State House Passes Veterans Day Legislation

BOSTON- Representative David P. Linsky (D-Natick) joined his colleagues in the Massachusetts House of Representatives to pass two pieces of legislation to honor the military service contributions of a female American Revolutionary War soldier and to improve the mental health care for student veterans before the nation celebrates Veterans Day on Nov. 11.“I am proud that I was able to join my colleagues in passing legislation that will continue to help support and recognize veterans. Establishing a memorial commission for Deborah Sampson and developing a continuing education program for clinical and non-clinical counselors at public institutions of higher education sends a deserving message of support for our service members,” said Representative Linsky. “It is important that we continue to do all that we can to support our country’s men in women who have served to protect our freedom and these bills are a small way that we can do that here in Massachusetts.”The first bill establishes a commission to make recommendations by March 1, 2020 regarding a suitable memorial for Deborah Sampson in the Massachusetts State House. Deborah Sampson was an American Revolutionary War hero who disguised herself as a man to join the Patriot forces. She was the only woman to earn a full military pension for participation in the Revolutionary Army and was assisted with obtaining this pension by John Hancock and Paul Revere. Her husband also received a widower’s pension with the help of then Congressman John Quincy Adams. In 1782, Deborah Sampson disguised herself as a man named Robert Shurtleff and joined the Fourth Massachusetts Regiment. Over the next two years she dug trenches to hide in, helped storm a British redoubt, and endured cannon fire at the Siege of Yorktown. Sampson was wounded twice and cared for her wounds on her own to avoid detection as a woman. She was recognized by the key Revolutionary leader General Patterson for being fearless in leading charges on horseback, and he appointed her as his aide de camp.

The second bill calls for the University of Massachusetts Medical School to develop a continuing education program for clinical and non-clinical counselors at public institutions of higher education (29 total across the state) regarding post-traumatic stress and its symptoms, military culture and its influence on student veterans’ learning, and mental health resources available to student veterans. The program infrastructure, including the curriculum, must be developed within 180 days of passage of this legislation. Following the 9/11 GI Bill expansion, Veterans are returning to school at record rates. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, roughly 323,000 veterans live in Massachusetts, and over 2,500 veterans study at military-friendly schools such as the University of Massachusetts - Amherst. With recent legislative steps taken to provide free public higher education to veterans, including the Massachusetts BRAVE Act and the expansion of the federal GI Bill, the number of student veterans is expected to increase in the near future.

Even though they are supported by the Post-9/11 GI Bill to help with costs of higher education, student veterans encounter significant personal and environmental challenges when transitioning from the military to college campuses (Borsari et al., 2017; Dyar, 2016). Student veterans often have higher rates of suicide risk, depression, anxiety, and substance use. Additionally, a 2014 study found that student veterans reported less emotional support from their peers than civilian students.

The two bills build on the House’s long-standing support for veterans with Massachusetts benefits and services often ranked as No. 1 in the nation. Most recently the legislature passed the BRAVE Act as well as legislation to assist veterans with funeral and burial expenses and property taxes.

The bills now go to the Senate.

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