Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

General Assembly                       Raised Bill No. 218
       February Session, 2020                LCO No. 1672
     Referred to Committee on VETERANS' AFFAIRS
     Introduced by:
       (VA)
 AN ACT CONCERNING ELIGIBILITY FOR CERTAIN VETERANS'
 BENEFITS.
 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
 Assembly convened:
1         Section 1. Subsection (a) of section 14-20b of the general statutes is
2      repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1,
3      2020):
 4        (a) The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles, at the request of any veteran
 5     or member of the armed forces or the surviving spouse of such veteran
 6     or member, shall register any motor vehicle owned or leased for a period
 7     of at least one year by such person and shall issue a special certificate of
 8     registration and a set of number plates for each such motor vehicle,
 9     including a special certificate of registration and a set of number plates
10     for any motor vehicle used exclusively for farming purposes by any
11     veteran or member of the armed forces, or the surviving spouse of such
12     veteran or member, who is engaged in agricultural production as a trade
13     or business. The plates shall expire and be renewed as provided in
14     section 14-22. The commissioner shall charge a fee for such plates, which
15     fee shall cover the entire cost of making such plates and shall be in
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16   addition to the fee for registration of such motor vehicle. As used in this
17   subsection, "member of the armed forces" has the same meaning as
18   provided in section 27-103 and "veteran" means any person (1)
19   honorably discharged from, or released under honorable conditions
20   from active service in, the armed forces, or (2) with a qualifying
21   condition, as defined in section 27-103, who has received a discharge
22   other than bad conduct or dishonorable from active service in the armed
23   forces. For purposes of this subsection, active service includes initial
24   active duty for training purposes.
25      Sec. 2. Subsection (f) of section 14-36h of the general statutes is
26   repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1,
27   2020):
28      (f) As used in this section: (1) "Full legal name" means the most
29   complete version of the name that appears on a person's certificate of
30   birth, official passport or other document or documents accepted by the
31   Commissioner of Motor Vehicles to verify the person's identity, unless
32   the person presents a marriage license or certificate, a certificate of civil
33   union, a divorce decree or an order of a court of competent jurisdiction
34   pertaining to a permanent change of the person's name; and (2)
35   "veteran" means (A) any person honorably discharged from, or released
36   under honorable conditions from active service in, the armed forces, as
37   defined in section 27-103, (B) any former member of the armed forces
38   who is entitled to retirement pay under 10 USC Chapter 1223, as
39   amended from time to time, or, but for age, would be so entitled, or (C)
40   any person with a qualifying condition, as defined in section 27-103,
41   who has received a discharge other than bad conduct or dishonorable
42   from active service in the armed forces. For purposes of this subsection,
43   active service includes initial active duty for training purposes.
44      Sec. 3. Subsection (a) of section 10a-149d of the general statutes is
45   repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1,
46   2020):
47     (a) An institution of higher education shall award college credit for
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                                                                              Raised Bill No.        218
48   military occupational specialty training to a member of the armed forces
49   or the National Guard or a veteran who enrolls at such institution and
50   has experience in a military occupation recognized by such institution
51   as substituting for or meeting the requirements of a particular course of
52   study. For the purposes of this section, "veteran" means any person (1)
53   [who was] honorably discharged from, or released under conditions
54   other than dishonorable from active service in the armed forces, [and
55   "armed forces"] or (2) with a qualifying condition, as defined in section
56   27-103, who has received a discharge other than bad conduct or
57   dishonorable from active service in the armed forces. "Armed forces"
58   has the same meaning as provided in section 27-103. "Active service"
59   includes initial active duty for training purposes.
      This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
      sections:
      Section 1           July 1, 2020                            14-20b(a)
      Sec. 2              July 1, 2020                            14-36h(f)
      Sec. 3              July 1, 2020                            10a-149d(a)
     Statement of Purpose:
     To include initial active duty for training purposes to be counted as
     qualifying service for veterans' benefits eligibility for operators' licenses,
     veteran designation on license plates and college credit for military
     training.
     [Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
     that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
     underlined.]
     LCO No. 1672                                                                                        3 of 3