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DELAWARE VETERANS’ MILITARY PAY COMMISSION/
JOINT VETERANS’ CLAIMS COMMITTEE
In 1949 the Delaware Veterans’ Military Pay Commission was created to carry out the provisions of the “Veterans’ Military Pay Act.” This act provided for and adopted general rules for the making of payments to persons who served in the Armed Forces of the United States from September 16, 1940 to June 30, 1946. Rules were also established to enable designation of beneficiaries of such persons. The commission consisted of four members appointed by the governor. Eight million five hundred dollars was appropriated to fulfill the obligations of this act with the governor, the state treasurer, and the secretary of state being authorized to issue bonds. The act designated that this commission would cease to exist on June 30, 1951.¹
On July 14, 1955 the “Veterans’ Military Pay Act No. II” reactivated the Delaware Veterans’ Military Pay Commission through June 30, 1957. Under this act, eligible veterans who served in the Korean War from June 25, 1950 to January 31, 1955 could petition the commission for cash bonus payments. Three million five hundred thousand dollars was appropriated through the sale of bonds to carry out the provisions of this act.² In November of 1955 an act was passed to appropriate additional funds in order to pay certain valid claims of World War II veterans whose original commission before the stated deadline. The General Assembly felt that those who served their country and their state should not be deprived of their bonus payment solely because they filed late. Claimants under this act were required to file before January 30, 1957.³ In March of 1957 two acts were passed to extend the expiration date of filing petitions for claims of World War II and Korean War veterans to the Pay Commission under the Military Pay Act II. Under these acts the time limit for filing claims was extended to June 30, 1958.⁴
In 1961 a Joint Veterans’ Claims Committee was established consisting of the members of the claims committee of both the House of Representatives and the Senate of the 121st General Assembly. The purpose of the committee was to investigate and pay valid claims of veterans from World War II and Korean War which were disallowed due to the lapse of the Military Pay Commission. The committee was authorized and directed to make payments to those eligible veterans barred solely by their failure to meet the 1958 deadline.⁵
The Veterans’ Military Pay Act No. III created a Military Pay Commission in 1968 to provide bonus payments to persons who served in the Armed Forces from August 5, 1964 through the end of the Vietnam War. The recreated commission had five members. The executive director of the commission was the state archivist who, with the approval of the Commission, had the power and duty to carry out the provisions of this act relating to payments to veterans and beneficiaries. Three million five hundred thousand dollars was appropriated. All money received from the sale of “Delaware Veterans Bonus Bonds of 1967” was set aside to carry out the provisions of this act. The commission was to report annually to the governor and the General Assembly. Within one year after the termination of the commission a final report was to be submitted by the commission to the governor and to the executive director of the Legislative Reference Bureau for transmission to the General Assembly.⁶ The governmental reorganization of 1969-1970 placed the responsibility for administering this act within the newly created Department of Finance. In 1974 this act was amended to permit no payments after June 30, 1974.⁷ However, additional funds were appropriated in 1975 to extend payments under the Veterans’ Military Pay Act III until June 30th of that year.⁸ In 1976 another supplementary appropriation was granted to cover claims made through June 30, 1977.⁹ In 1978 funds were appropriated for the last time to the Department of Finance for the payment of claims relating to “Veterans’ Military Pay” for specifically named persons.¹⁰

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DELAWARE VETERANS’ MILITARY PAY COMMISSION/
JOINT VETERANS’ CLAIMS COMMITTEE

¹ 47 DL, ch. 360.

² 50 DL, ch. 449.

³ 50 DL, ch. 535.

⁴ 51 DL, ch. 23, 24.

⁵ 53 DL, ch. 82.

⁶ 56 DL, ch. 535.

⁷ 59 DL, ch. 237.

⁸ 60 DL, ch. 26.

⁹ 60 DL, ch. 710.

¹⁰ 61 DL, ch. 324.
mm; (rewritten 7/6/88); September 12, 1988; November 9, 1988; December 30, 1988