Hearing DetailsJoint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs

Event Details

Status:: Completed
Event Date:: Tuesday, June 24, 2025
Start Time:: 1:00 PM
Location:: Original Location 437 and Virtual
New Location A-1 and Virtual
Event Description: Veterans Benefits & Family Affairs Legislation

Please be advised that the schedule and agenda are subject to change at the discretion of the chair per committee rules.

All matters filed in the House that are listed above are required to be reported on by August 23, 2025, subject to extensions consistent with House Rule 27.

The public is invited to participate in this hybrid hearing, which will be livestreamed on the General Court website, https://malegislature.gov/. Hearings will be recorded and posted publicly on the Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs page, https://malegislature.gov/Committees/Detail/J31/Hearings.

To register to testify, you must provide contact information through this form by 12:00pm on June 23, 2025. The Chairs will limit testimony to three minutes per individual. The Chairs reserve the right to call public officials out of turn.

For those testifying remotely, you will receive a Microsoft Teams link with more information prior to the start of the hearing.

Written testimony can be submitted via email to jocelyn.schafer@masenate.gov or physically mailed to the Senate Chair. The Chairs request that those submitting written testimony include the bill number and “VETERANS COMMITTEE TESTIMONY” in the subject line.

CHAIR JOHN VELIS

JOINT COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AND FEDERAL AFFAIRS

ATTN: JOCELYN SCHAFER

24 BEACON ST ROOM 513

BOSTON MA 02133

Please be advised that all written testimony submitted will be read by Committee Members and staff and may be made publicly available according to relevant Joint and Committee Rules. The committee may limit availability or redact testimony that includes obscene material, sensitive personal information, information about minors, or information that may jeopardize the health, wellness or safety of the testifier or others. Please redact or refrain from submitting personal information you do not wish to disclose publicly.

This hearing will be chaired by Senate Chair John Velis. If you have any questions regarding the hearing, legislation, format of the hearing or reasonable accommodations required to ensure people with disabilities can participate fully in the committee process, please email: Jocelyn Schafer at jocelyn.schafer@masenate.gov.

You may contact committee staff with any questions at (617) 722-2015 or (617) 722-1415.
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Item Name	Start Time	Duration	Webcast
Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs - 6-24-2025	6/24/2025 1:00 PM	00:28:47

Veterans Benefits & Family Affairs Legislation 1:00pm - 2:00pm

Bill	Bill Title	Sponsor
H.50	An Act relative to the Veterans' Bonus Division	Office of the State Treasurer
H.3889	An Act relative to extending Veterans benefits to surviving spouses	Steven George Xiarhos
H.3886	An Act to enhance access, inclusion, support and equity for military connected families	Thomas M. Stanley
H.3885	An Act relative to veteran's benefits for surviving spouses	Todd M. Smola
H.3883	An Act relative to disability benefits for veterans	Alan Silvia
H.3882	An Act relative to the military family advocacy program, domestic violence and child abuse and neglect	Danillo A. Sena
H.3877	An Act relative to retirement benefits for veterans	David Allen Robertson
H.3874	An Act relative to the Veterans’ Bonus Division	Bridget Plouffe
H.3864	An Act relative to public employee benefits for military service members on active duty	Kate Lipper-Garabedian
H.3863	An Act relative to COLA adjustments for veteran benefits	Kate Lipper-Garabedian
H.3861	An Act enhancing burial expenses for veterans	Michael P. Kushmerek
H.3859	An Act to streamline veterans benefits	Meghan K. Kilcoyne
H.3856	An Act relative to increasing the reimbursement of burial expenses for veterans	Bradley H. Jones, Jr.
H.3841	An Act relative to veterans benefits	Colleen M. Garry
H.3837	An Act to enhance opportunities for veterans at the Massachusetts Port Authority	David F. DeCoste
H.3830	An Act providing for timely reimbursement of cities and towns for veterans' benefits	Natalie M. Blais
H.3820	An Act relative to eligibility of non-Massachusetts origin veterans for state veteran bonus awards	James Arciero
S.2504	An Act relative to the Veterans’ Bonus Division	John C. Velis
S.2503	An Act to enhance access, inclusion, support and equity for military connected families	John C. Velis
S.2494	An Act relative to dental benefits for veterans	Michael F. Rush
S.2480	An Act relative to COLA adjustments for veteran benefits	Jason M. Lewis
S.2479	An Act relative to public employee benefits for military service members on active duty	Jason M. Lewis
S.2456	An Act providing for timely reimbursement of cities and towns for veterans' benefits	Joanne M. Comerford

Present (10)

Joseph W. McGonagle, Jr. (HOU)

James C. Arena-DeRosa (HOU)

Shirley B. Arriaga (HOU)

Patricia A. Duffy (HOU)

John R. Gaskey (HOU)

Patrick Joseph Kearney (HOU)

Estela A. Reyes (HOU)

Joshua Tarsky (HOU)

Justin Thurber (HOU)

Jeffrey Rosario Turco (HOU)

Absent (1)

Alan Silvia (HOU) *

Hearing DetailsJoint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs

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