Jehlen Lauds 'Valor Act' for Active Duty Military

The following information was provided by the Office of State Sen. Patricia Jehlen, D-Somerville/Medford:

On Thursday, the Massachusetts Senate unanimously passed “The Valor Act” – new legislation that will expand benefits and increase access to a range of services for veterans, active-duty military, and their families.

“This bill will ensure that Massachusetts remains the national leader in supporting our veterans and military families,” said Senator Patricia Jehlen.  “As we have more and more men and women returning from overseas deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is imperative that we help connect them with the services they need and deserve.”

The bill, now under consideration by the state's house of representatives, aims to help veterans and active military members improve business, educational and housing opportunities.

The bill calls for the formation of public/private partnerships that would provide seed money for the start-up and expansion of veteran-owned businesses. It also promotes the participation of disabled-veteran business owners in public construction and design projects.

The legislation also requires the state’s public institutions of higher learning to adopt new policies and procedures for awarding proper academic credit for a student’s prior military training, coursework and experience.

The bill makes it easier for the children of military personnel to transfer between school districts and states, joining 42 other states in the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children.

The bill expands eligibility for the Massachusetts Military Family Relief Fund and eliminates the $2,500 Property Tax Exemption Cap for Gold Star Spouses.

It also calls for the courts to better recognize veterans issues by making sure veterans and service members facing criminal complaints have a properly recorded military history and are considered for diversion and treatment options if eligible.