Chapter 45

subch. I of ch. 45 SUBCHAPTER I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

45.001 45.001 Recognition of persons who served in the armed forces. The state of Wisconsin recognizes, as veterans, the men and women of Wisconsin who served on active duty in the U.S. armed forces or in forces incorporated in the U.S. armed forces, the men and women who served in a reserve unit of the U.S. armed forces, and the men and women who served in the national guard.

45.001 History History: 2005 a. 22.

45.01 45.01 Definitions. In this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires:

45.01(1) (1) “Active duty” does not include active duty for training purposes.

45.01(2) (2) “Active duty for training purposes” has the meaning given in 38 USC 101 (22).

45.01(3) (3) “Board” means the board of veterans affairs.

45.01(4) (4) “Child” means any biological child, any adopted child, any stepchild, or any other child who is a member of the veteran’s household, or any nonmarital child if the veteran acknowledges paternity or paternity has been otherwise established.

45.01(5) (5) “Department” means the department of veterans affairs.

45.01(6) (6) “Dependent” includes any of the following:

45.01(6)(a) (a) A spouse, a surviving spouse, or a divorced spouse, but only if the divorced spouse is not remarried and is receiving child support or maintenance from the veteran under a court order.

45.01(6)(b) (b) Any child under 18 years of age, or under the age of 26 if in full attendance at a recognized school of instruction, or of any age if incapable of self-support by reason of mental or physical disability.

45.01(6)(c) (c) The biological or adoptive parent or a person who acts in the place of a parent and who has so acted for not less than 12 months prior to the veteran’s entrance into active service.

45.01(6)(d) (d) A minor sibling or a sibling of any age if incapable of self-support by reason of mental or physical disability.

45.01(7) (7) “In-kind contributions” includes donations of appliances, buildings, creations, equipment, fixtures, furniture, materials, real property, structures, supplies, and utilities, and work performed in the acquisition of land and construction of property.

45.01(8) (8) “Memorial” means a building, structure, statue, or creation used to keep alive the remembrance of a veteran, veterans group, or an event related to a veteran and may include land upon which the building, structure, statue, or creation is located. “Memorial” does not include a museum.

45.01(9) (9) “Permanently and totally disabled veteran” means a person who is receiving 100 percent disability compensation from the U.S. department of veterans affairs under 38 USC 1101 to 1115, 1131 to 1137, and 1151 to 1162, due to a permanent and total service-connected disability.

45.01(10) (10) “Secretary” means the secretary of the department.

45.01(11) (11) “Service in a crisis zone” means any of the following:

45.01(11)(a) (a) Service in Lebanon and Grenada. A person shall be considered to have served in Lebanon or Grenada if the person was on active duty in Lebanon or its territorial waters under honorable conditions between August 1, 1982, and August 1, 1984, or in Grenada between October 23, 1983, and November 21, 1983, and meets one of the following conditions:

45.01(11)(a)1. 1. Was entitled to receive the armed forces expeditionary medal established by executive order 10977 on December 4, 1961.

45.01(11)(a)2. 2. Was entitled to receive the marine corps or navy expeditionary medal.

45.01(11)(a)3. 3. Was not entitled to receive a medal under par. (a) or (b) but submits other proof of service acceptable to the department.

45.01(11)(b) (b) Middle East crisis. A person shall be considered to have served in a Middle East crisis if, because of active duty in the U.S. armed forces or forces incorporated as a part of U.S. armed forces, any of the following applies:

45.01(11)(b)1. 1. The person was awarded the humanitarian service medal for participating in the attempt to rescue American hostages in Iran.

45.01(11)(b)2. 2. The person was awarded the valor ribbon bar by the U.S. state department for having been a hostage in Iran during the Iranian hostage crisis in 1980 and 1981.

45.01(11)(b)3. 3. The person participated in the April 14, 1986, military action against Libya.

45.01(11)(b)4. 4. The person served on the U.S.S. Stark on May 17, 1987.

45.01(11)(b)5. 5. The person served in support of Operation Desert Shield or Operation Desert Storm under all of the following conditions:

45.01(11)(b)5.a. a. Under an active duty order, a unit assignment order or an involuntary extension of an active duty order or in the Middle East or in territorial or international waters adjacent to the Middle East.

45.01(11)(b)5.b. b. Under honorable conditions.

45.01(11)(b)5.c. c. Between August 1, 1990, and the ending date of Operation Desert Shield or Operation Desert Storm, as established by the department by rule.

45.01(11)(b)6. 6. The person served for 90 days or more in support of Operation Enduring Freedom or an operation that is a successor to Operation Enduring Freedom or served in the Operation Enduring Freedom theater of operation under all of the following conditions:

45.01(11)(b)6.a. a. Under an active duty order, a unit assignment order, or an involuntary extension of an active duty order.

45.01(11)(b)6.b. b. Under honorable conditions.

45.01(11)(b)6.c. c. Between September 11, 2001, and the ending date of Operation Enduring Freedom or an operation that is a successor to Operation Enduring Freedom, as established by the department by rule.

45.01(11)(c) (c) Service in Panama. A person shall be considered to have served in Panama if the person was on active duty in the U.S. armed forces in Panama or its territorial waters under honorable conditions between December 20, 1989, and January 31, 1990.

45.01(11)(d) (d) Service in Somalia. A person shall be considered to have served in Somalia if the person was on active duty in the U.S. armed services in Somalia or in territorial waters adjacent to Somalia under honorable conditions between December 9, 1992, and the ending date of Operation Restore Hope, as established by the department by rule.

45.01(11)(e) (e) Service in Bosnia. A person shall be considered to have served in Bosnia if the person served for 90 days or more in support of Operation Balkan Endeavor or served for 90 days or more in Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia including the autonomous provinces of Kosovo and Vojvodina, Slovakia, or Slovenia, or in territorial waters adjacent to any of those countries, under all of the following conditions:

45.01(11)(e)1. 1. Under an active duty order, an involuntary extension of an active duty order, or a unit assignment order.

45.01(11)(e)2. 2. Under honorable conditions.

45.01(11)(e)3. 3. Between December 1, 1995, and the ending date of Operation Balkan Endeavor or a successor operation, as established by the department by rule.

45.01(12) (12) “Veteran”, except in s. 45.001, means any of the following:

45.01(12)(a) (a) A person who has served on active duty for at least one qualifying term of service under pars. (b) to (d) under honorable conditions in the U.S. armed forces or in forces incorporated as part of the U.S. armed forces during a war period or in a crisis zone.

45.01(12)(b) (b) A person who has served on active duty in the U.S. armed forces or in forces incorporated as part of the U.S. armed forces under honorable conditions, for 2 continuous years or more or for the full period of his or her initial service obligation, whichever is less.

45.01(12)(c) (c) A person who has served on active duty for 90 days or more under honorable conditions in the U.S. armed forces or in forces incorporated as part of the U.S. armed forces during a war period or for any period of service under section 1 of executive order 10957 dated August 10, 1961.

45.01(12)(d) (d) A person whose term of service in the U.S. armed forces or in forces incorporated as part of the U.S. armed forces under honorable conditions entitled him or her to receive the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, established by executive order 10977 on December 4, 1961, the Vietnam Service Medal established by executive order 11231 on July 8, 1965, the Navy Expeditionary Medal, the Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal, or an equivalent expeditionary or service medal.

45.01(12)(e) (e) A person who was honorably discharged from the U.S. armed forces or from forces incorporated as part of the U.S. armed forces for a service-connected disability, for a disability subsequently adjudicated to have been service connected, or for reasons of hardship.

45.01(12)(f) (f) A person who was released under honorable conditions from the U.S. armed forces or from forces incorporated as part of the U.S. armed forces due to a reduction in the U.S. armed forces.

45.01(12)(g) (g) A person who died while in service in the U.S. armed forces or in forces incorporated as part of the U.S. armed forces.

45.01(12)(h) (h) A person who, while serving in the U.S. armed forces or in forces incorporated as part of the U.S. armed forces, is missing in action.

45.01(12)(i) (i) A person who died as the result of a service-connected disability.

45.01(12)(j) (j) A person who died in the line of duty while on inactive or active duty for training purposes in the U.S. armed forces, in forces incorporated as part of the U.S. armed forces, or in the national guard.

45.01(12)(k) (k) For purposes of ss. 343.14 and 343.17 only, a person who was admitted into the United States as a refugee from Laos under 8 USC 1157 and served with a special guerilla unit, or irregular forces, operating from a base in Laos in support of the U.S. military during the period beginning February 28, 1961, and ending September 18, 1978. The person shall provide documentation of the person’s service with a special guerilla unit or irregular forces as provided under section 4 of the federal Hmong Veterans’ Naturalization Act of 2000, P.L. 106-207.

45.01(12m) (12m) “Veterans home” means the Wisconsin Veterans Home at Union Grove, the Wisconsin Veterans Home at King, and the Wisconsin Veterans Home at Chippewa Falls.

45.01(13) (13) “War period” means any of the following:

45.01(13)(a) (a) Indian War: between 1860 and 1898.

45.01(13)(b) (b) Spanish-American War: between April 21, 1898, and April 11, 1899.

45.01(13)(c) (c) Philippine Insurrection: between April 12, 1899, and July 4, 1902 (extended to July 15, 1903, if actually engaged in Moro Province hostilities).

45.01(13)(d) (d) Boxer Rebellion: between June 16, 1900, and May 12, 1901.

45.01(13)(e) (e) Mexican border service: between June 19, 1916, and April 5, 1917.

45.01(13)(f) (f) World War I: between April 6, 1917, and November 11, 1918 (extended to April 1, 1920, if service was in Russia).

45.01(13)(g) (g) World War II: between August 27, 1940, and July 25, 1947.

45.01(13)(h) (h) Korean conflict: between June 27, 1950, and January 31, 1955.

45.01(13)(i) (i) Vietnam War: between August 5, 1964, and January 1, 1977, excepting service on active duty for training purposes only.

45.01(13)(j) (j) Persian Gulf War: between August 1, 1990, and the ending date of Operation Desert Shield or the ending date of Operation Desert Storm as established by the department by rule.

45.01(13)(k) (k) Afghanistan War: between September 11, 2001, and the ending date of Operation Enduring Freedom or an operation that is a successor to Operation Enduring Freedom, as established by the department by rule.

45.01(13)(m) (m) Iraq War: between March 19, 2003, and the ending date of Operation Iraqi Freedom or an operation that is a successor to Operation Iraqi Freedom, as established by the department by rule.

45.01(13)(n) (n) Any period after the period specified in par. (m) that the department determines and designates by rule, after reviewing the criteria used to establish the war periods under pars. (a) to (m) and after consultation with the U.S. department of defense, to be a period when the United States is in a conflict that places persons at such a risk that the period should be designated as a war period for purposes of this chapter.

45.01 History History: 2005 a. 22, 253; 2017 a. 365; 2023 a. 205.

45.02 45.02 Eligibility for benefits.

45.02(1) (1) Any person whose service on active duty with the U.S. armed forces or in forces incorporated as part of the U.S. armed forces makes that person eligible for general U.S. department of veterans affairs benefits shall be considered to have served under honorable conditions for purposes of this chapter.

45.02(2) (2) Except as provided in sub. (3) and s. 45.51 (6m), to be eligible for benefits under this chapter an applicant shall be a resident of and living in this state at the time of making application or the veteran from whom the applicant derives eligibility is deceased, and the veteran from whom eligibility is derived meets one of the following conditions:

45.02(2)(a) (a) His or her selective service local board, if any, and home of record at the time of entry or reentry into active service as shown on the veteran’s report of separation from the U.S. armed forces for a qualifying period were in this state.

45.02(2)(b) (b) The veteran was a resident of this state at the time of entry or reentry into active duty.

45.02(2)(c) (c) The veteran was a resident of this state for any consecutive 12-month period after entry or reentry into service and before the date of his or her application or death.

45.02(3) (3) Veterans who are otherwise eligible and who are serving on active duty in the U.S. armed forces need not be living in this state on the date of application to qualify for benefits from the department.

45.02(4) (4) If the department determines that a person applying for a benefit under this chapter meets the residency requirement under sub. (2) (c), the department may not require the person to reestablish that he or she meets that residency requirement when he or she later applies for any other benefit under this chapter that requires that residency.

45.02 History History: 2005 a. 22; 2013 a. 20.

45.03 45.03 Department of veterans affairs.

45.03(1) (1) Policy. It is the policy of the state to give health, educational, and economic assistance to veterans and their dependents who are residents of this state to the extent and under the conditions determined by the board within the limitations set forth in this section.

45.03(2) (2) Rule-making; records. The secretary, after consulting with the board, may promulgate rules necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter and the powers and duties conferred upon it. The records and files of the department of military affairs and of any other state department or officer shall, upon request, be made available to the secretary or to the board.

45.03(2m) (2m) Rule-making; board comments. The secretary shall provide the board with a copy of any rule that the department is preparing as a proposed rule under s. 227.14 (1). The board may prepare a report containing written comments and its opinion regarding the proposed rule. In preparing the proposed rule, the department shall include in the analysis under s. 227.14 (2) a copy of any such written comments and opinion.

45.03(3) (3) Council on veterans programs.

45.03(3)(a) (a) The council on veterans programs created under s. 15.497 shall advise the board and the department on solutions and policy alternatives relating to the problems of veterans.

45.03(3)(b) (b) The council on veterans programs and the department, jointly or separately, shall submit a report regarding the council on veterans programs to the chief clerk of each house of the legislature for distribution to the legislature under s. 13.172 (2) by September 30 of every odd-numbered year. The report shall include a general summary of the activities and membership over the past 2 years of the council and each organization on the council.

45.03(4) (4) Department staff.

45.03(4)(a) (a) The department shall employ staff necessary to carry out its functions. The secretary shall appoint under the classified service such persons as are necessary to carry out the policy of the department. All persons appointed by the department shall, if possible, be veterans and preference shall be given to disabled veterans.