HOUSE BILL No. 5489

February 5, 2004, Introduced by Reps. Law, Bieda, Hopgood, Gleason, Spade, Tobocman, Sak, Murphy, Elkins, Pappageorge, Gillard, Meisner, Smith, Hunter, Hood, Zelenko, Gieleghem, Phillips, Vagnozzi, Dennis, Sheltrown, Vander Veen, Nofs, Woodward, Condino, Wojno, Accavitti, O'Neil, Brown, Adamini, Plakas, Farrah, Kolb, Lipsey, Cheeks, McConico, Jamnick, Reeves, Minore, Williams, Clack, Ruth Johnson, Palmer, Voorhees, Hager, Hardman, Richardville, Ehardt, Pumford, Woronchak, Gaffney, Rocca and Meyer and referred to the Committee on Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security.

        

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                 A bill to amend 1946 (1st Ex Sess) PA 9, entitled                                 

                                                                                

    "An act to create the Michigan veterans' trust fund, and to                 

    define who shall be eligible to receive assistance therefrom; to            

    provide for the disbursement of the income thereof and surplus              

    therein; to create a board of trustees, and to prescribe its                

    powers and duties; to provide for county and district committees,           

    and their powers, duties, and expenses; to prescribe penalties;             

    and to make appropriations to carry out the provisions of this              

    act,"                                                                       

                                                                                

    by amending section 2 (MCL 35.602).                                         

                                                                                

                THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:                      

                                                                                

1       Sec. 2.  (1) For the purposes of  the administration of                     

                                                                                

2   this act, a Michigan veteran is a veteran as that term is defined           

                                                                                

3   by  Act No. 190 of the Public Acts of l965, as amended, shall be            

                                                                                

4   deemed to be a person, male or female,  1965 PA 190, MCL 35.61 to           

                                                                                

5   35.62, whose legal residence immediately prior to entering  the             

                                                                                

6   service in the armed forces of the United States was in Michigan,           

                                                                                

7   who  if by induction, enlistment, commission, warrant, or other            

                                                                                

8   means that veteran entered  upon  or was in active service in the           


                                                                                

1   armed forces of the United States  ,  at any time for at least              

                                                                                

2   180 days  from and after the date as defined by Act No. 190 of              

                                                                                

3   the Public Acts of 1965, as amended, being sections 35.61 and               

                                                                                

4   35.62 of the Michigan Compiled Laws, or Vietnam era, as                     

                                                                                

5   determined for the purposes of administration of this act,                  

                                                                                

6   whether by induction, enlistment, commission, warrant, or                   

                                                                                

7   otherwise, and who  during a period described in section 1 of               

                                                                                

8   1965 PA 190, MCL 35.61, and if that veteran has been honorably              

                                                                                

9   discharged, retired, or separated  therefrom, or who  from that             

                                                                                

10  service or has reverted to an inactive status  therefrom  from              

                                                                                

11  that service under honorable conditions.  However, former members           

                                                                                

12  of the women's auxiliary army corps who refused to accept                   

                                                                                

13  transfer to or induction into the women's army corps  shall not             

                                                                                

14  be deemed to be  are not Michigan veterans.  within the meaning             

                                                                                

15  of this definition.  A veteran who did not have legal residence             

                                                                                

16  in Michigan immediately  prior to  before entering  the military            

                                                                                

17  service in the armed forces of the United States may become                 

                                                                                

18  eligible  to  for benefits  administered  under this act after              

                                                                                

19  having established  establishing a legal residence in Michigan.            

                                                                                

20  A veteran whose legal residence was in Michigan  prior to  before           

                                                                                

21  entering military service  will lose  loses his or her rights               

                                                                                

22  under this act by leaving this state for a period of time                   

                                                                                

23  exceeding 2 years.  A person  who shall have been  separated from           

                                                                                

24  service in the armed forces of the United States for reason of              

                                                                                

25  physical or mental disability incurred in the line of duty prior            

                                                                                

26  to the completion of 180  days'  days of service  shall be                  

                                                                                

27  considered  is a veteran  for the purpose of the administration             


                                                                                

1   of  under this act.  Except as otherwise provided in subsection             

                                                                                

2   (2), World War II  shall be deemed to be  is that period from               

                                                                                

3   and after  August 27, 1940  , to the inclusive date of  through            

                                                                                

4   June 30, 1946.  Grants made to eligible Michigan veterans between           

                                                                                

5   June 30, 1946  ,  and  the effective date of this act                       

                                                                                

6   September 23, 1949 are  declared  valid.  A person otherwise                

                                                                                

7   qualified with at least 90 days of service during World War I,              

                                                                                

8   the Spanish American War, or the Mexican Wars, as those terms are           

                                                                                

9   defined in  Act No. 190 of the Public Acts of 1965, as amended,             

                                                                                

10  shall be deemed  section 1 of 1965 PA 190, MCL 35.61, is a                  

                                                                                

11  veteran for the purposes of this act.                                       

                                                                                

12      (2) A person who served in the merchant marines of the United               

                                                                                

13  States during World War II as that term is defined in section 1             

                                                                                

14  of 1965 PA 90, MCL 35.61, is a veteran for purposes of this act.            

                                                                                

15      Enacting section 1.  This amendatory act does not take                      

                                                                                

16  effect unless Senate Bill No. _____ or House Bill No. 5490                  

                                                                                

17  (request no. 05884'03 *) of the 92nd Legislature is enacted into            

                                                                                

18  law.