Budget Amendment ID: FY2015-S4-5

OTH 5

Gold Star Definition

Messrs. Rush, Tarr, Pacheco, Keenan and DiDomenico, Ms. O'Connor Ives, Messrs. Joyce, McGee and Montigny moved that the proposed new text be amended moved that the bill be amended by inserting, after section __, the following new section:-

"SECTION __. Clause forty-third of section 7 of chapter 4 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2012 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the definition 'Active service in the armed forces' the following definition:-

'Gold Star', the status of any member of the armed forces, reserve component of the armed forces or National Guard who was deceased due to an injury, illness or disease, not due to gross negligence or misconduct of the member, which was incurred or aggravated while serving on military duty; provided, however, that for the purpose of determining Gold Star status, the term 'military duty' shall mean full-time duty in the active military service of the United States, regardless of duration or purpose; provided, further, that active military service shall include full-time training duty, annual training duty and attendance, while in the active military service, at a school designated as a service school by law or by the Secretary of the Department of Defense; provided further, that 'military duty' shall also include full-time National Guard or reserve duty; provided further, that any member of the armed forces, reserve component of the armed forces or National Guard shall also be considered on military duty if that person is on inactive duty training, funeral honors duty, traveling directly to or from such active or inactive duty or training or while training before the commencement of military assignment or between successive periods of such active or inactive duty."