under conditions other than dishonorable;
37	37	9(4) a member of the reserve component who has served s minimum of six years as an active
38	38	10drilling member of the reserve component; or (5) any person who served in the Uniformed
39	39	11Services, and was awarded a service-connected disability by the U.S. Veterans Administration or
40	40	12who died in such service under conditions other than dishonorable shall be deemed a veteran. 2 of 2
41	41	13 “Active Duty” shall include (1) full time service; and (2) any period of active or inactive
42	42	14duty for training during which the individual was disabled or died.
43	43	15 “Armed Forces” shall include army, marine corps, navy, air force, space force, coast
44	44	16guard and any additional military service created by the U.S. Department of Defense including
45	45	17reserve components thereof.
46	46	18 “Uniformed Services” shall include armed forces, commissioned corps of the public
47	47	19health service and commissioned corps of the national oceanic and atmospheric administration.
48	48	20None of the following shall be deemed to be a ''veteran'':
49	49	21 (a) Any person who at the time of entering into the armed forces of the United States had
50	50	22declared his intention to become a subject or citizen of the United States and withdrew his
51	51	23intention under the provisions of the act of Congress approved July ninth, nineteen hundred and
52	52	24eighteen.
53	53	25 (b) Any person who was discharged from the said armed forces on his own application or
54	54	26solicitation by reason of his being an enemy alien.
55	55	27 (c) Any person who has been proved guilty of willful desertion.
56	56	28 (d) Any person whose only service in the armed forces of the United States consists of his
57	57	29service as a member of the coast guard auxiliary or as a temporary member of the coast guard
58	58	30reserve, or both.
59	59	31 (e) Any person whose last discharge or release from the armed forces is dishonorable.