It is no surprise that many of those who have served our country in the armed services seek employment in the public sector when they have completed their military service. There are also many who have chosen careers in public service and served our country simultaneously. Mass Retirees has long believed that one of the pillars of our advocacy program is working on behalf of our retired Veterans.
This advocacy includes filing legislation that seeks to provide, in special recognition of their military service, more fair and equitable benefits for veterans in retirement. Working closely with two long time Mass Retirees supporters, Senator John Velis (D-Westfield) and Representative Jerald Parisella (D-Beverly), the Association filed two pieces of legislation relative to the vets’ bonus. Both Senator Velis and Representative Parisella, themselves veterans, have been advocates for improving the vets’ bonus as well as addressing language that left a group of veterans behind when a change to the definition of veteran was made in 2004.
The status of the two bills and the work the Association is engaged with relative to the bills is included in the Legislative update. (See pages 6 & 13.) Below is a summary of the two bills.
Veterans’ Bonus S1753/H2626
Currently a superannuation or accidental (work related) disability retiree who is a veteran receives an additional annual allowance or veterans’ bonus equal to $15 for each year of creditable service up to 20 years, so that the maximum “vets’ bonus” is $300 annually. Ed Note: Veterans on ordinary (non work related) disability are entitled to a higher benefit for their veteran status. It was some 57 years ago when the vets bonus was passed into law.
Our bills, S1753 (Sen. Velis) and H2626 (Rep. Parisella) would update the bonus formula to $50 for each year of creditable service up to 20 years, so that the maximum “vets’ bonus” would increase to $1,000 annually. There is a local option provision for acceptance by local retirement systems.
Extend Definition of Veteran for Vets Bonus S1752
In 2004, the definition of veteran expanded for retirees to include those who served during non-wartime (“peacetime”) periods, as well as National Guard duty in limited cases. Unfortunately, this law was only applied prospectively, in other words, to those who retired from 8/26/04 forward.
That meant the expanded definition of veteran did not apply to those, who retired on a superannuation (regular) retirement before 8/26/04 and had peacetime military service (or National Guard duty in limited cases). These veterans were not eligible for the vets’ bonus (up to the annual maximum of $300 currently), despite their military service.
Sen. Velis has introduced our proposed bill (S1752) that would extend the expanded definition of veteran to those, who have the requisite peacetime or National Guard duty and retired on a superannuation retirement before 8/26/04 for purposes of the vets’ bonus only. If enacted, they would then be eligible to receive the vets bonus prospectively from the effective date of the law. There is a local option provision for acceptance by local retirement systems.