House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

House of Representatives
Session of 2021 - 2022 Regular Session

Posted:	January 22, 2021 03:24 PM
From:	Representative Nick Pisciottano and Rep. Amen Brown
To:	All House members
Subject:	Pensions for Veterans Who Are Blind, Paralyzed, or Amputees

Currently, veterans who are blind, paralyzed, or amputees as a result of their service to our country receive a stipend of $150 per month. This stipend has not increased for more than two decades and based on rising costs and inflation over that period is now worth the equivalent of $98 per month, a 34% decrease in value. It is long past time that we increase this stipend to help those who suffered life-changing, debilitating injuries to ensure that our freedoms and safety remain intact. With that in mind, we will be introducing legislation to increase the monthly stipend for these veterans to $200 per month. This is the very least we can do for those individuals who have suffered so that we might remain free from the burdens they now carry. The financial impact of such an increase is 0.0035% of last year’s budget and well within the Commonwealth’s means to provide for our disabled veteran community. Similar legislation passed the House unanimously last session; a smaller increase also unanimously passed the Senate. Now is the time to get this legislation across the finish line and, more importantly, get our commonwealth’s disabled veterans the increased support they deserve. Please join us in support of this legislation to honor these brave individuals.
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Introduced as HB477