Pennsylvania Act 2000-40 — MILITARY AND VETERANS CODE (51 PA.C.S.) - AMEND

Act text

MILITARY AND VETERANS CODE (51 PA.C.S.) - AMEND
                  Act of Jun. 22, 2000, P.L. 343, No. 40              Cl. 51
                             Session of 2000
                               No. 2000-40

     HB 30

                                  AN ACT

     Amending Title 51 (Military Affairs) of the Pennsylvania
        Consolidated Statutes, providing for halls of fame in
        veterans' homes.

        The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
     hereby enacts as follows:

        Section 1.  Title 51 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
     Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:
      § 1705.  Veterans' home hall of fame.
        (a)  General rule.--Each veterans' home operated by the
     Commonwealth shall establish and dedicate a hall of fame to
     recognize and honor the military achievements of outstanding
     veterans who have completed honorable, active duty military
     service and who reside or resided in the geographic region
     served by the veterans' home. The area or space in the veterans'
     home dedicated to the hall of fame may be used for other
     purposes.
        (b)  Selection of inductees.--The advisory council for each
     veterans' home shall, consistent with the guidelines established
     by the commission in subsection (c), nominate eligible veterans
     for induction into the hall of fame by the commission and
     perform such other duties relating to the hall of fame as
     approved by the commission. Any Medal of Honor recipient shall
     be automatically inducted into the hall of fame.
        (c)  Oversight.--The commission shall develop guidelines for
     the halls of fame. The guidelines shall include, but not be
     limited to:
            (1)  Eligibility criteria for qualified candidates.
            (2)  Procedures for nomination of candidates and
        selection of inductees.
            (3)  Ceremonies to officially honor the inductees.
            (4)  Manner of recognizing or presenting the inductees in
        the halls of fame.
            (5)  Maintenance of the halls of fame.
            (6)  Duties of the advisory councils of the veterans'
        homes relating to the halls of fame.
        (d)  Documentation.--Each eligible veteran or his or her
     representative shall be responsible for obtaining the
     documentation necessary to establish his or her eligibility from
     the National Archives in Washington, D.C., or the National
     Personnel Record Center in St. Louis, Missouri.
        (e)  Centralized list.--The State Veterans' Commission shall
     keep a centralized list of all hall of fame inductees from all
     regional veterans' homes.
        Section 2.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.

     APPROVED--The 22nd day of June, A. D. 2000.

     THOMAS J. RIDGE