SENATE AMENDED
PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 2792, 3633 PRINTER'S NO. 3974
No. 2139 Session of 1999
INTRODUCED BY EGOLF, SEMMEL, PESCI, WILT, FRANKEL, BASTIAN,
STERN, ROBERTS, HUTCHINSON, LYNCH, CALTAGIRONE, CORRIGAN,
FICHTER, FAIRCHILD, LAUGHLIN, LEDERER, WOJNAROSKI, SHANER,
MASLAND, NAILOR, GEIST, SEYFERT, SATHER, BEBKO-JONES,
PETRONE, TIGUE, STABACK, SCRIMENTI, SCHULER, FORCIER, BUNT,
GEORGE, ARGALL, SAYLOR, WALKO, HERSHEY, BARRAR, METCALFE,
CLARK, SNYDER, ZUG, BELFANTI, YEWCIC, ARMSTRONG, GRUCELA,
YOUNGBLOOD, MICHLOVIC, RUBLEY, E. Z. TAYLOR, MYERS, TRUE,
READSHAW, DeWEESE, HERMAN, HENNESSEY, HASAY, PHILLIPS,
BELARDI, BARD, ROHRER, LEH, ORIE, SAINATO, S. MILLER, PLATTS
AND LUCYK, DECEMBER 8, 1999
SENATOR ROBBINS, MILITARY AND VETERANS AFFAIRS, IN SENATE, AS
AMENDED, SEPTEMBER 27, 2000
AN ACT
1 Amending Title 51 (Military Affairs) of the Pennsylvania
2 Consolidated Statutes, further providing for the State
3 Veterans' Commission and for military leaves of absence. ; <--
4 and providing for a veterans' ombudsman.
5 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
6 hereby enacts as follows:
7 Section 1. Section 1702(b) SECTIONS 1702(B) AND 7302 of <--
8 Title 51 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes is ARE <--
9 amended to read:
10 § 1702. State Veterans' Commission.
11 * * *
12 (b) Composition.--The commission shall be composed of:
13 (1) The Adjutant General, ex officio, or his designee.
1 (2) The State commander, commandant or head, or his
2 designee, of each of the following named veterans'
3 organizations:
4 (i) The American Legion.
5 (ii) AMVETS.
6 (iii) Blinded Veterans Association.
7 (iv) Catholic War Veterans of the United States of
8 America.
9 (v) Disabled American Veterans.
10 (vi) Jewish War Veterans of the United States.
11 (vii) Marine Corps League.
12 (viii) Military Order of the Purple Heart.
13 (ix) State Association of County Directors of
14 Veterans' Affairs.
15 (x) Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States.
16 (xi) Veterans of World War I of the United States of
17 America, Inc.
18 (xii) Italian-American War Veterans of the United
19 States, Inc.
20 (xiii) The Vietnam Veterans of America, Inc.
21 (xiv) American Ex-Prisoners of War.
22 (xv) Keystone Paralyzed Veterans Association.
23 (3) Four members at large appointed by the Governor from
24 a list provided by the Adjutant General, each of whom shall
25 be a veteran and a member in good and regular standing of a
26 Pennsylvania branch, post, lodge or club of a recognized
27 national veterans' organization active in this Commonwealth.
28 At least one member shall be a female veteran, and at least
29 one member shall be a veteran of the Vietnam era. Members at
30 large shall serve a term of four years and until a successor
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1 has been appointed.
2 (4) The State Adjutants of the American Legion, the
3 Disabled American Veterans (DAV) and the Veterans of Foreign
4 Wars (VFW) and the Executive Director of AMVETS as nonvoting
5 members.
6 * * *
7 Section 2. Title 51 is amended by adding a section to read: <--
8 § 1713. Veterans' Ombudsman.
9 The Deputy Adjutant General for Veterans' Affairs shall
10 appoint a Veterans' Ombudsman to receive and investigate
11 complaints made by individual veterans concerning medical care
12 or services provided by a Federal or State medical care facility
13 or veterans' home.
14 Section 3. Section 7302 of Title 51 is amended to read:
15 § 7302. Granting military leaves of absence.
16 (a) Enlistment or draft.--Whenever any employee shall, in
17 time of war or armed conflict, or emergency proclaimed by the
18 Governor or by the President of the United States, enlist or
19 shall, at any time, be drafted into the active military service
20 of the United States, he shall be automatically granted a
21 military leave of absence. So long as an employee is on military
22 leave of absence, he shall not be removed from his employment
23 and his duties shall either be performed by other employees or
24 by a temporary substitute. During such time he [shall not] may
25 receive [any] remuneration from his civilian employer.
26 (b) Reserve components.--Whenever any employee who is a
27 member of a reserve component of the armed forces shall be
28 called or ordered to active duty by the United States and
29 whenever any employee who is a member of the Pennsylvania
30 National Guard shall be ordered to active State duty or special
19990H2139B3974 - 3 -
1 State duty by the Governor or his designee, he shall
2 automatically be granted a military leave of absence.
3 Section 4 2. This act shall take effect immediately. <--
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