(a) For purposes of this section, “veteran” means any person discharged or released from active service in the armed forces, as defined in section 27-103, regardless of his or her discharge classification.
(b) If the federal government acts to reinstate eligibility for benefits to discharged veterans, regardless of their discharge classification, who have been or otherwise would be denied such benefits solely on the basis of sexual orientation pursuant to any current or former federal policy prohibiting homosexual personnel from serving in the armed forces, the state shall reinstate eligibility for any state benefits such veterans were or otherwise would have been denied due to such federal policy.
(c) To the extent practicable, the Department of Veterans Affairs shall (1) provide information on its Internet web site regarding legal services organizations that assist veterans in military discharge upgrades, including, but not limited to, links to such organizations' Internet web sites, and (2) provide printed resources concerning methods for obtaining military discharge upgrades, which are created by such legal services organizations, to veterans at the department's offices and facilities and disseminate such resources to local veterans' advisory committees, as described in section 27-135.
(P.A. 13-48, S. 1; P.A. 18-72, S. 41.)
History: P.A. 18-72 amended Subsec. (c) to replace “Department of Veterans' Affairs” with “Department of Veterans Affairs”.
Structure Connecticut General Statutes
Title 27 - Armed Forces and Veterans
Section 27-102p. - Annual report of veterans' benefits.
Section 27-102q. - Benefits for veterans discharged on basis of sexual orientation.
Section 27-106a. - Facility licensure applications by Commissioner of Veterans Affairs. Exemptions.
Section 27-109. - Hospital care.
Section 27-109a. - Veterans' health registry. Disclosure of registry information.
Section 27-110. - Commitment of mentally ill veterans. Transfer to federal agency.
Section 27-115a. - Appropriation.
Section 27-115b. - Eligible family members to participate in programs administered by department.
Section 27-116. - Weekly allowances to widows of veterans of Civil War or Spanish-American War.
Section 27-117. - Disclosure of property of applicant.
Section 27-118. - Funeral expenses.
Section 27-119. - Veterans' headstones, services to be provided by state.
Section 27-119a. - Markers for graves of colonial and Revolutionary War veterans.
Section 27-120. - Memorials for veterans buried abroad or missing.
Section 27-121. - Municipal memorials for deceased and missing veterans.
Section 27-122. - Plot in Evergreen Cemetery in New Haven.
Section 27-122a. - Establishment of veterans' cemetery.
Section 27-122b. - Eligibility for burial in veterans' cemetery. Consecrated area designation.
Section 27-123. - Graves of soldiers and sailors.
Section 27-124. - Celebrations and memorials.
Section 27-124a. - Veterans and Military Tourism Trail.
Section 27-125. - Temporary assistance.
Section 27-126. - Aid restricted.
Section 27-127. - Veterans' Relief Fund.
Section 27-129. - Conservator for incompetent veteran.
Section 27-130. - Acquisition of property by veterans' organizations.
Section 27-131. - Preservation of Spanish War records.
Section 27-134. - Copies of statutes for veterans' organizations.
Section 27-135. - Local veterans' advisory committee. Municipal veterans' representative.
Section 27-136. - Powers of attorney granted by persons in armed forces.
Section 27-137. - Acknowledgments by persons serving in armed forces and spouses.
Section 27-138b. - Hearing on denial of aid.
Section 27-138d. - Expenses incurred in connection with premises used by fund administrator.
Section 27-138e. - Annual independent audit of fund expenditures. Audit report.
Section 27-139. - Increase of fund.
Section 27-140. - Expenditure.
Section 27-140aa. - Definitions.
Section 27-140bb. - Commission: Establishment; membership; termination.
Section 27-140cc. - Duties of commission. Reports.
Section 27-140dd. - Duties of department.
Section 27-140a to 27-140m. - Bonus for Veterans of Vietnam Era, generally.
Section 27-140n. - Payment of World War II and Korean veterans' bonuses.