Bill > S1913

This bill authorizes the Home of the Brave, Inc., a non-profit organization, to construct, purchase, and operate public homes for veterans, which will be considered "state veterans' homes." These homes will be funded by federal and private sources and are intended to provide support and care for honorably discharged veterans who served at least 180 days in the U.S. Armed Forces. The corporation will have broad powers, including entering into contracts, acquiring and disposing of property, procuring insurance, receiving donations, applying for grants, and borrowing funds for capital, operational, and maintenance purposes, including from the federal government. An administrator, who must be an honorably discharged veteran, will manage the homes under the direction of the board of trustees, and will hire employees who will not be considered state employees. Admission to these homes will be open to eligible veterans, their spouses, widows, widowers, and "Gold Star" parents (parents of service members killed in action), provided they were residents of the commonwealth at the time of military entry or application and meet financial eligibility requirements, with admitted veterans contributing to their maintenance costs based on their ability to pay. All unrestricted funds received by the corporation, including federal stipend funds, will be held in a permanent fund for the support and maintenance of the homes, with a portion reserved for capital improvements, and the homes will operate as self-liquidating projects until any issued bonds are retired. The corporation is required to submit an annual report detailing various aspects of the homes' operations, funding, and plans to state officials. The corporation's fiscal year will align with the commonwealth's, and it will adopt its own administrative rules, while remaining subject to Chapter 180 of the General Laws.