Senator Honig, Representative Foster, Senator Gordon and Representative Anderson, and members of the Veterans’ and Military Affairs Committee, my name is Alison Weir, and I am the executive director of the Connecticut Veterans Legal Center and a Veteran of the U.S. Air Force. I am here in support of the following bills:

• HB 7121 An Act Excluding Veterans’ Federal Service-Connected Disability Benefits for purposes of Eligibility of Assistance from A Public Defender
• HB 7122 An Act Excluding Veterans’ Disability Payments from Qualifying Income when Determining Certain Property Tax Relief
• Committee Bill 5074 An Act Concerning a Motor Vehicle Number Plate Commemorating Connecticut Women Veterans

The Connecticut Veterans Legal Center provides free legal assistance to low-income Veterans living in Connecticut. Our mission is to support, empower, and improve the lives of Veterans by providing free legal assistance to remove barriers to housing, healthcare, income, and recovery. Approximately 44% of our clients have a service-connected disability rating from their service and receive VA disability benefits.

I support HB 7121, which would not count Veterans service-connected disability compensation payments when calculating income for the purpose of determining whether a Veteran is eligible for services from a public defender. This would be consistent with treatment of service-connected disability compensation by both the federal Internal Revenue Service and the state Department of Revenue Services which do not count such payments as income. It would also be consistent with the intent of the payments, as compensation for an injury caused by the Veteran’s service to the nation which can impair the Veteran’s ability to earn a living. This bill would provide clarity to all public defenders’ offices that Veteran disability payments should not be counted as income. From conversations with Veteran Justice Officers at the VA, it is my understanding that the consideration of Veteran disability compensation as income varies by office. Colorado courts exclude Veteran disability benefits from income when determining eligibility for public defenders, as well as guardian ad litem and court visitors. With this bill, Connecticut would not be breaking new ground, and would ensure consistent treatment Veterans disability payments across all judicial divisions.

Moreover, this would also be a step toward improving judicial outcomes for Veterans. As the Council on Criminal Justice’s Veterans Justice Commission notes, “Studies show that service-related trauma exposure, combined with increased incidence of mental health and substance use disorders, elevates Veterans’ risk of involvement with the criminal justice system.” This is particularly acute for post 9/11 Veterans who have experienced a higher rate of combat deployment and redeployment than earlier generations of service members. These Veterans may be receiving service-connected disability payments for the trauma exposure and accompanying behavioral health conditions that led to their involvement in the justice system. In 2012, this legislature has already recognized that Veterans with disabilities are more likely to be involved with the criminal justice system and thus expanded the pre-trial supervised diversionary program to include Veterans. See CGSA §54-561 and P.A. 12-42. Exempting service-connected disability payments from income eligibility criteria would be another step toward improving outcomes for Veterans by ensuring that more disabled Veterans have their day in court with a public defender, giving them a better shot at an improved outcome, with lower rates of recidivism and a firmer foundation for recovery.

I also support Raised Bill 7122: This bill could benefit those low-income Veterans with service-connected ratings of less than 100% who may nonetheless be relying on their service-connected disability by explicitly excluding service-connected disability compensation from the calculation of income. As the statute currently reads, eligibility is to be determined based on the federal adjusted gross income. Because the federal government does not consider service-connected disability compensation income, it should already be excluded from the AGI. However, as we’ve seen from the rollout of the permanent and total disability property tax exemption, town clerks have not received comprehensive training on Veteran benefits and may misconstrue how to count service-connected disability compensation that falls below 100% service-connected ratings.

As an example, imagine a Veteran with a 70% disability rating whom the VA has determined is individually unemployable, resulting in a classification of TDIU for which he receives the equivalent of 100% service-connected compensation. He would not qualify for the permanent and total disability property tax exemption. If he also had a spouse and two children, he would receive $51,555.20 annually in disability benefits, which is above the threshold for adjusted gross income. If a town clerk considers the disability payment as income, the clerk erroneously would decline to grant the reduction in the owed property tax. The change to the statute makes plain that the income considered should not include service-connected disability compensation.

As a woman Veteran, I also support Committee Bill 5074, establishing a special license plate for women Veterans. Today, it is more important than ever to recognize the contributions women have made to in service in the military, dating back to the Revolution. It is not “woke” to acknowledge the sacrifices women have made in service to the nation, and their role in ensuring the effectiveness and lethality of the U.S. Armed Forces. The one amendment I would suggest to this bill would be for the proceeds to go to a cause that specifically benefits women Veterans. Women Veterans face different challenges when transitioning to civilian life than their male counterparts, which is not made any easier by the incredulity they face when they identify themselves as Veterans. Recent years have brought a rise in the number of women Veterans facing homelessness, increasing 24% from 2020 to 2023. . Women Veterans are more likely to have suffered Military Sexual Trauma and experience intimate partner violence. They are also more likely to be shouldering childcare responsibilities, particularly among single parents. Recognition of women Veterans is important, but if this recognition could also support assistance, it would be even more impactful.

Thank you for your work to improve the lives of Connecticut Veterans.