The proposed General Assembly Committee Bill No. 376 seeks to broaden eligibility for state and municipal veterans' benefits, particularly tuition waivers at regional community-technical colleges, Connecticut State University System, and The University of Connecticut. The bill eliminates the requirement of "service in time of war" as a criterion for these benefits, allowing any veteran who is domiciled in the state and accepted for admission to receive tuition waivers. The bill also clarifies that "domiciled in this state" includes individuals who have been residents for less than one year. Other eligibility criteria for tuition waivers remain intact, including provisions for dependent children of individuals declared missing in action or prisoners of war, residents aged sixty-two or older, and active members of the Connecticut Army or Air National Guard.

In addition to tuition waivers, the bill modifies employment rating points for veterans in civil service examinations by removing the phrase "who served in time of war," thus expanding the pool of veterans eligible for additional points based on their service and disability status. The bill also updates definitions and language to be more inclusive, replacing gender-specific pronouns with gender-neutral terms. Furthermore, it addresses financial assistance for veterans, allowing any veteran in need of temporary support due to service-related disabilities to receive aid, and broadens the definition of "disabled veteran" to include those with service-connected disabilities regardless of wartime service. The changes are set to take effect on July 1, 2025, and October 1, 2025, depending on the specific provisions.

Statutes affected:
Committee Bill: 5-224, 7-415, 27-125, 27-140, 14-254, 27-76
VA Joint Favorable: 5-224, 7-415, 27-125, 27-140, 14-254, 27-76
File No. 36: 5-224, 7-415, 27-125, 27-140, 14-254, 27-76
APP Joint Favorable: 5-224, 7-415, 27-125, 27-140, 14-254, 27-76
FIN Joint Favorable: 5-224, 7-415, 27-125, 27-140, 14-254, 27-76