SENATE DOCKET, NO. 354        FILED ON: 1/14/2015

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1396

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Thomas M. McGee

_________________

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 to provide retirement benefits for veterans.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Thomas M. McGee

Third Essex

Brian M. Ashe

2nd Hampden

Marjorie C. Decker

25th Middlesex

Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr.

12th Hampden

Barbara A. L'Italien

Second Essex and Middlesex

Tom Sannicandro

7th Middlesex

Todd M. Smola

1st Hampden

Sal N. DiDomenico

Middlesex and Suffolk


SENATE DOCKET, NO. 354        FILED ON: 1/14/2015

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1396

By Mr. McGee, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1396) of Thomas M. McGee, Brian M. Ashe, Marjorie C. Decker, Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr. and other members of the General Court for legislation to provide retirement benefits for veterans.  Public Service.

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 1249 OF 2013-2014.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

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

_______________

 

An Act to provide retirement benefits for veterans.

 

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

SECTION 1. Notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law to the contrary, any retired member of a retirement system, who is a veteran who served in the armed forces of the United States and who retired prior to July 24, 1996 shall be entitled to have his retirement allowance recalculated based upon additional credit for active service in the armed services to the United States. Such creditable service shall not be construed to include service for more than four years provided further, that such creditable shall not be allowed for any period of active service for which said veteran has received credit pursuant to paragraph (h) of subsection (1) of section 4 of chapter 32 of the General Laws and provided further, that the amount does not exceed the eighty percent allowed to retire.  This act shall apply to Massachusetts National Guard and Active Reserve personnel, both former and present.  Creditable service time, both enlisted and commissioned may be applied toward retirement on a ratio of five years guard service or five years active reserve service substitutable for each year of active service.

SECTION 2. For the retirement system of any political subdivision, the provisions of this act shall take effect on the effective date of this act by majority vote of the board of  such system and by the local legislative body. For the purposes of this paragraph local Legislative body shall mean a town meeting for a town system, the city council subject to the provisions of its charter for a city system, the county commissioners for a county system, the district members for a district system and the governing body of an authority for an authority system. Acceptance shall be deemed to have occurred upon the filing of a certification of 160 Chapter 71 such vote with the commissioner. Members retired prior to July 24, 1996 of a retirement system eligible for said creditable service under this act shall become eligible for said creditable service the month following the acceptance of this act by the local legislative body. Terms used in this act shall have the same meaning as those terms defined in section one of chapter thirty-two of the General Laws.