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HB05297 • 2026

AN ACT CONCERNING QUALIFIED VETERANS' CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS AND THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS INTERNET WEB SITE.

AN ACT CONCERNING QUALIFIED VETERANS' CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS AND THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS INTERNET WEB SITE.

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Veterans' and Military Affairs Committee
Last action
2026-02-20
Official status
Public Hearing 02/24
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The effective date of this act has been set but specific actions and timelines are not detailed in the official source material.

Act About Veterans' Charities and Website

This act requires the Commissioner of Veterans Affairs to annually solicit applications from organizations for inclusion on an online list of qualified veterans' charitable organizations.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the Commissioner of Veterans Affairs to publish a list of qualified veterans' charitable organizations on the Department's website.
  • The commissioner must annually solicit applications from potential organizations and review them for inclusion.
  • Organizations applying or reapplying must provide information about their status and any additional details needed by the commissioner.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Commissioner of Veterans Affairs
  • Veterans' charitable organizations seeking inclusion in the list

Terms To Know

Qualified veterans' charitable organization
An organization that provides services or support to veterans and meets certain criteria set by law.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify the exact details of how organizations will be reviewed for inclusion.
  • It is unclear what happens if an organization fails to meet the qualifications after being included on the list.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-20 Connecticut General Assembly

    Public Hearing 02/24

  2. 2026-02-19 Connecticut General Assembly

    Referred to Joint Committee on Veterans' and Military Affairs

Official Summary Text

To require the Commissioner of Veterans Affairs to annually solicit organizations for inclusion on the list of qualified veterans' charitable organizations published on the Internet web site of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
LCO No. 1564 1 of 2

General Assembly Raised Bill No. 5297
February Session, 2026 LCO No. 1564

Referred to Committee on VETERANS' AND MILITARY
AFFAIRS

Introduced by:
(VA)

AN ACT CONCERNING QUALIFIED VETERANS' CHARITABLE
ORGANIZATIONS AND THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
INTERNET WEB SITE.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. Subsection (b) of section 27 -100f of the general statutes is 1
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 2
1, 2026): 3
(b) On and after July 1, 2013, the Commissioner of Veterans Affairs, 4
or the commissioner's designee, shall, within available appropriations, 5
publish a list of qualified veterans' charitable organizations. The 6
commissioner shall place any qualified veterans' charitable organization 7
on such list for a period of three years. Organizations may apply and 8
reapply to the commissioner for inclusion on [the list by submitting ] 9
such list, and the commissioner shall annually solicit such applications 10
and reapplications from organizations that the commissioner deems 11
likely to qualify for such inclusion. Each o rganization so applying or 12
reapplying shall submit to the commissioner, in a form and manner 13
prescribed by the commissioner, information regarding such 14

Raised Bill No. 5297

LCO No. 1564 2 of 2

organization's status [to the commissioner, on a form prescribed by the 15
commissioner,] and any additional information the commissioner 16
deems necessary to determine whether such organization constitutes a 17
qualified veterans' charitable organization. A qualified veterans' 18
charitable organization is one which: (1) Holds itself out to be 19
established for any benevolent, educational, philanthropic, humane, 20
scientific, patriotic, social welfare or advocacy purpose relating to or on 21
behalf of veterans; and (2) has been either (A) a nonstock corporation, 22
organized under chapter 602, or any predecessor thereto, for three or 23
more years, or (B) a tax exempt organization under Section 501(c) of the 24
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or any subsequent corresponding 25
internal revenue code of the United States, as amended from time to 26
time, for three or more consecutive years. The list of qualified veterans' 27
charitable organizations, a link to each such organization's Internet web 28
site [,] and the qualifications for inclusion on such list , as set forth in 29
subdivisions (1) and (2) of this subsection, shall be published on the 30
informational Internet web site established in this section and shall bear 31
a disclaimer as follows: "This list is prepared for the public solely for the 32
purpose of information. The state of Connecticut provides no warranty 33
about the content or accuracy of the content herein.". 34
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:

Section 1 October 1, 2026 27-100f(b)

Statement of Purpose:
To require the Commissioner of Veterans Affairs to annually solicit
organizations for inclusion on the list of qualified veterans' charitable
organizations published on the Internet web site of the Department of
Veterans Affairs.

[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
underlined.]