This Pennsylvania Senate Resolution designates September 28, 2026, as "Green Star Veterans and Families Day" to honor veterans who died by suicide in connection with their military service. The bill formally recognizes the Green Star Service Banner as a symbol of remembrance for these individuals. It aims to acknowledge the resilience of the families left behind and raise public awareness about the mental health challenges and suicide crisis affecting veterans.
This resolution designates June 10, 2026, as "National Guard and Veterans Day" to honor the history and service of Pennsylvania's National Guard and veterans. The bill recognizes the unit's lineage dating back to 1747 and highlights its extensive contributions to both military operations and domestic emergencies. It serves as a commemorative measure rather than a law that changes funding or policy, aiming to acknowledge the state's military heritage and the roles played by its members.
This Senate Resolution designates June 10, 2026, as "National Guard and Veterans Day" to honor the Pennsylvania National Guard and its veterans. The measure highlights the unit's historical roots dating back to 1747 and outlines its extensive roles in military service, disaster relief, and community support. By formally recognizing this date, the resolution acknowledges the contributions of the approximately 20,000 members who serve in both full-time and part-time capacities across the state.
This resolution officially designates April 15, 2026, as "Purple Up! For Military Kids Day" and the entire month of April 2026 as the "Month of the Military Child" within Pennsylvania. The measure aims to honor the over 37,000 children in the state who have at least one parent serving in the military, National Guard, or reserves by encouraging public support and awareness. The primary mechanism is a symbolic declaration that invites residents to wear purple on the specified date to show solidarity with military families. This action does not alter laws or allocate funding but serves to recognize the unique challenges faced by these children and promote community engagement.
This bill updates Pennsylvania's military educational assistance program by clarifying eligibility requirements and service obligations for National Guard and reserve component members. It establishes that eligible members must sign a promissory note agreeing to repay grant funds if they fail to complete their required service commitment, which ranges from six years for National Guard members to eight years for federal reserve members. The legislation also allows for successive grant certificates upon completing initial obligations and permits members who receive other-than-dishonorable discharges to retain a proportional share of earned benefits if they meet specific conditions. These changes apply to members of the Pennsylvania National Guard and reserve components of the U.S. Armed Forces seeking educational assistance through the state program.
HB 2137 creates a new "Military Event License Exemption" program for eligible military personnel and veterans in Pennsylvania. It exempts qualifying individuals (veterans with 30%+ service-connected disability, active/reserve members or veterans with Purple Heart, plus one assistant per person) from hunting license fees during approved events. Events must be hosted on private land with landowner approval, last no more than seven days, include no more than 10 participants, and require 14-day advance applications with documentation. The bill also modifies regulated hunting grounds permits to allow labeled packaging instead of tagging for birds killed under permit authority. (Bill: HB 2137, Section 2701(d) and 2928(f.1))
This Pennsylvania House resolution (HR 376) urges the federal government to require the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to include National Guard and Reserve veterans' suicides in its annual suicide prevention reports. Currently, VA reports exclude these veterans due to service criteria (like 90 consecutive days of active duty), and misclassify some deaths, creating inaccurate data. The resolution demands the VA adopt comprehensive data collection to better understand suicide risks and develop effective prevention strategies for all veterans. It specifically calls for including National Guard/Reserve suicides and correcting misclassified deaths in VA reports.
This resolution urges Congress to expand TRICARE Reserve Select eligibility to include reserve component service members already enrolled or eligible for the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP). Currently, these reservists may not qualify for TRICARE Reserve Select despite their FEHBP enrollment. The bill proposes a policy change to align their military health coverage options with active-duty counterparts, though it is non-binding and requires congressional action to become law. It directly affects reserve members serving in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, or Coast Guard who are FEHBP participants.
This Pennsylvania Senate resolution (SR 116) urges Congress to support H.R. 2102, the Major Richard Star Act, which would eliminate a rule reducing retirement pay for medically retired service members. Currently, veterans with less than 20 years of service and a disability rating under 50% lose $1 in retirement pay for every $1 in disability benefits they receive. The resolution highlights that an estimated 50,000 veterans are affected by this offset, with average monthly reductions of about $1,900. It specifically calls for removing this restriction to allow medically retired service members to receive full retirement pay and VA disability benefits simultaneously.
SB 401 creates a $1,000 tax credit for Pennsylvania employers who hire, have an employee enlist, or have an employee reenlist in the Pennsylvania National Guard. The credit applies against taxes under Articles III or IV of the Tax Reform Code and can be carried over for up to three years if not fully used in the first year. The total annual credit amount is capped at $5 million, with unused credits allocated proportionally if the cap is exceeded. This credit applies to tax years beginning after December 31, 2025, and requires employers to claim it in their first eligible tax year.
