HOUSE BILL No. 5253

 

January 19, 2012, Introduced by Rep. Damrow and referred to the Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security.

 

     A bill to amend 1965 PA 190, entitled

 

"An act to provide for a system of uniformity of service for

veterans,"

 

by amending sections 1 and 2 (MCL 35.61 and 35.62), section 1 as

 

amended by 1997 PA 131.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 1. In order to provide for the uniformity of service

 

dates for veterans, the following dates and terms shall be

 

applicable to For all acts of the this state relative to veterans,

 

:

 

     (a) "Veteran" "veteran" means a person , who served who meets

 

all of the following conditions:

 

     (a) Served in the active military forces , during a period of

 

war or who received the armed forces expeditionary or other

 

campaign service medal during an emergency condition and who was

 


discharged or released therefrom under honorable conditions.

 

"Veteran" also includes a person who died in active military

 

forces.for 180 active federal service days.

 

     (b) "Spanish-American war" means the period beginning on April

 

21, 1898, and ending on July 4, 1902, includes the Philippine

 

insurrection and the Boxer rebellion, and in the case of a veteran

 

who served with the United States military forces engaged in

 

hostilities in the Moro province, means the period beginning on

 

April 21, 1898, and ending on July 15, 1903.

 

     (c) "World War I" means the period beginning on April 6, 1917,

 

and ending on November 11, 1918, and in the case of a veteran who

 

served with the United States military forces in Russia, means the

 

period beginning on April 6, 1917, and ending on April 1, 1920.

 

     (d) "World War II" means the period beginning December 7,

 

1941, and ending December 31, 1946, both dates inclusive.

 

     (e) "Korean conflict" means the period between June 27, 1950,

 

to January 31, 1955.

 

     (f) Civil war and confederate veterans who served between

 

April 12, 1861, and May 26, 1865.

 

     (g) Indian wars. Since the Indian wars were fought

 

intermittently over a period of years, the determination as to

 

whether a person shall be considered as having rendered military

 

service during these wars will be carefully considered by the state

 

veterans' trust fund. January 1, 1817, through December 31, 1898,

 

is considered Indian war period.

 

     (h) Mexican wars. Since there were several skirmishes

 

involving the Mexican border, such as Mexican border troubles 1911-

 


1916; Veracruz expedition April 21, 1914, to November 26, 1914;

 

punitive expedition into Mexico, March 15, 1916, to February 5,

 

1917; therefore the persons rendering military service in any of

 

these skirmishes shall be considered veterans of the Mexican wars

 

between 1911 and February 5, 1917.

 

     (i) Future dates. The period beginning on the date of any

 

future declaration of war by the congress or the beginning of an

 

emergency condition recognized by the issuance of a presidential

 

proclamation or a presidential executive order and in which the

 

armed forces expeditionary medal or other campaign service medals

 

are awarded according to presidential executive order and ending on

 

a date prescribed by presidential proclamation or concurrent

 

resolution of the congress.

 

     (j) Veterans of the Korean conflict and veterans having served

 

after January 31, 1955, in an area of hazardous duty for which an

 

armed forces expeditionary or Vietnam service medal was received or

 

veterans having served in the Vietnam era, which is that period

 

beginning February 28, 1961, and ending on May 7, 1975.

 

     (b) Was discharged or released from the active military forces

 

under honorable conditions.

 

     (c) Was a resident of this state for not less than 6 months

 

before entering the active military forces or was a resident of

 

this state for not less than 3 continuous years after discharge or

 

release from the active military forces or during his or her

 

service in the active military forces.

 

     Sec. 2. Veterans who served in the active military forces in

 

more than 1 period of war service time may combine their active

 


duty days of active federal service in the active military forces

 

to make the 90 180 active federal service days required by veteran

 

benefit statutes or acts for any veteran's benefits provided by

 

law.