Current Legislative Issues & Resources

Aligning Veteran Recognition for NOAA & USPHS Officers
(HB 5262 • HB 5278 • HB 5279 • HB 5280)
THE ISSUE
United States Code, Title 38 (38 USC) - Veterans Benefits, recognizes certain commissioned officers of the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as veterans, but Michigan law does not - creating gaps in recognition and benefits. To address this issue, the following House Bills were introduced and referred to the House Committee on Government Operations in November 2025:
  • HB 5262 - A bill to amend Act 190 of 1965, Uniformity of Service Dates, to include commissioned officers of NOAA and USPHS as a class of veterans as defined in Title 38
  • HB 5278 - A bill to amend Act 222 of 1972, State Personal Identification Card
  • HB 5279 - A bill to amend Act 300 of 1949, Michigan Vehicle Code
  • HB 5280 - A bill to amend Act 281 of 1967, Income Tax Act of 1967​ ​​
There is opposition from some quarters to the bills relying on revising the definition of "veteran", but little to no opposition to HB 5280, which does not rely on re-defining the word "veteran" as proposed by HB 5262. Therefore, our efforts are best targeted at passage of HB 5280.   CLICK HERE to engage.