06/02/2016
Anthony Aprea
Legislative Director, ACRE
It is with great pleasure that I inform all members of ACRE that the Veteran's Pension Credit Bill (A.9531/S.7160) has passed. The determination to support this legislation was fueled by the honorable service and dedication of our Brothers and Sisters in ACRE who as military veterans served our country.
In the past, buy-back credits were limited to certain conflicts: WW II, Korea, Vietnam and the Gulf War/Iraq and only applied if the veteran was involved in the theater of war. Many conflicts were not considered qualifying, for example: Afghanistan and Desert Storm, therefore prohibiting a veteran from buying his or her years of pensionable service credits. That original legislation left out women veterans who were barred from combat zones.
This Bill will open up the ability to buy-back credits to all veterans, male and female, whether they served during a combat period or time of peace. It is something that should have been established years ago. The Legislative department of ACRE has made this a top priority and I'm proud to see the fruits of our labor support the members of ACRE that risked their lives to protect our freedom.
In closing, we will be meeting with Metro North to establish an agreement as to when out membership can apply for these credits.
As an American citizen that has not served in our Armed Forces, I would like to thank all of our Veterans for defending our Freedom and Liberty.
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