SB 284 — AN ACT CONCERNING BENEFITS FOR CERTAIN VETERANS WHO HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER OR TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY OR WHO HAVE HAD AN EXPERIENCE OF MILITARY SEXUAL TRAUMA.

General Assembly   RaisedSubstitute Bill No.

284 February Session, 2018   LCO*_____SB00284VA____031518____* No.AN ACT CONCERNING BENEFITS FOR CERTAIN VETERANS WHO HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER OR TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY OR WHO HAVE HAD AN EXPERIENCE OF MILITARY SEXUAL TRAUMA.

1799   *01799_______VA_* Referred to Committee on VETERANS' AFFAIRS   Introduced by:

  (VA)   AN ACT CONCERNING BENEFITS FOR CERTAIN VETERANS WHO HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER OR TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY OR WHO HAVE HAD AN EXPERIENCE OF MILITARY SEXUAL TRAUMA.

and (5) "qualifying condition" means a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury made by, or an experience of military sexual trauma, as described in 38 USC 1720D, disclosedas amended from time to time, disclosed to, an individual licensed to provide health care services at a United States Department of Veterans Affairs facility.

As used in this subsection, "micro business" means a business with gross revenues not exceeding three million dollars in the most recently completed fiscal year, [and] "veteran-owned micro business" means a micro business of which at least fifty-one per cent of the ownership is held by one or more veterans [, as defined in subsection (a) of section 27-103] and "veteran" means any person (i) who has been honorably discharged from, or released under honorable conditions from active service in, the armed forces, as defined in section 27-103, as amended by this act, or (ii) with a qualifying condition, as defined in said section, who has received a discharge other than bad conduct or dishonorable from active service in the armed forces.

(e) Said board of trustees shall waive the payment of tuition fees at The University of Connecticut (1) for any dependent child of a person whom the armed forces of the United States has declared to be missing in action or to have been a prisoner of war while serving in such armed forces after January 1, 1960, which child has been accepted for admission to The University of Connecticut and is a resident of [Connecticut] the state at the time such child is accepted for admission to said institution, (2) subject to the provisions of subsection (f) of this section, for any (A) veteran who performed service in time of war, as defined in [subsection (a) of] section 27-103, as amended by this act, or (B) person with a qualifying condition, as defined in said section, who has received a discharge other than bad conduct or dishonorable from active service in the armed forces and who performed service in time of war, except that for purposes of this subsection, "service in time of war" shall not include time spent in attendance at a military service academy, [who] which veteran or person has been accepted for admission to said institution and is domiciled in this state at the time such veteran or person is accepted for admission to [said]said such institution, (3) for any resident of [Connecticut] the state sixty-two years of age or older who has been accepted for admission to said institution, provided (A) such [person] resident is enrolled in a degree-granting program, or (B) at the end of the regular registration period, there are enrolled in the course a sufficient number of students other than those [persons] residents eligible for waivers pursuant to this subdivision to offer the course in which such [person] resident intends to enroll and there is space available in such course after accommodating all such students, (4) for any active member of the Connecticut Army or Air National Guard who (A) has been certified by the Adjutant General or such Adjutant General's designee as a member in good standing of the guard, and (B) is enrolled or accepted for admission to said institution on a full-time or part-time basis in an undergraduate or graduate degree-granting program, (5) for any dependent child of a (A) police officer, as defined in section 7-294a, or supernumerary or auxiliary police officer, (B) firefighter, as defined in section 7-323j, or member of a volunteer fire company, (C) municipal employee, or (D) state employee, as defined in section 5-154, killed in the line of duty, (6) for any resident of the state who is the dependent child or surviving spouse of a specified terrorist victim who was a resident of the state, (7) for any dependent child of a resident of the state who was killed in a multivehicle crash at or near the intersection of Routes 44 and 10 and Nod Road in Avon on July 29, 2005, and (8) for any resident of the state who is a dependent child or surviving spouse of a person who was killed in action while performing active military duty with the armed forces of the United States on or after September 11, 2001, and who was a resident of this state.

Subdivision (19) of section 12-81 of the 2018 supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2018, and applicable to assessment years commencing on or after October 1, 2018):

Subdivision (22) of section 12-81 of the 2018 supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2018, and applicable to assessment years commencing on or after October 1, 2018):

Subdivision (25) of section 12-81 of the 2018 supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2018, and applicable to assessment years commencing on or after October 1, 2018):

(a) The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles, at the request of any veteran or member of the armed forces,forces [, as defined in [subsectionsubsection (a) of]of section 27-103,27-103,] as amended by this act, or the surviving spouse of such veteran or member, shall register any motor vehicle owned or leased for a period of at least one year by such person and shall issue a special certificate of registration and a set of number plates for each such motor vehicle, including a special certificate of registration and a set of number plates for any motor vehicle used exclusively for farming purposes by any veteran or member of the armed forces, or the surviving spouse of such veteran or member, who is engaged in agricultural production as a trade or business.

As used in this subsection, "member of the armed forces" has the same meaning as provided in section 27-103, as amended by this, and "veteran" means any person (1) honorably discharged from, or released under honorable conditions from active service in, the armed forces, or (2) with a qualifying condition, as defined in section 27-103, as amended by this act, who has received a discharge other than bad conduct or dishonorable from active service in the armed forces.

(c) The commissioner shall waive any operator's license or registration fee, including any renewal fee, in the case of any person in the active service of the armed forces of the United States who was a legal resident of Connecticut at the time of his or her induction;

and for one licensing period to any person (1) honorably separated from such service, [who applies therefor] or (2) with a qualifying condition, as defined in section 27-103, as amended by this act, who has separated from such service other than with a bad conduct characterization or dishonorably, which person applies for such operator's license or registration within two years following the date of separation and was a legal resident of Connecticut at the time of his or her induction.

Subsection (a) of section 27-122b of the 2018 supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2018):

(a) As used in this section, "veteran" means any person (1) honorably discharged from, or released under honorable conditions from, active service in the United States Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force or Coast Guard or any women's auxiliary branch thereof, which auxiliary branch was organized pursuant to an Act of Congress;

(2) who has completed at least twenty years of qualifying service, as described in and computed under 10 USC Chapter 1223, as amended from time to time, in the Connecticut National Guard;

[or] (3) who was killed in action, or who died as a result of accident or illness sustained while performing active service, in the United States Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force or Coast Guard or any women's auxiliary branch thereof, which auxiliary branch was organized pursuant to an Act of Congress, or in the Connecticut National Guard;

or (4) with a qualifying condition, as defined in section 27-103, as amended by this act, who has received a discharge other than bad conduct or dishonorable from active service in the United States Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force or Coast Guard or any women's auxiliary branch thereof, which auxiliary branch was organized pursuant to an Act of Congress.

Sec.

24.

25.24.

11 October 1, 2018, and applicable to assessment years commencing on or after October 1, 2018 12-81(19) Sec.

12 October 1, 2018, and applicable to assessment years commencing on or after October 1, 2018 12-81(22) Sec.

13 October 1, 2018, and applicable to assessment years commencing on or after October 1, 2018 12-81(25) Sec.

23 October 1, 2018 27-122b(a)27-125 Sec.

24 October 1, 2018 27-12527-140 Sec.Statement of Legislative Commissioners:

25In OctoberSection 1,1(a)(5), 2018after 27-140"38 StatementUSC of1720D," Purpose:"as amended from time to time," was inserted for accuracy and consistency;

Toin expandSection eligibility2(c)(D)(i), for"who certainhas veterans benefits to certain individuals who have been diagnosedhonorably" withwas post-traumaticchanged stressto disorder"honorably" orfor traumaticconsistency; brain injury or who have had an experience of military sexual trauma.

[Proposedin deletionsSection are10(e)(2), enclosed"such inveteran brackets.is accepted for admission to [said] such institution" was changed to "such veteran or person is accepted for admission to said institution" for accuracy and consistency;

Proposedin additionsSections are11 indicatedto by13, underline,inclusive, exceptin that when the entireeffective textdates of"and aapplicable billto orassessment resolutionyears orcommencing aon section of a bill or resolutionafter isOctober new,1, it2018" iswas notinserted underlined.]for clarity;

in Section 15, the definition of "member of the armed forces" was added for clarity and consistency;

and in Section 17, "his" was changed to "his or her" throughout for accuracy and consistency.

VA Joint Favorable Subst.