Bill > S2509

This bill makes several changes to laws related to veterans' benefits, rights, appreciation, validation, and enforcement in Massachusetts. Key provisions include: - Establishing annual proclamations for Gold Star Wives Day and Gold Star Mothers and Families Day, with display of the Gold Star Flag at the State House. - Creating the Massachusetts Veterans and Warriors to Agriculture Program Fund to enhance education, training, employment, and support for veterans in agriculture. - Restricting employers from requiring veterans to provide military medical or personnel records for employment, except for the DD-214 form. - Allowing certain members of the U.S. Public Health Service or National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps to receive full retirement credit. - Increasing the number of paid military leave days for state and municipal employees from 17 to 40 per year. - Allowing municipalities to designate veteran-only parking spaces at city/town halls. - Increasing certain property tax exemptions for veterans and their surviving spouses. - Establishing a veterans' diversion program in district courts to provide individualized treatment plans as an alternative to traditional prosecution. - Providing full reimbursement to cities/towns for benefits paid to veterans living in federal housing or institutions. - Exempting certain veterans' benefits from being counted as income for eligibility determinations. - Increasing the maximum burial expense covered for veterans from $3,500 to $5,000. - Requiring employers to grant paid or unpaid leave for veterans to participate in Memorial Day and Veterans Day events. The bill also includes several studies to examine topics like transportation reimbursement for veterans, retirement credit for military service, veterans' access to VA benefits while incarcerated, and the feasibility of tuition waivers for veterans at public colleges.

Budget and Finance

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/190/S2509