VALOR Act II Expanding Veterans’ Services Passes

BOSTON – Senator Brian A. Joyce and Representative William C. Galvin joined their colleagues in the Massachusetts House and Senate to pass a final version of the VALOR ACT II after the bill emerged from a conference committee tasked with rectifying differences between versions passed by the House and Senate last year. The final bill will provide a wide-ranging set of protections and services for veterans include tax breaks, employment opportunities, educational assistance, and more.

“The legislation ensures that Massachusetts veterans are cared for and have minimal barriers to re-entering civilian life,” said Joyce. “I thank all the veterans, their families, and the support organizations who advocated passionately on these important issues and moved this bill through the Legislature.”

“Our military heroes and their families have made great sacrifices for our country and it is our responsibility to support them. I am proud that Massachusetts continues to lead the nation in providing a range of resources for our veterans and their families,” stated Rep. Galvin. 

The bill will allow veterans enrolled in college to delay their coursework without penalty and with a full refund if called to active duty and will extend the property tax discount to veterans who volunteer in their community to include spouses. It will also:

• Establish a home modification program for disabled veterans;

• Create a special commission to establish a state Office of Veterans’ Employment and Business Assistance;

• Implement a two year veteran’s court program to develop a model to implement across the Commonwealth;

• Establish a Service Member Post-Deployment Council to recommend support programs for veterans transitioning to civilian life;

• Craft guidance for hospitals and ambulance providers to identify veterans and service members in order to treat veterans with “unique mental health triggers”;

• Enact protections for private employers who offer preference hiring for veterans or spouses of fully disabled veterans; and

• Waive application fees for veterans seeking professional licenses or certifications.

The legislation comes following a recent report by the state Legislature’s Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs found the state ranks first in the nation by local and state government expending more than two times as many resources per veteran as any other state. The Commonwealth spent $173 per person on its more than 388,000 veterans in 2011, more than twice the amount spent by the next closest states, Illinois ($86) and Iowa ($84). Furthermore, Massachusetts leads the nation in in the number of benefits programs available to its veterans, by offering 67 services targeted for veterans. This is more than the second closest state and almost twice the number of financial assistance programs offered by any other state.