WOMEN VETERANS RECOGNITION DAY                                                         H.B. 4555:

                                                                              SUMMARY OF HOUSE-PASSED BILL

                                                                                                         IN COMMITTEE

House Bill 4555 (as passed by the House)

Sponsor:  Representative Julie M. Rogers

House Committee:  Military, Veterans and Homeland Security

Senate Committee:  Veterans and Emergency Services

Date Completed:  6-6-23

CONTENT

The bill would enact a new law to declare June 12 of each year as "Women Veterans Recognition Day", in recognition of women veterans.

The bill includes a legislative finding that women have served in roles that include the following:

-- Soldiers, disguised as men, during the American Revolution and the American Civil War.

-- Nurses in World War I.

-- Combat helicopter pilots in Afghanistan.

The bill also includes the following legislative findings about the history of women serving in the Armed Forces:

-- Women have served as an informal part of the Armed Forces since its inception. They have also served as a formal part of the United States Armed Forces since the establishment of the Army Nurse Corps in 1901.

-- In 1917, the United States Navy announced it would allow women to enlist. During World War I, approximately 12,000 women served in the United States Navy as couriers and translators among other roles. By 1945, the end of World War II, there were approximately 280,000 women in the United States Armed Forces.

-- Women were permitted to serve as permanent members of the United States Armed Forces with the enactment of the Women's Armed Services Integration Act of 1948, but the Federal law restricted women to not more than 2% of the enlisted force for each branch of the United States Armed Forces. A subsequent act in 1967 lifted the restriction and allowed women to achieve higher military rank.

-- Laws passed since the 1970s have formally granted veteran status to women with World War II service; have recognized the many contributions made by women veterans; and have allowed women veterans more equal status and access to benefits, opportunities,
and programs from the federal government, state governments, and veteran service organizations.

-- More than 2.0 million women veterans live in the United States, and approximately 48,000 women veterans reside in Michigan.

FISCAL IMPACT

The bill would have no fiscal impact on State or local government.

                                                                                  Legislative Analyst:  Alex Krabill

                                                                                 Fiscal Analyst:  Joe Carrasco, Jr.

This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.