State Lawmakers Pitch Legislation to Aid Veterans

Connecticut’s Select Committee on Veterans Affairs continues marching toward its goal of aiding the state’s veterans.

Proposed legislation ranges from waiving property tax interest to bestowing honorary high school diplomas on Korean War veterans. Together the bills recognize Connecticut’s soldiers, sailors and marines, said state Sen. Carlo Leone, who both chairs the Select Committee on Veterans and represents Stamford and Darien in the 27th Senate District.

“Now that I’m in this role I can get the word out for people who are in the same situation I was,” said Leone, a U.S. Air Force veteran. “A lot of these things are out there and available to the men and women serving. But they may not know about them because, quite frankly, veterans are on the move.”

Leone said he makes sure various veterans’ organizations learn about new legislation passed.

Earlier this month the Senate unanimously passed SB 377, which would allow municipal tax collectors to waive unpaid property tax interest owed by active duty residents serving out of state. It goes before the House soon.

State Rep. Kim Rose, a Democrat representing Milford in the 118th House District, understands this issue first hand.

“My son just returned from Afghanistan. He was gone for a year. Just handling his things was a daunting task. I can’t imagine how a wife with kids manages to keep track of everything,” Rose, a member of the Veterans Committee, said. “I hope the towns and cities do this.”

The bill has some opposition.

Calling the bill a worthy proposal, the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM) worries it could create an unfunded mandate.

“CCM opposed the revenue loss associated with the proposal, albeit minimal, as local budgets are strained to the max and any revenue loss would translate to a reduction in services or programs within our communities – from education to public safety to public works,” said CCM’s Kevin Maloney. “If state lawmakers feel strongly about this proposal, they should provide the revenues to cover the loss municipalities would experience. Again, we support the merit and intent – and would hope state lawmakers could amend the bill so as local cash-strapped taxpayers do not have to bear the fiscal burden of this proposal.”

Even with CCM’s position the bill should “sail through the House,” said state Sen. Gayle Slossberg, a Democrat representing Milford, Orange, and West Haven, in the 14th Senate District.

“This is clearly the right thing to do,” Slossberg said. “We should be proud to do this.”

According to the Office of Fiscal Analysis, OFA, no revenue loss is expected for FY12. Revenue loss for FY13 should be no more than $50,000 for each locale. The loss would equal interest accrued for up to one year on delinquent property tax payments of members of military, national guard or reserves serving outside the country the day final payment due.

Connecticut has about 1,400 active duty service members serving in Iraq or Afghan, according to the Department of Defense. If each benefited from the interest waiver for year, an “aggregate revenue loss of $630,000 would result,” according to OFA.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars Connecticut likes the bill.

“It supports Connecticut’s active duty military by allowing them to remain focused on their missions abroad, that they may return home intact to their families and civilian responsibilities,” said Robert A. Hunter, VFW’s state legislative chairman in previous testimony.

The committee also sought financial relief with SB 1069, which waives the state’s $20 death certificate fee. To receive life insurance and other benefits, families must supply the US Veterans Affairs and Connecticut Veterans Affairs with a certified copy of a death certificate.

“We look at this more from a family perspective,” Leone said. “Along with the grief this would be one less thing for families to have to deal with.”

The Senate passed this bill. It awaits a vote in the House.

“It’s one of those smaller things to say we’re appreciative,” Slossberg said. “It’s small in revenue costs but it has a big thought cost.”

HB 5272 comes in time for warm weather. This bill would waive state park, forest, and recreational facilities fees for veterans and active duty service members.

It costs between $6 on weekdays to $15 on weekends and holidays to enter state parks and forests. Because of the sheer number of veterans eligible for the waiver there is a huge fiscal note attached, Leone said.

“We are trying to keep it alive, but the cost is very large and it would mean a lot less revenue for state parks, which are already under water,” Leone said.

Lastly, HB 6319 awards honorary diplomas to those Korean War veterans left high school to serve in the military. The committee felt compelled to act now.

“We’re starting to loose these folks at a greater clip now because of their age,” Leone said of veterans who served in the Korean War, which is often called the Forgotten War.

Of the 6.8 million Americans on active-duty the Korean War, 1.8 million served in theater during hostilities, according to the Office of Veterans Affairs. Of those, 997,000 also served during World War II, 347,000 served during the Vietnam War, and 291,000 served during the all three wars.

Slossberg said she expects the committee will eventually do the same for Vietnam War veterans and veterans of more recent conflicts.

“We tend to do these things in increments,” she said.