An Act relative to erecting a plaque to commemorate the service members from Massachusetts who were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for Heroic Services during the Global War on Terror

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Bruce Tarr

The bill would require erecting a plaque in the Massachusetts State House to honor Massachusetts Medal of Honor recipients from the Global War on Terror.

Overview

Bill Number: Senate Docket No. 2409

Title: An Act relative to erecting a plaque to commemorate the service members from Massachusetts who were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for Heroic Services during the Global War on Terror

Introduced: January 17, 2025 (Filed); petitioned by Sen. Bruce E. Tarr and Rep. Peter J. Durant

Context: Proposed legislation in the Massachusetts General Court (194th/2025-2026 session) to honor Massachusetts Medal of Honor recipients from the Global War on Terror with a commemorative plaque in the State House.

Status: Proposed bill; no enacted status provided in the excerpt. The bill text is focused on mandating erection of a plaque.

What the bill would do

Require the state to erect a plaque inside the Massachusetts State House.

The plaque would commemorate service members from Massachusetts who were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for heroic services during the Global War on Terror.

The location of the plaque within the State House would be determined by the Massachusetts Art Commission.

The responsibility to erect the plaque falls to the state’s Superintendent of Buildings.

Key provisions

One-sentence mandate: “The state superintendent of buildings shall erect within the state house in a location to be determined by the art commission a suitable plaque to commemorate the heroic services in the Global War on Terror of the service members from Massachusetts who were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.”

Governing bodies involved:

State Superintendent of Buildings (responsible for erection)
Massachusetts Art Commission (determines the plaque’s location)

The bill does not specify:

Funding or appropriation amount for the plaque
A construction timeline or installation deadline
Specific design standards beyond “suitable plaque” and location determined by the Art Commission

Who would be affected

Service members from Massachusetts who were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for Heroic Services during the Global War on Terror (recognition and commemoration)

The Massachusetts State House, as the site of installation

The Massachusetts Art Commission, which would select the plaque’s location

The State Superintendent of Buildings, responsible for erection

Procedural and timeline considerations

The bill is introduced and filed in 2025; it would proceed through the usual legislative process (committee review, potential amendments, and votes) before any enactment.

No explicit funding authorization or installation deadline is included in the text.

Upon enactment, implementation would require budgetary allocation for fabrication and installation, in addition to ongoing maintenance considerations.

Potential implications

Symbolic recognition of Massachusetts Medal of Honor recipients from GWOT

Educational and commemorative value for visitors to the State House

Possible housekeeping costs for fabrication, installation, and maintenance; dependent on future appropriations and approval of the plaque design and location

If you’d like, I can format this as a printer-friendly one-page brief or add a brief historical context about Massachusetts MOH recipients who served in the Global War on Terror.

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