WeVote
Log In

Bill

KB

Bill

HB 5276

Veterans: other; Vietnam veteran era bonus act; extend. Amends secs. 2 & 11 of 1974 PA 370 (MCL 35.1022 & 35.1031) & adds sec. 6a.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Kelly Breen and 19 co-sponsors

Extends Vietnam-era service window to May 7, 1975 and reopens bonus eligibility for those awarded the National Defense Service Medal between Sept 1, 1973 and May 7, 1975.

bill electronically reproduced 11/12/2025
#veterans:benefits #veterans:other
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HB 5276

Summary — HB 5276 (Vietnam Veteran Era Bonus Act — extension and clarifying amendments)

Status: House introduced; bill text electronically reproduced 11/12/2025. Introduced March 14, 2025; read first time April 7, 2025. Referred to committees (Appropriations; later Government Operations). Companion: SB 403.

Purpose

HB 5276 amends the Michigan “Vietnam veteran era bonus act” (1974 PA 370) to (1) extend the statutory Vietnam-era period to include service through May 7, 1975, and (2) reopen eligibility and application opportunity for certain veterans who served late in the Vietnam era and received the National Defense Service Medal. It also makes several definitional and administrative clarifications.

Key provisions

  • Amends sections 2 and 11 of 1974 PA 370 (MCL 35.1022 & 35.1031) and adds a new section 6a.
  • Changes the act’s defined “period of service” to run from 12:01 a.m. January 1, 1961 through 12:01 a.m. May 7, 1975 (previously ended September 1, 1973).
  • Adds section 6a establishing eligibility for a service bonus for individuals who:
    • are otherwise veterans under the act, and
    • met the act’s period-of-service requirement, and
    • were awarded the National Defense Service Medal after 12:01 a.m. September 1, 1973 and before May 7, 1975.
  • Directs the Adjutant General to determine which official records may be used to prove the medal award dates.
  • Clarifies veteran definitions and eligibility rules: restates the 190-day active-duty requirement and its exceptions (including for those who died or received a medical discharge due to service-incurred injury or disease), clarifies residency rules, and refines beneficiary priority and probate determination language.
  • Extends the filing window for newly eligible veterans: applications generally remain subject to the prior July 1, 1980 cutoff, but veterans newly eligible under section 6a may file and must have their application received by May 7, 2028.

Who is affected

  • Michigan veterans who served during the Vietnam-era period, specifically veterans whose service and medal recognition fall between Sept. 1, 1973 and May 7, 1975 (and who meet other residency and service requirements).
  • Survivors/beneficiaries of eligible deceased or missing-in-action veterans (subject to probate determination).
  • The Michigan Adjutant General’s office, which will determine acceptable proof documents.

Timeline / procedural notes

  • New eligibility created by the bill becomes effective on the amendatory act’s effective date; the adjutant general will specify acceptable record types.
  • Application deadline for veterans newly eligible under section 6a: May 7, 2028.
  • Bill introduced and referred to committee; next actions will depend on committee hearings and votes.

Fiscal / practical impact

  • The bill potentially increases the number of veterans eligible for a one-time service bonus under the 1974 act, which could have a cost to the state (amounts and appropriation impacts are not specified in the text). Administrative workload will increase for verification and claims processing.

Sponsors

Primary: Rep. Amos O'Neal. Multiple cosponsors including Brenda Carter, Angela Witwer, Joseph Tate, Natalie Price, Donavan McKinney, Tyrone Carter, Erin Byrnes, and others.

For implementation and fiscal details, consult committee analyses and any appropriation estimates submitted after hearings.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

Sign in to ask a question.