THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

INTRODUCED BY GOODMAN, BAKER, BELFANTI, BEYER, BOBACK, BRENNAN, BRIGGS, BROWN, CARROLL, CASORIO, CONKLIN, DALEY, DeLUCA, EVERETT, FREEMAN, GEIST, GEORGE, GIBBONS, GILLESPIE, GROVE, GRUCELA, HARHAI, HARHART, HARKINS, HELM, HESS, HORNAMAN, HUTCHINSON, KILLION, KULA, MANN, MATZIE, McGEEHAN, McILVAINE SMITH, MELIO, MURPHY, MURT, MUSTIO, M. O'BRIEN, O'NEILL, PAYNE, PETRARCA, PHILLIPS, QUINN, READSHAW, REICHLEY, SCAVELLO, SIPTROTH, K. SMITH, SOLOBAY, STABACK, STEVENSON, SWANGER, J. TAYLOR, VULAKOVICH AND YUDICHAK, JUNE 2, 2009

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, JUNE 2, 2009  

AN ACT

Amending Title 51 (Military Affairs) of the Pennsylvania

Consolidated Statutes, providing for exclusion of veterans'

benefits from income calculations.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1.  Title 51 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated

Statutes is amended by adding a chapter to read:

CHAPTER 95

VETERANS' BENEFITS EXCLUDED FROM INCOME CALCULATIONS

Sec.

9501.  Definitions.

9502.  Veterans' benefits excluded from income calculations for

Commonwealth programs.

§ 9501.  Definitions.

The following words and phrases when used in this chapter

shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the

context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Veterans' benefit."  A service-connected compensation or

benefit of any kind provided to a veteran by a Federal or State

agency or authorized under Federal or State law, including, but

not limited to, pensions, disability payments and rebates.

§ 9502.  Veterans' benefits excluded from income calculations

for Commonwealth programs.

(a)  General rule.--All veterans' benefits shall be excluded

from calculations of income or assets for determining

eligibility for any Commonwealth benefit program, tax exemption,

fee exemption or rebate.

(b)  Extension to spouses.--The exclusion under subsection

(a) shall apply to an unmarried surviving spouse upon the death

of a veteran for any veterans' benefit the unmarried surviving

spouse is entitled to receive under applicable Federal or State

law.

Section 2.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.