HOUSE BILL No. 5334

February 10, 2016, Introduced by Reps. Rutledge, Barrett, Lucido and Kosowski and referred to the Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs.

 

     A bill to amend 1974 PA 370, entitled

 

"Vietnam veteran era bonus act,"

 

by amending section 2 (MCL 35.1022), as amended by 1980 PA 194.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 2. As used in this act:

 

     (a) "Period of service" means that period of time between

 

12:01 a.m., January 1, 1961, and 12:01 a.m., September 1, 1973.

 

     (b) "Veteran" means a person who completed an individual who

 

meets both of the following:

 

     (i) Is a veteran as defined in section 1 of 1965 PA 190, MCL

 

35.61.

 

     (ii) Has completed not less than 190 180 days of honorable

 

service or is listed as missing in action or died during the period

 

of service from service-connected causes in the army, air, naval,

 

marine, or coast guard forces of the United States including the


auxiliary branches, was a resident of this state for not less than

 

6 months before entering the service or, while on active duty, was

 

a resident of this state for not less than 6 months immediately

 

before January 1, 1961, and has not applied for and received

 

similar benefits from another state for the same period of service.

 

The 190 180 days required active duty does not include a period

 

when assigned full time by the armed forces to a civilian

 

institution for a course substantially the same as a course offered

 

to civilians; or a period served as a cadet or midshipman at a

 

service academy, active duty for training in an enlistment in the

 

army or air national guard, or as a reserve for service in the

 

army, navy, air force, marine corps, or coast guard reserve, with

 

the exception of those military personnel who converted to active

 

duty immediately upon completion of the initial active duty for

 

training as evidenced by noninterruption in pay status from that of

 

initial active duty for training to that of active duty. The 190

 

180 days' active duty requirement shall not apply to a person who

 

died or who received a medical discharge from active military

 

service due to injuries or disease incurred in the line of duty, as

 

verified by the veterans' records or by the veterans'

 

administration.

 

     (c) "Combat veteran" means a veteran listed as missing in

 

action, or a veteran eligible to wear the Vietnam service medal or

 

the armed forces expeditionary medal if eligibility for the award

 

occurred during the period of service.

 

     (d) "Beneficiary", subject to section 14(2), means in relation

 

to a deceased veteran or a veteran listed as missing in action, the


surviving spouse, child or children, or the dependent surviving

 

mother or father in the order named which determination may be made

 

by the probate court of the county of residence of the veteran at

 

the time of death. A surviving parent of a veteran shall be

 

eligible as a dependent of the veteran if that person had a

 

reasonable expectation of support in whole or in part from the

 

veteran and that expectation is stated in the application.

 

     (e) "Honorable service" means that service as evidenced by:

 

     (i) Honorable or general discharge, or separation under

 

honorable conditions.

 

     (ii) In the case of a person who has not been discharged, a

 

certificate from the appropriate service authority that a person

 

did qualify under subparagraph (i) as if the veteran was being

 

discharged or separated.

 

     Time lost while absent without leave, in desertion, in

 

confinement while undergoing the sentence of a court-martial, or

 

time lost while in a nonduty status because of disease contracted

 

through the veteran's own misconduct shall not be construed as

 

honorable service.

 

     (f) "Adjutant general" means the adjutant general of this

 

state.

 

     (g) "Resident" means a person who has acquired a status as

 

follows:

 

     (i) Was born in and lived in this state until entrance into

 

the armed forces of the United States.

 

     (ii) Was born in, but was temporarily living outside this

 

state, not having abandoned residence in this state before entrance


into the armed forces of the United States.

 

     (iii) Had resided within this state for at least 6 months

 

immediately before entrance into military service or, while on

 

active duty, was a resident of this state for not less than 6

 

months immediately before January 1, 1961, and had, before or

 

during this 6 months' period:

 

     (A) Registered to vote in this state.

 

     (B) Lived with a parent or person standing in loco parentis

 

who had acquired a residence as set forth in this subdivision,

 

while an unemancipated minor.

 

     (C) If not registered to vote in this state, was not

 

registered to vote in another state, or had not voted in another

 

state within 6 months before entering service or before January 1,

 

1961.

 

     (iv) Information appearing on the discharge documents of the

 

veteran which that shows a permanent address for mailing purposes,

 

an address from which employment will be sought, or a home address

 

at time of entry into service in another state, shall not

 

necessarily be construed to mean that the veteran intended to

 

abandon his or her residence in this state for purposes of this

 

act.

 

     Enacting section 1. This amendatory act takes effect 90 days

 

after the date it is enacted into law.

 

     Enacting section 2. This amendatory act does not take effect

 

unless Senate Bill No. ____ or House Bill No. 5332 (request no.

 

02698'15 *) of the 98th Legislature is enacted into law.