HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3617        FILED ON: 1/22/2015

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The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Marcos A. Devers

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to students serving in the military.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3617        FILED ON: 1/22/2015

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The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Eighty-Ninth General Court
(2015-2016)

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An Act relative to students serving in the military.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

The General Laws are hereby amended by inserting after chapter 15E, the following chapter:-

CHAPTER 15F

STUDENT VETERANS

Section 1. As used in this chapter, the following words shall, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meanings:--

“Veteran”, shall mean (1) any person, (a) whose last discharge or release from his wartime service as defined herein, was under honorable conditions and who (b) served in the army, navy, marine corps, coast guard, or air force of the United States, or on full time national guard duty under Titles 10 or 32 of the United States Code or under sections 38, 40 and 41 of chapter 33 for not less than 90 days active service, at least 1 day of which was for wartime service; provided, however, than any person who so served in wartime and was awarded a service-connected disability or a Purple Heart, or who died in such service under conditions other than dishonorable, shall be deemed to be a veteran notwithstanding his failure to complete 90 days of active service; (2) a member of the American Merchant Marine who served in armed conflict between December 7, 1941 and December 31, 1946, and who has received honorable discharges from the United States Coast Guard, Army, or Navy; (3) any person (a) whose last discharge from active service was under honorable conditions, and who (b) served in the army, navy, marine corps, coast guard, or air force of the United States for not less than 180 days active service; provided, however, that any person who so served and was awarded a service-connected disability or who died in such service under conditions other than dishonorable, shall be deemed to be a veteran notwithstanding his failure to complete 180 days of active service.

Section 2. This chapter shall apply to all postsecondary institutions in the commonwealth including (i) the system of public institutions of higher education, as defined in section 5 of chapter 15A; (ii) private occupation schools, as defined in section 263 of chapter 112; and (iii) private colleges, universities or other institutions of higher learning. 

Section 3.  Postsecondary institutions shall be required to accept all transferred credits from veterans for the purpose of completing a four-year degree including college level examination program (CLEP) credits and American Council for Education (ACE) credits.  There shall be no limit to the number of credits a veteran may transfer toward the completion of a four-year degree.  Such credits may come from any accredited postsecondary institution in the world.  If the accepting postsecondary institution has no equivalent disciplinary area to which the credits may be applied, the institution shall establish a formal process to transfer such credits to another disciplinary area.

Section 4.  The department of higher education shall promulgate regulations consistent with this chapter.