MA House Passes Bill Supporting Veterans' Services, Military Families

BOSTON—Representative David P. Linsky (D-Natick), joined his colleagues in the Massachusetts House of Representative in passing H.4978, An Act relative to military spouse-licensure portability, education and enrollment of dependents, by a vote of 154-0. The bill focuses on supporting veterans and military families by reforming licensing requirements, increasing access to information about open burn pit exposure, authorizing slot machines at veterans’ organizations, honoring service members who died as a result of combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder or other diseases linked to their time in action, and requires formal recognition for the founding dates of various branches of the United States Armed Forces.

“Our veterans dedicated their lives to this country and the state of Massachusetts, so the state of Massachusetts must dedicate itself to the continuous support of our veterans. This bill reaffirms the House's commitment to improving the lives of our veterans and military families in Massachusetts. I am proud to have voted to pass a bill that further supports and honors our veterans,” said Representative Linsky. “I would like to thank Speaker Mariano, Chairman Paul McMurtry and the rest of my colleagues for their hard work improving support for our veterans’ and improvements required to support our Commonwealth.”

Highlights of H.4798:

Education and Enrollment

• Establishes a Massachusetts National Guard Family Education Program to allow National Guard members to transfer their unused education benefits under the National Guard Education Assistance Program to children or dependents.
• Establishes a military spouse certificate to be issued by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner to military spouse teachers that meet certain requirements.
• Allows military families to register and enroll in a school district when a service member first receives their relocation order, waiving the proof of residency requirement at the time of registration. This provision also allows military children who are transferring mid-semester to enroll in and attend one of the Commonwealth’s virtual schools.
• Establishes the Purple Star Campus Program, to be administered by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, to designate schools that demonstrate a commitment to students and families of service members.
• Ensures that a member of the military stationed in the Commonwealth, their spouse, or their children are deemed an in-state resident after their acceptance at one of the state’s higher education institutions.

Slot Machines

Allows certain veterans' organizations such as American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars posts to install slot machines for their members.

Civilian Licensure and Benefits

Allows licensing (public health and occupational licensure) and certification processes to be expedited for applicants who are certified in another state, whose spouse is a member of the armed forces, whose spouse is subject to military transfer to another state, and who had to leave their employment to accompany their spouse on their military transfer.

Licensed funeral directors are required to make potential clients aware of all funeral and burial benefits available to veterans before a final price is agreed upon.

Military Spouse Licensure Portability

Requires the Division of Occupational Licensure, the Department of Public Health, and Massachusetts Boards of Registration to accept a military spouse’s application for licensure or notify them of what criteria they were not able to meet within 30 days of the application.

Civilian Licensure and Certification Information

Directs the Commissioner of Veterans’ Services to make information on civilian licensure and certification opportunities available to service members and veterans and provide information on military education and skills to relevant agencies.

Open Burn Pit Registry

• Directs the Commissioner of the Department of Public Health (DPH), in consultation with the Commissioner of the Department of Veterans’ Services and the Adjutant General of the National Guard, to develop educational materials and an informational pamphlet on the health impacts of open burn pits during overseas deployment and information on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry to be distributed to health care providers, veterans’ service offices and organizations, and service members and veterans.
• Directs the Commissioner of the Department of Veterans’ Services, in consultation with the Commissioner of DPH and the Adjutant General, to contact all members of the Armed Forces, National Guard and veterans to register for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry.
• Requires the Adjutant General to request that the periodic health assessment for National Guard members determine whether the member is eligible to participate in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry and if eligible, the member register for the Registry.

Founding Anniversaries of U.S. Armed Forces

Requires the Governor to set aside the founding date anniversaries of the U.S. Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Massachusetts National Guard.

Medal of Fidelity

Establishes the Massachusetts Medal of Fidelity to be presented to the next of kin of a service member or veteran who died as a result of service-connected post-traumatic stress disorder, a service-connected condition resulting from a traumatic brain injury, or a service-connected disease, condition or injury related to exposure to harmful toxin, herbicides, agents or materials.

Deborah Sampson Memorial Commission Establishes a commission to determine a location and create a memorial for Deborah Sampson, a Massachusetts resident who disguised herself as a man in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.

The legislation moves to the Senate for further consideration.

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