(WWLP-Ellen Flemming) – Governor Healey testified Tuesday before the Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs on why the HERO Act should become law. Healey sponsored the bill.
It is the most comprehensive piece of legislation to help veterans introduced in the state in at least 20 years which will take on a slew of needs and concerns facing veterans in the Commonwealth.
Senator John Velis of Westfield chaired the hearing and started with a moment of silence for fallen Navy Seal Christopher Chambers. The governor also touched on the heroism of Chambers as she testified on the bill.
The bill is a comprehensive package that includes 17 spending, policy and tax initiatives and it is aimed at benefiting the welfare of all veterans. Among those initiatives, there is specific support for women, those with disabilities and the LGBTQ+ community. For example, Healey’s bill would create a pilot program for IVF reimbursements for the LGBTQ+ veterans.
“Veterans come in all shapes and sizes, men, women, people of different races, different genders, different sexual orientations, so it’s important when you talk about benefits and services that we make sure that everyone that has served, is treated fairly, is treated equally and that’s what we sought to do in this legislation,” said Healey.
The bill will also take a deep dive into discharges related to “military sexual trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, mental health conditions or HIV discharges.”
“We’re gonna make sure that if you were kicked out of the military because of something like this, and were deprived of federal and state benefits, at a minimum we’re going to make sure you get your state benefits,” remarked Velis.
Also, increasing the benefit that those with a service related disability, surviving spouses, and gold star parents receive is also on the list of action items in this bill.
The next step for this bill is that it needs to be voted out of committee before it can go before the legislature for a vote.