Cardinal Newman volleyball champs

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Terry Alexander and 121 co-sponsors

Creates reserve veteran status for National Guard/Reserve members with 20+ years of service to honor them ceremonially, without added benefits, and requires outreach.

Introduced and adopted

Summary — H.3835 (House Docket No. 3324) — “An Act honoring as veterans certain persons who served in the National Guard and Reserves”

Status and sponsors
- Filed: House Docket No. 3324, 1/17/2025; presented by Representative Michael S. Day (31st Middlesex).
- Legislative actions shown: introduced and adopted (1/30/2025); referred to the Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs (2/27/2025); Senate concurred (2/27/2025); hearing scheduled for 09/16/2025.
- Related/previous: Similar matter filed in the 2023–2024 session (House No. 3494). Note: the package provided also contains an unrelated South Carolina House resolution honoring Cardinal Newman’s volleyball team; that text appears to be included in error and is not part of H.3835.

Purpose and intent
- Establish a statutory category called “reserve veteran” and require the Commonwealth to honor and recognize qualifying National Guard and Reserve members ceremonially, while making clear that such recognition alone does not confer entitlement to veterans’ benefits.

Key provisions
1. Definition (amendment to clause 43, §7 of chapter 4):
- Creates the term “Reserve veteran,” defined as a person who:
a) had a last discharge from the National Guard or a Reserve under honorable conditions; and
b) performed at least 20 years of service as computed under 10 U.S.C. §12732.
- The bill explicitly states that meeting this definition alone does not, by itself, make one a “veteran” for the purposes of that clause.

Recognition and outreach (new §16 to chapter 115):

Directs that “reserve veterans shall be honored and recognized as veterans in the commonwealth.”
Clarifies that a reserve veteran shall not be eligible for benefits administered under chapter 115 or any other general or special law solely by reason of being a “reserve veteran.”
Requires the Commissioner (presumably of Veterans’ Services) to develop an outreach program to recognize reserve veterans and to promote their inclusion in honorary and ceremonial events for veterans across the Commonwealth.

Who is affected
- Primary: National Guard and Reserve members whose last discharge was honorable and who have 20 or more years of service as computed under federal law (10 U.S.C. §12732).
- Secondary: Executive branch (Veterans’ Services) — responsible for implementing outreach and recognition programs; veterans’ organizations and event organizers who may include reserve veterans in ceremonies.
- Not affected (entitlements): The bill does not, by itself, extend veterans’ benefits or create eligibility for benefits based solely on the new “reserve veteran” designation.

Procedural/implementation notes
- The bill focuses on ceremonial recognition and outreach rather than benefit expansion; fiscal impact is likely limited to administrative costs for outreach and program development within the Veterans’ Services agency.
- The statutory cross-reference to 10 U.S.C. §12732 ties the 20-year service computation to established federal rules for reserve retirement.
- Further committee review and a scheduled hearing (09/16/2025) are indicated in the legislative record.