Amendment #23 to H4978

Defining Armed Forces

Mr. Stanley of Waltham moves to amend the bill, as amended, by inserting in Section 11, in line 260, after the words "United States Coast Guard" the following:

"United States Space Force";

And by adding the following sections:

Section XXXX

Chapter 6 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 15MMMMMM the following section:-

"Section 15RRRRRR. The governor shall annually set apart December 19, the anniversary of the founding of the united states space force, in recognition of its distinguished history and spacefaring service, and shall issue a proclamation recommending that the day be observed by the people in the display of the flag and in appropriate public exercises, commemorative of the services and sacrifices of the citizens of the commonwealth who have served and continue to serve in the defense of the united states.";

Section XXXX

Section 7, clause 43 part (b) of Chapter 4 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding after the words "coast guard" the following: "United States NOAA Corps, United States Public Health Service, United States Space Force";

Section XXXX

Section 6A of Chapter 2 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2018 official edition is hereby amended by adding at the end the following paragraph:-

"(H) all military service members (army, air force, coast guard, marine corps, navy, national guard, reserves, space force) residing in Massachusetts, and performing military duty under official orders, who are killed while in an active duty  status, will be honored by having flags throughout the  commonwealth flown at half-staff from the day of death until sunset of the day of interment in accordance with such orders or instructions as may be issued by, or at the direction of the governor.  The remains of POWS/MIAS  repatriated within the commonwealth shall have the flag half-staffed on the day of arrival within the commonwealth through the day of internment.  Additionally, flags will be half-staffed each year on national POW/MIA day, observed across the nation on the third Friday of September, from sunrise to sunset";

Section XXXX

Section 78 (a) of Chapter 10 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2018 official edition is hereby amended by inserting after the words "United States Air Force Reserve" the following words:

"United State Space Force";

Section XXXX

Section 1 of Chapter 15E of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2021 official edition is hereby amended  by removing the word "sections" in line 4 and and inserting in place thereof the following:

"Chapters";

And in line 44 by inserting after the words "air force" the following:

"Space Force".

Additional co-sponsor(s) added to Amendment #23 to H4978

Defining Armed Forces