HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1977        FILED ON: 1/19/2023

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3510

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Bradley H. Jones, Jr.

_________________

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 establishing a Vietnam War commemoration fund.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Bradley H. Jones, Jr.

20th Middlesex

1/17/2023

Nicholas A. Boldyga

3rd Hampden

1/26/2023

F. Jay Barrows

1st Bristol

1/26/2023

Kimberly N. Ferguson

1st Worcester

1/31/2023

David F. DeCoste

5th Plymouth

4/5/2023


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1977        FILED ON: 1/19/2023

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3510

By Representative Jones of North Reading, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3510) of Bradley H. Jones, Jr., and others relative to establishing a Vietnam War commemoration fund.  Veterans and Federal Affairs.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)

_______________

 

An Act establishing a Vietnam War commemoration fund.

 

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. (a) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, there shall be established and set up on the books of the commonwealth a separate fund known as the Vietnam War Commemoration Fund to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the United States’ withdrawal from the Vietnam War, a conflict in which more than 1,300 service members from Massachusetts lost their lives. The fund shall be established for the purposes of constructing and renovating memorials, planning events, and generating educational materials. The fund shall be administered by the Massachusetts Historical Commission, and municipalities may apply for monies from the fund, subject to the approval of the commission. The fund shall be credited with: (i) revenue from appropriations or other money authorized by the general court and specifically designated to be credited to the fund; (ii) interest earned on such revenues; (iii) funds from public and private sources such as gifts, grants, and donations to further commemoration of the Vietnam War. Amounts credited to the fund shall not be subject to further appropriation.

(b) Amounts received from private sources shall be approved by the commission and subject to review before being deposited in the fund to ensure that pledged funds are not accompanied by conditions, explicit or implicit. The review shall be made publicly available.