Page 4 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, JunE 28, 2024 LIKE US ON FACEBOOK ADVOCATE NEWSPAPER FACEBOOK.COM/ADVOCATE.NEWS.MA RON’S OIL Call For PRICE MELROSE, MA 02176 NEW CUSTOMER’S WELCOME ACCEPTING VISA, MASTERCARD & DISCOVER (781) 397-1930 OR (781) 662-8884 100 GALLON MINIMUM Lawrence A. Simeone Jr. Attorney-at-Law ~ Since 1989 ~ * Corporate Litigation * Criminal/Civil * MCAD * Zoning/Land Court * Wetlands Litigation * Workmen’s Compensation * Landlord/Tenant Litigation * Real Estate Law * Construction Litigation * Tax Lien * Personal Injury * Bankruptcy * Wrongful Death * Zoning/Permitting Litigation 300 Broadway, Suite 1, Revere * 781-286-1560 lsimeonejr@simeonelaw.net Sen. DiDomenico supports bill to boost benefi ts, modernize services and promote inclusivity for veterans Senate builds on and approves historic commitment to people who have served O n June 13, 2024, Senator Sal DiDomenico joined his colleagues in the Massachusetts Senate to unanimously pass legislation that will boost support for hundreds of thousands of individuals across the state who have served in the United States military, including nearly 30,000 women veterans and thousands of LGBTQ+ veterans. The comprehensive legislative package, H.4671, An Act honoring, empowering and recognizing our servicemembers and veterans (HERO Act), would increase benefi ts for disabled veterans, bolster support for businesses that hire veterans, update the defi nition of a veteran, expand the scope Celebrating Our 52nd Year Dan - 1972 We Sell Cigars & Accessories! MAJOR BRANDS AT DISCOUNT PRICES! Singles * Tins Green Label Sale Buy 2 Cigars, Get One FREE! 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CIGAR 170 REVERE ST., REVERE (781) 289-4959 Chris 2024 of the Veterans Equality Review Board and codify medical and dental benefi ts. “I am proud to support this significant investment into benefits and services that will improve lives for Veterans in my district and our state who have sacrifi ced so much for our country,” said Senator DiDomenico. “The HERO Act demonstrates our support for Veterans from all backgrounds by expanding our health care benefi ts and support services for service members and their families as well as encouraging businesses to hire veterans across the state. I am grateful for Senate President Spilka and Senator John Velis for bringing this essential package to the fl oor and moving it swiftly through the legislative process.” H.4671 builds on the historic legislative package fi led by the Healey-Driscoll Administration by including additional provisions which would: · Require a public school district to provide support services to a military-connected student when a parent or guardian is called to active duty · Create a military spouse liaison to help military spouses with obtaining employment and child care, and deal with other issues facing military spouses · Allow Gold Star Family spouses to remarry without the penalty of losing their annuity benefi t Some highlights of H.4671: Benefi t expansion · Behavioral health treatment: allows veterans to be reimbursed for visits to outpatient behavioral health providers. · Disabled veteran annuity: increases the annual annuity for veterans with a 100% service-connected disability, surviving spouses or Gold Star Parents from $2,000 to $2,500. · Vet-hire tax credit: increases to $2,500 a tax credit for small businesses hiring chronically unemployed or low-income veterans. Eligible veterans include those receiving SNAP benefits, chronically unemployed veterans and unemployed service-connected disabled veterans. · Active-duty buyback program: lengthens the time frame for veterans in public service to participate in the active-duty service buyback program and allows retroactive participation for veterans who missed the buyback opportunity. This program will enable veterans to purchase up to four years of active-duty service time toward their state retirement. · “COLA Cliff” prevention: ensures that a cost-of-living adjustment in Social Security benefi ts will not aff ect veterans’ eligibility for Chapter 115 benefi ts in the middle of the state fi scal year. · Veterans property tax exemptions: creates two separate local options. The fi rst allows municipalities to double the veteran property tax exemption without doubling all other exemption clauses. The second ties the annual property tax abatement amount to infl ation, allowing exempted property tax amounts to increase with infl ation. · Specialty license plates for veterans: waives specialty license plate fees on specialty veteran license plates and creates a new woman veteran license plate decal. · Municipalities allowed to increase the property tax exemption of a veteran in exchange for volunteer services. Commitment to inclusivity and greater representation · Aligns the Commonwealth’s Chapter 115 program defi nition of a veteran with the United States Department of Veteran Aff airs definition. This change allows more veterans to be eligible for annuity, Chapter 115 benefi ts, access to the Massachusetts Veterans Homes and other state-provided benefi ts. This only applies to Massachusetts Executive Offi ce of Veterans’ Services (EOVS) programs and does not aff ect any other agency or entity. · Expands the scope of the Veterans Equality Review Board beyond “Don’t DIDOMENICO | SEE PAGE 5
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