SB 284 Summary

• Establishes a new "qualifying condition" definition for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, or military sexual trauma as diagnosed or disclosed at a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs facility.

• Expands veteran status to include individuals with a qualifying condition who received a discharge other than bad conduct or dishonorable (in addition to the standard honorably discharged requirement).

• Extends tuition waivers at Connecticut's public higher education institutions (community colleges, state universities, and UConn) to veterans with qualifying conditions who performed service in time of war.

• Provides property tax exemptions of $1,000 for individuals with qualifying conditions who served in time of war and expands exemptions for surviving spouses and parents of such individuals.

• Updates references throughout state statutes from "Veterans' Administration" to "United States Department of Veterans Affairs" and applies veteran benefits to individuals with qualifying conditions across employment, licensing, housing, and social services programs.