Select Committee on Veterans' Affairs
Public Safety and Security Committee
Appropriations Committee
AN ACT CONCERNING THE AWARD OF RIBBONS AND MEDALS TO VETERANS FOR SERVICE IN TIME OF WAR AND CONCERNING FUNERAL HONOR GUARDS FOR DECEASED STATE OFFICERS AND MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
SUMMARY: This act eliminates an apparent ambiguity concerning posthumous awards of war service ribbons and medals to eligible veterans.
It also eliminates the public safety commissioner's duty to provide a six-member, State Police funeral honor guard for a legislator whose next of kin requests it. It, instead, requires the Legislative Management executive director to direct the State Capitol Police to provide a capitol police honor guard. The act, unlike prior law, does not specify the number of officers.
EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage
AWARD OF MEDALS AND RIBBONS
By law, the veterans' affairs commissioner, in conjunction with the adjutant general, must award a ribbon and medal to any wartime veteran who lived in Connecticut when called to active duty service or is living in Connecticut when the award is made. Prior law allowed posthumous awards “on or after July 1, 2005. ” But it was unclear whether this meant (1) posthumous awards could be made for veterans who died on or after July 1, 2005 or (2) posthumous awards could be made on or after this date, no matter when the veteran died.
The act eliminates the 2005 date. It instead (1) limits posthumous awards to veterans who died on or after January 1, 2000 and (2) requires posthumous awards to be made within existing budgetary resources. By law, the cost of the ribbons and medals is paid from funds appropriated to the Military Department's military assistance account.
OLR Tracking: VR: KM: JL: DF