Senator Paul Honig, D-Harwinton, led the state Senate early Friday in giving final passage to the HERO Act, a comprehensive bill that designates November as Veterans’ Month and includes a package of provisions intended to celebrate Connecticut’s military veterans.
The Senate approved the bill on a unanimous vote, sending the legislation to Gov. Ned Lamont for his signature.
“In Connecticut, we recognize the service and sacrifices made by our veterans and military servicemembers, and this bill ensures they receive the respect and appreciation they deserve,” Senator Honig, co-chair of the Veterans’ and Military Affairs Committee, said. “The HERO Act takes steps to ease the burdens our veterans face by improving access to dental care, waiving fees, and setting aside time each year to acknowledge their contributions. While it’s hard for any law to truly repay our vets, I’m proud of this effort to honor their service.”
In addition to designating November as Veterans’ Month, the bill makes a number of changes designed to address the concerns and comments of veterans and their families.
Provisions of the legislation include: creating new commemorative license plates honoring women veterans and recognizing the Borinqueneers, waiving fees for Purple Heart licenses plates, and making drivers license renewal free for vets at veteran stand down events.
The bill also accelerates nursing home placement for veterans with service-connected disabilities, tasks the Department of Veteran Affairs with finding ways to improve dental services for former servicemembers, and improves the school transition of military-connected students when a servicemember is relocated on orders.
Share this page: