Gov. Baker signs veterans’ benefits bill

Gov. Charlie Baker yesterday signed a wide-ranging bill with benefits for veterans in areas including housing, education, employment and local taxes.
 
The law includes a number of municipal tax provisions. It extends the full property tax exemption (Clause 22D) provided to the surviving spouse of any service member declared missing in action or who died while on active duty. Clause 22D exemptions are fully reimbursed by the state, subject to appropriation.
 
The law also extends the full property tax exemption provided to paraplegic veterans and surviving spouses (Clause 22F) to include veterans with service-connected blindness and their surviving spouses.
 
The law includes language that prohibits any city or town from including any overdue property tax amount owed by a veteran in a sale or assignment of property tax receivables, provided that the municipal treasurer or tax collector is notified that the taxpayer is a veteran.
 
Another provision makes mandatory a current local option that provides an exemption from the motor vehicle excise to any service member in active and full-time military service and deployed out of state for at least 45 days.
 
The law also exempts recipients of the Silver Star Medal from the civil service exam and allows direct appointment. This rule already applied to recipients of the Medal of Honor and the Distinguished Service Cross or Navy Cross.
 
The law allows cities and towns to appoint a veterans’ agent for a term of up to three years.
 
The law establishes a special housing office within the Department of Veterans’ Services to oversee the Chelsea and Holyoke soldiers’ homes and to make recommendations to the secretary of veterans’ services on all issues related to the housing of veterans. Local housing authorities are required to exclude disability income above $1,800 for certain veterans when determining eligibility for housing. This had been a local option that was approved by most housing authorities.
 
The law also modifies the veterans’ preference provision in certain state and local housing programs.