Best bets
Mass Vets Advisor, Executive Office of Veterans' Services.
Information on federal and state veterans' benefits. Veterans can search to see which benefits they may qualify for.
Veterans' laws and benefits, Secretary of the Commonwealth.
A guide to the benefits, resources, and services available to Massachusetts veterans. Covers a wide range of topics.
- For information on obtaining veterans' vehicle plates, click the "Motor Vehicle Benefits" menu item.
Resource guide for veterans and servicemembers, Mass. Attorney General, November 2018.
Provides information on a variety of topics, including finances, housing, education, and legal assistance. Contains information for family members, support groups, and more.
Transition toolkit, Mass. Executive Office of Veterans Services.
A comprehensive guide to programs, benefits, and services available to veterans and their families transitioning to civilian life in Massachusetts.
Massachusetts laws
MGL c. 4, § 7 (43rd) Definitions of statutory terms; statutory construction
Definition of who is a veteran.
MGL c. 115 Veterans' benefits
MGL c. 15A, § 16 Scholarship programs; guidelines
Public service scholarship program for children of veterans killed in action.
MGL c. 15A, § 19 Tuition and fee waiver program; guidelines; annual report
Tuition and fee waiver for veterans attending state colleges and universities.
MGL c. 15A, § 19 3/4 Armed forces in-state student classification; member; spouse; unemancipated person whose parent or guardian is a member of the armed forces
- See also: MGL c. 71, § 6B A military-connected student school enrollment
MGL c. 15E Interstate compact on educational opportunity for military children
MGL c. 59, § 5 Property; exemptions
Includes property tax exemptions for veterans.
MGL c. 118E, § 25 (4½) Exempt income and resources
Aid and Attendance is exempt from countable assets for Medicaid eligibility.
MGL c. 132A, § 2D Development and improvement; powers of commissioner
Free access to certain parks for Purple Heart recipients.
MGL c. 149, § 52A 1/2 Veterans; participation in Memorial Day exercise and observance of Veterans Day; leave of absence granted; exceptions
A veteran scheduled to work on Veterans Day may be entitled to paid time off under certain circumstances.
- See also: MGL c. 30, § 9H Public employees who are veterans; participation in Veterans or Memorial Day exercise; time off granted; exceptions
MGL c. 151B, § 4 Unlawful practices [discrimination]
Prohibits employment discrimination against veterans.
MGL c. 272, § 106 Stolen valor; penalty
MGL c. 276A, §§ 10-11 District Court pretrial diversion of veterans charged with a crime
St. 2012, c. 108 Valor Act. An act relative to veterans' access, livelihood, opportunity and resources
Includes provision granting judges the discretion to divert defendants with a history of military service to treatment programs.
St. 2014, c. 62 Valor Act II. An act relative to veterans' allowances, labor, outreach and recognition
Provisions of the bill include:
- Creating funding for necessary home modifications due to a veteran’s service-connected disability
- Allowing college students who are called to active duty to:
- complete their course work without penalty after returning, or
- withdraw and receive a tuition refund
- Protecting against charity fraud by mandating that organizations apply for designation as a veterans’ charitable organization before requesting donations
St. 2018, c. 218 BRAVE Act. An Act relative to veterans' benefits, rights, appreciation, validation and enforcement
Among other provisions, significantly narrows the law that gave lower court judges discretion to send veterans to treatment programs rather than arraign them on criminal charges.
St. 2022, c. 154 SPEED Act. An Act relative to military spouse-licensure portability, education and enrollment of dependents
Eases relocation requirements for military families and allows for the transfer of professional licenses for military spouses who move to Massachusetts.
St. 2024, c. 178 HERO Act. An Act honoring, empowering, and recognizing our servicemembers and veterans
Increases benefits, modernizes services and promotes inclusivity for veterans in Massachusetts.
Massachusetts regulations
108 CMR Executive Office of Veterans Services
122 CMR Veterans Home in Chelsea
960 CMR 7 Procedures for the administration of certain bonuses awarded to eligible service members
Massachusetts executive orders
No. 599: Reaffirming programs to ensure diversity, equity, and inclusion for diverse and small Massachusetts businesses in state Procurement and contracting
Applies to veteran-owned businesses.
Federal laws and regulations
38 U.S.C. Veterans' benefits
38 U.S.C. Chapter 33 Post-9/11 GI Bill (education benefits for veterans)
38 U.S.C. Chapter 43 Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA)
38 CFR Chapter 1 Department of Veterans Affairs
Honoring our PACT Act of 2022
Expands VA health care and benefits for veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxic substances.
PAWS Act, P. L. 117-37 (Puppies Assisting Wounded Service Members for Veterans Therapy Act)
Among other provisions, this act expands veterans’ eligibility for service dogs.
Selected cases
Web sources
General
Benefits for veterans in Massachusetts, Mass. Legal Help, 2024.
Information on the assistance available to veterans and their families who are facing financial hardship in an easy-to-read format.
Federal benefits for veterans, dependents and survivors, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2023.
An overview of the most sought-after information about veterans benefits and services.
Governor Healey launches increased annuity for veterans and families through HERO Act, Office of the Governor, January 31, 2025.
Annual annuity payments will begin increasing in February 2025, ultimately going up to $2,500 by August 2025.
Local veterans' service officers, Executive Office of Veterans Services.
An alphabetized list, by city or town, of service officers and their contact information. County Veterans Service Officers (CVSO), are employed by their respective states, and are knowledgeable individuals who know their way around the VA system.
Servicemembers.gov, U.S. Department of Justice.
Information on federal laws protecting the rights of servicemembers, veterans, and their families.
Veterans: The blue book, Northwestern Mass. District Attorneys Office, 5th edition, 2024.
A western Massachusetts guide for helping veterans and their families.
Veterans' Bonus Division, Mass. Office of State Treasurer and Receiver.
"The Veterans' Bonus Division distributes bonuses for eligible active duty, discharged, and deceased Massachusetts veterans who served during various conflicts in single or multiple deployments."
Education
GI Bill website, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Comprehensive source of information on all educational benefits available under the GI Bill.
Veterans education, Mass. Department of Higher Education.
Provides information for veterans, service members and dependents on resources available to further their education goals.
Total and permanent disability discharge of student loans, U.S. Department of Education.
Eligibility requirements for total and permanent discharge of disabled veterans’ student loans.
Employment
Protections against employment discrimination for service members and veterans, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Details federal laws and other authorities that provide workplace protections specific to service members and veterans.
USERRA advisor, U.S. Department of Labor.
Overview of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA). Includes questions and answers to help veterans learn about their USERRA rights.
Veterans' employment and training service (VETS), U.S. Department of Labor.
Resources to help veterans prepare for meaningful careers, develop expertise, and find employment. Includes section on employment rights.
Health and long-term care
VA Aid & Attendance Program & other pensions for aging veterans, Paying For Senior Care, June 2021.
Information on benefits available to help offset the cost of long-term elder care for veterans. Wartime veterans or surviving spouses may be eligible to receive a non-service-connected pension.
Veterans Homes at Chelsea and Holyoke, Mass. Executive Office of Veterans Services.
Residential and long-term health care facilities that are available to eligible veterans of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Legal
Veterans legal services (VLS)
Promotes equity by providing free and comprehensive civil legal aid services to economically disadvantaged military veterans in Massachusetts.
Veterans' treatment courts, Mass. Trial Court.
"Veterans’ treatment courts are designed to handle criminal cases involving defendants who have a history of military service through a coordinated effort among the veterans services delivery system, community-based providers, and the court, thereby improving public safety while dealing with the underlying issues of posttraumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, and military sexual trauma." There are currently six veterans' treatments courts: Boston, Dedham, Framingham, Holyoke, Brockton, and Lawrence.
Print sources
Federal veterans laws, rules and regulations, LexisNexis, updated annually.
Elder law, (Mass. Practice, vol. 56), Thomson/West, updated annually.
Chapter 6 Veterans' benefits.
Veterans appeals guidebook, ABA, 2013.
Veterans benefits, MCLE, 2017.
Veterans benefits manual, National Veterans Legal Services Program, Lexis/Nexis, updated annually. (2024-2025 eBook available with library card)
Contact
Online
| Last updated: | March 11, 2025 |
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