AN ACT CONCERNING THE RECORDING OF A MILITARY DISCHARGE CHARACTERIZATION UPON A STATE VETERANS REGISTRY AS "HONORABLE" AND MAKING A MINOR TECHNICAL REVISION TO A CERTAIN SUCH CHARACTERIZATION.
HB 6748 allows veterans with an "other than honorable" military discharge to apply to have their state veterans registry record updated to "honorable" if they believe the discharge was based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or a qualifying medical/service-related condition. Veterans must submit evidence supporting their claim through a standardized state application process, reviewed by a board within 30 days and decided by the state Veterans Affairs commissioner within 10 days. If approved, veterans gain eligibility for state-based veterans benefits and are recorded as having an "honorable" discharge on the state registry. The bill also updates related statutes to align with these changes, focusing solely on state registry classification - not federal discharge status.
Bill status
in committee
1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 27, 2025
Last action Mar 27, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons
What changed between versions
Committee Bill
→
VA Joint Favorable Substitute
·
4 edits
MODERATE
The bill was revised to expand eligibility for veterans seeking to have their discharge characterization recorded as 'honorable' on the state registry. The original version only covered veterans whose discharges were based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. The substitute version adds a second pathway for veterans whose discharges were based on a 'qualifying condition' (such as PTSD or other service-connected issues). The bill also adds a technical revision to clarify the terminology used throughout the statute.
Scope change
The bill now applies to two distinct groups of veterans: those discharged due to sexual orientation/gender identity issues and those discharged due to qualifying conditions, whereas previously it only covered the former group.
ELIGIBILITY
Added a new eligibility pathway allowing veterans to apply for honorable discharge characterization if their other-than-honorable discharge was based on a 'qualifying condition' in addition to sexual orientation or gender identity issues.
REQUIREMENT
Reorganized the application process into two distinct subsections (A and B) to handle the two different eligibility pathways separately.
DEFINITION
Updated definitions in related statutes to clarify that 'qualifying condition' is now a recognized basis for discharge characterization review alongside sexual orientation and gender identity.
TECHNICAL
Made minor technical revisions to standardize terminology (e.g., changing 'other than honorable' to 'other-than-honorable') and corrected formatting inconsistencies.
Floor votes
How they voted
No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
12
Key actions
2
Committee
4
Mar 11, 2025
Lower · Passed
Joint Favorable Substitute
lower
Feb 27, 2025
Committee
REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Veterans' and Military Affairs
lower
Feb 26, 2025
Lower · Passed
DRAFTED BY COMMITTEE
lower
Jan 27, 2025
Committee
REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Veterans' and Military Affairs
lower
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
No sponsor information available.
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