Amendment ID: S2789-20-R1

Redraft Amendment 20

Veterans' Bonus Division Statutory Correction & COVID Bonus

Messrs. Timilty, Rush, Moore, Brady, O'Connor, Crighton, Welch, Tarr, DiDomenico and Tran move that the proposed new text be amended by inserting after section 4 the following 2 sections:-

“SECTION 4A. Subsection (b) of section 78 of chapter 10 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by adding the following paragraph:-

(5) Upon application, as provided in this section, there shall be allowed and paid out of the treasury of the commonwealth, without appropriation, the amount of $300 to each person who has served in the armed forces of the United States outside of the continental limits of the United States and who is in receipt of the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal for service during a period where no other state wartime bonus is available; provided, however, that the person shall have served in the armed forces of the United States for a period of not less than 90 days, unless conditions of physical incapacity prevent the completion of such service; and provided further, that the domicile of a person on account of whose service the application is filed shall have been in the commonwealth for a period of not less than 6 months immediately before the time of the person’s entry into service. If a person died while in active service, a sum of $1,000 shall be paid in the manner provided by subsection (c) in addition to any unpaid amount the person would have been eligible to receive pursuant to this subsection.

SECTION 4B. Said section 78 of said chapter10 , as so appearing, is hereby further amended by adding the following subsection:-

“(g) A sum under this section shall only be allowed or paid out of the treasury of the commonwealth to a veteran who was discharged or released under honorable conditions for such service.”; and

by inserting after section 11 the following section:-

“SECTION 11A. Item 0610-2000 of said section 2 of said chapter 41 is hereby amended by inserting after the word “payments”, the second time it appears, the following words:- ; and provided further, that funds in this item shall be made available until June 30, 2021.”; and

by adding the following section:-

“SECTION 53. Notwithstanding section 78 of chapter 10 of the General Laws or any other general or special law to the contrary, upon application as provided in said section 78 of said chapter 10, there shall be allowed and paid out of the treasury of the commonwealth, without appropriation, the sums specified in subsection (b) of said section 78 of said chapter 10 to each veteran who has served in the Massachusetts National Guard in active service in the commonwealth in direct response to the state of emergency declared by the governor on March 10, 2020; provided, however, that such sum shall only be allowed or paid out of the treasury of the commonwealth to any veteran who was discharged or released under honorable conditions for such service”.