2019 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 27 - Armed Forces and Veterans
Chapter 506 - Veterans
Section 27-103 - Definitions.

(a) As used in the general statutes, except chapter 504, and except as otherwise provided: (1) “Armed forces” means the United States Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Air Force and any reserve component thereof, including the Connecticut National Guard performing duty as provided in Title 32 of the United States Code, as amended from time to time; (2) “veteran” means any person honorably discharged from, or released under honorable conditions from active service in, the armed forces; (3) “service in time of war” means service of ninety or more cumulative days except, if the period of war lasted less than ninety days, “service in time of war” means service for the entire period of war, unless separated from service earlier because of a service-connected disability rated by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, during a period of war; (4) “period of war” has the same meaning as provided in 38 USC 101, as amended from time to time, except that the “Vietnam Era” means the period beginning on February 28, 1961, and ending on July 1, 1975, in all cases; and “period of war” shall include service while engaged in combat or a combat support role in Lebanon, July 1, 1958, to November 1, 1958, or September 29, 1982, to March 30, 1984; Grenada, October 25, 1983, to December 15, 1983; Operation Earnest Will, involving the escort of Kuwaiti oil tankers flying the United States flag in the Persian Gulf, July 24, 1987, to August 1, 1990; and Panama, December 20, 1989, to January 31, 1990, and shall include service during such periods with the armed forces of any government associated with the United States; and (5) “qualifying condition” means a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury made by, or an experience of military sexual trauma, as described in 38 USC 1720D, as amended from time to time, disclosed to, an individual licensed to provide health care services at a United States Department of Veterans Affairs facility.

(b) As used in this part, “Veterans Residential Services facility” means the Veterans Residential Services facility in Rocky Hill maintained by the Department of Veterans Affairs that provides temporary and other supported residential services for qualifying veterans; “hospital” means any incorporated hospital or tuberculosis sanatorium in the state and any state chronic disease hospital, or hospital for persons with mental illness; “Healthcare Center” means the hospital in Rocky Hill maintained by the Department of Veterans Affairs; “veteran” means any veteran, as defined in subsection (a) of this section, who is a resident of this state, provided, if he or she was not a resident or resident alien of this state at the time of enlistment or induction into the armed forces, he or she shall have resided continuously in this state for at least two years; “eligible dependent” means any parent, wife or husband, or child of a veteran who has no adequate means of support; and “eligible family member” means any parent, brother or sister, wife or husband, or child or children under eighteen years of age, of any veteran whose cooperation in the program is integral to the treatment of the veteran.

(1949 Rev., S. 2925; September, 1950, 1953, S. 1635d; 1957, P.A. 163, S. 29; February, 1965, P.A. 157, S. 2; 1969, P.A. 163, S. 1; P.A. 75-483, S. 2, 10; P.A. 77-424, S. 2; P.A. 88-285, S. 2, 35; P.A. 91-2, S. 6, 8; 91-213, S. 6, 8; 91-407, S. 19, 42; P.A. 94-245, S. 13, 46; P.A. 95-300; P.A. 99-272, S. 2; P.A. 00-131, S. 2; P.A. 03-85, S. 1; P.A. 04-169, S. 5; P.A. 06-153, S. 2; P.A. 09-117, S. 1; P.A. 13-139, S. 30; P.A. 16-167, S. 3; P.A. 18-47, S. 1; 18-72, S. 31.)

History: 1965 act provided for service in defined Vietnam territory and actions and the Dominican Republic after April 27, 1965; 1969 act deleted foregoing amendment and substituted in essence during the period between January 1, 1964, and such date to be determined as date of termination of Vietnam era; P.A. 75-483 deleted foregoing amendment and substituted “the Vietnam era, January 1, 1964 to July 1, 1975”; P.A. 77-424 added qualification to service in Subdiv. (3) “of ninety or more days unless separated from service earlier because of a service connected disability-rated by the veterans administration”; P.A. 88-285 amended Subsec. (a) to change the date of termination of Korean hostilities from October 27, 1953, to January 31, 1955, and Subsec. (b) to add definitions of “eligible dependent” and “eligible family member”; P.A. 91-2 amended Subsec. (a) by adding service during Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm to Subdiv. (3); P.A. 91-213 amended Subsec. (a) by changing the beginning of the period of service during Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm from August 7, 1990, to August 2, 1990; P.A. 91-407 amended Subsec. (a)(3) by adding exception re war or campaign lasting for less than 90 days and added service during peace-keeping mission in Lebanon, invasion of Grenada, Operation Earnest Will and invasion of Panama; P.A. 94-245 amended Subsec. (a) to add a specific termination date for Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm, effective June 2, 1994; P.A. 95-300 amended Subsec. (a) to change the beginning of the Vietnam era to December 22, 1961 from January 1, 1964; P.A. 99-272 amended Subsec. (a)(3) to add the Lebanon conflict, July 1, 1958, to November 1, 1958; the Berlin Airlift, August 14, 1961, to June 1, 1962; and to change the Vietnam era commencement date from December 22, 1961 to February 28, 1961; P.A. 00-131 amended Subsec. (a) to redefine “service in time of war” by adding dates of active duty service in South Korea demilitarized zone, Somalia and Bosnia; P.A. 03-85 amended Subsec. (a)(3) by redefining “service in time of war” to replace references to specific wars, campaigns or other military operations commencing with the Spanish-American War and ending with Bosnia with reference to a “period of war”, as defined in 38 USC 101, as amended, with exception for the “Vietnam Era” and including service while engaged in combat or a combat support role in Lebanon, Grenada, Operation Earnest Will and Panama, effective June 3, 2003; P.A. 04-169 amended Subsec. (b) to change the name of the Veterans' Home and Hospital to the Veterans' Home, effective June 1, 2004; P.A. 06-153 amended Subsec. (a) to redefine “armed forces” to include reserves, including the Connecticut National Guard, redefine “service in time of war” by deleting references to “campaign or other operation” and replacing “war” with “period of war” and make technical changes, and made a technical change in Subsec. (b); P.A. 09-117 amended Subsec. (a) to redefine “service in time of war” in Subdiv. (3) and “period of war” in Subdiv. (4), effective June 8, 2009; P.A. 13-139 amended Subsec. (b) by substituting “or hospital for persons with mental illness” for “mental hospital or training school for the mentally retarded” and making technical changes; P.A. 16-167 amended Subsec. (b) to replace definition of “home” with definition of “Veterans Residential Services facility”, define “Healthcare Center”, delete reference to service in time of war in definition of “veteran” and make technical changes, effective July 1, 2016; P.A. 18-47 amended Subsec. (a) to replace “Veterans' Administration” with “United States Department of Veterans Affairs” in Subdiv. (3), add “from time to time” in Subdiv. (4), and add Subdiv. (5) re definition of “qualifying condition”; P.A. 18-72 amended Subsec. (a) to add “as amended from time to time” in Subdiv. (1), to replace “Veterans' Administration” with “United States Department of Veterans Affairs” in Subdiv. (3) and add “from time to time” in Subdiv. (4).

See Secs. 5-180 and 5-196(28) re definition of war service during World War II for purposes of the State Employees Retirement Act and the State Personnel Act.