2003 - 2004 LEGISLATURE
March 6, 2003 - Introduced by Representative Krusick, cosponsored by Senator
Carpenter, by request of Marvin Vogel. Referred to Committee on Veterans
and Military Affairs.
AB143,1,3 1An Act to create 20.485 (2) (b) and (bd) and 45.40 of the statutes; relating to:
2bonus payments to veterans who served in a war period or crisis, beginning with
3those veterans who served in World War II, and making appropriations.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill provides a bonus payment to persons who served on active duty under
honorable conditions in the U.S. armed forces before January 1, 2004, and during a
war period or a crisis, such as in Lebanon in 1982, Libya in 1986, Somalia in 1992,
or Bosnia in 1995. To be eligible for a payment under this bill, the veteran must have
been a resident of this state at the time of his or her enlistment or induction into the
armed forces. Under the bill, the payment may be made to the veteran, or, if he or
she is deceased, to a person designated by the veteran or to his or her surviving
spouse, children, or parents. Under the bill, the amount of the payment may not
exceed $500 and is determined by multiplying the number of months of service in the
contiguous 48 states and District of Columbia by $10 and the number of months of
service outside the contiguous 48 states by $15. If the war veteran was killed or
wounded in combat or disabled in a combat zone, the bill provides the veteran an
additional $5 per month of that service. The bill requires the Department of Veterans
Affairs to stagger the payments. For example, the department is required to make
payments between July 1, 2004, and June 30, 2005, on behalf of a veteran whose
service ended before January 1, 1950, while the payments on behalf of a veteran who
served between January 1, 1960, and January 1, 1980, are made between July 1,
2006, and June 30, 2007.

For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as
an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB143, s. 1 1Section 1. 20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes: at the appropriate place, insert
2the following amounts for the purposes indicated: - See PDF for table PDF
AB143, s. 2 3Section 2. 20.485 (2) (b) and (bd) of the statutes are created to read:
AB143,2,54 20.485 (2) (b) Bonus payments to war veterans. From the general fund, the
5amounts in the schedule for bonus payments to war veterans under s. 45.40.
AB143,2,86 (bd) Administration of bonus payments to war veterans. From the general fund,
7the amounts in the schedule to administer the bonus payments to war veterans
8under s. 45.40.
AB143, s. 3 9Section 3. 45.40 of the statutes is created to read:
AB143,2,10 1045.40 Bonus payments to war veterans. (1) In this section:
AB143,2,1211 (a) "Crisis" means the Lebanon, Grenada, Middle East, Panama, Somalia, or
12Bosnia crisis or conflict, as described in s. 45.34.
AB143,2,1313 (b) "Heir" means:
AB143,2,1414 1. The surviving unremarried widow or widower.
AB143,3,2
12. If there is no surviving unremarried widow or widower, the surviving
2children.
AB143,3,33 3. If there are no surviving children, the surviving parents.
AB143,3,44 (c) "War period" means a war period designated under s. 45.001 (5) (f) to (i).
AB143,3,65 (d) "War veteran" means an individual who served on active duty under
6honorable conditions in the U.S. armed forces during a crisis or war period.
AB143,3,9 7(2) (a) A payment may be made under sub. (3) only on behalf of a war veteran
8who was a resident of this state at the time of his or her enlistment or induction into
9the U.S. armed forces and for at least one year before that enlistment or induction.
AB143,3,1110 (b) A payment may be made under sub. (3) only for service in the U.S. armed
11forces before January 1, 2004.
AB143,3,18 12(3) (a) From the appropriation under s. 20.485 (2) (b), the department shall
13make a payment to each eligible war veteran. If the war veteran is deceased, the
14payment shall be made to an eligible person that the veteran has legally designated
15in writing to receive the payment. If the war veteran did not legally designate a
16person to receive the payment, the payment shall be made to an eligible heir. If there
17is more than one surviving eligible child or parent of the veteran, the children or
18parents, if the eligible heirs, shall share the payment equally.
AB143,3,2019 (b) The amount of the payment may not exceed $500, and shall be determined
20as follows:
AB143,3,2321 1. For each month that the war veteran was in service within the contiguous
2248 states or District of Columbia during a crisis or war period, the war veteran is
23entitled to $10.
AB143,4,424 2. For each month that the war veteran was in service outside the contiguous
2548 states and District of Columbia during a crisis or war period, the war veteran is

1entitled to $15, except that if the war veteran was wounded or killed in combat or
2disabled in a combat zone outside the contiguous 48 states and District of Columbia
3during a crisis or war period, the war veteran is entitled to an additional $5 for each
4month of that service.
AB143,4,75 (c) The department may accept a certification from the U.S. department of
6veterans affairs as proof of the periods of service, place of service, and condition of
7the war veteran for purposes of par. (b).
AB143,4,98 (d) The department shall make a payment to the war veteran, the person
9legally designated by the war veteran, or the heir of the war veteran, as follows:
AB143,4,1110 1. For a war veteran whose service on active duty ended before January 1, 1950,
11the payment shall be made between July 1, 2004, and June 30, 2005.
AB143,4,1412 2. For a war veteran whose service on active duty ended after December 31,
131949, and before January 1, 1960, the payment shall be made between July 1, 2005,
14and June 30, 2006.
AB143,4,1715 3. For a war veteran whose service on active duty ended after December 31,
161959, and before January 1, 1980, the payment shall be made between July 1, 2006,
17and June 30, 2007.
AB143,4,2018 4. For a war veteran whose service on active duty ended after December 31,
191979, and before January 1, 2004, the payment shall be made between July 1, 2007,
20and June 30, 2008.
AB143,5,2 21(4) The department shall create, and make available, a form for applying for
22a payment under sub. (3) at no cost to eligible war veterans, to the eligible persons
23designated by veterans or eligible heirs if the veterans are deceased, and to county

1veterans' service officers and veterans' organizations. The form shall be made
2available no later than April 1, 2004.
AB143,5,33 (End)
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