SB271

2025 - SB271 Amending the Veteran license/plate program When someone leaves the military, their discharge is Honorable, General - Under Honorable Conditions, Other than Honorable, Bad Conduct, Dishonorable, or is Uncharacterized. According to the Pentagon only 77% of discharges are Honorable. (N. Dakota VA article Jordan Carney / 8-15-2014 NJ Daily) In 2022, the Navy was ordered by a federal court to review, and potentially upgrade, an estimated 100,000 General and Other than Honorable Discharges issued between 2012 and 2022 that partially or fully denied relief to Navy, Marine Corp and Reserve Veterans with Other than Honorable Discharges whose cases were denied, despite evidence they were struggling with PTSD, TBI, or military sexual trauma. (Stars and stripes Feb 17 2022 Nikki Wentling) From 1994 through 2011, roughly 13,500 were discharged under the “don’t ask don’t tell” policy. In 2024 the pentagon granted Honorable Discharges to a large number of those given less than fully Honorable discharges and is proactively reviewing the rest. (ABC news article 10-15-2024 Matt Sevler) General Discharges were given to 70% of service members involuntarily separated for refusing the Covid vaccine (during an April 2022 Senate Armed Services Committee hearing). The Navy gave all of its Sailors an Honorable Discharge. The Marines only gave 20% an Honorable Discharge. While the Army and Air Force gave only 2% an Honorable Discharge. (Military times 4-27-2022 Meghan Myers/Leo Shane III) During confirmation hearings, the new Defense Secretary raised the issue of those being shortchanged by the system saying: “Tens of thousands of service members were kicked out because of an experimental vaccine. In President Trump’s defense department, they will be apologized to, they will be re-instituted with pay and rank.” The President backed up that statement during his inaugural address saying “I will reinstate any service members who were unjustly expelled from our military for objecting to the Covid vaccine mandate…with full back pay.” The next day, he signed an executive order doing just that. What about those who do not return to service? Are they not considered Veterans because of their General-Under Honorable Conditions discharge? NH organizations providing help outside the VA’s scope, do not exclude a Veteran based on discharge. The Veteran family does not look for ways to exclude each other. Instead they look for ways to help each other, just as they did while serving. In that regard, (Esprit de Corps) I am here today, in support of a common sense amendment to the Veteran License and License Plate Programs. To include those who’ve been excluded! Veterans who served Under Honorable Conditions are by every definition; Veterans and in good standing. I do not believe anyone can honestly say to themselves that someone who served, or served a tour in Afghanistan, Iraq, or both, and were discharged Under Honorable Conditions; should not be considered a Veteran. One not worthy of simply displaying a plate on their vehicle or having an indicia on their license, to show their love of country and the people in it they were willing to die for. The line has clearly been drawn at Honorable and General - Under Honorable Conditions as anything less is a disqualifier for the Uniformed Services Employment and Re-employment Rights Act (USERRA) which says a person is NOT entitled to its rights and benefits if they received Other than Honorable, Bad Conduct, or Dishonorable Discharges. (Dept. of Labor) while the Veterans First Contracting Program states; Veterans must be discharged or released under other than a Dishonorable status. The VA standard for Veteran is “a person who served in the active military, naval, or air service, and was discharged or released therefrom under conditions other than Dishonorable.” (VA.gov) (38 U.S.C. §101(2)) Governor Ayotte, During her inaugural address stated she wants “to make sure that New Hampshire is the most Veteran friendly state in the nation.” Excluding Veterans, who are not excluded by any other standard, is the opposite of that goal. Given these standards, there is no justification to discriminate against Veterans who served with an Honorable distinction.

Position recorded without written comment.

Position recorded without written comment.