BOSTON — The Massachusetts Senate Committee on Ways and Means, which includes Westford’s state senator John Cronin, announced that they recently voted in favor of legislation to support the families of military servicemembers based in Massachusetts, in order to help drive federal investment in the local economy.
This newly proposed legislation, which includes Senate Bill S.2676 and Senate Bill S.2675, will prioritize the education of children with a parent or guardian in the military and promote public safety around military installations, as well as make a technical clarification to the National Guard chain-of-command structure to bring Massachusetts’ statutes in line with language used by the vast majority of other states.
The Committee on Ways and Means voted 16-0 to advance each bill on Oct. 30.
This legislation was passed shortly before Veterans’ Day and amid the ongoing federal government shutdown, which has resulted in a freeze in federal funds flowing to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP.
On Oct. 27, the Westford Veterans Services Department announced that SNAP benefits were expected to run out on Nov. 1, as a result of the government shutdown.
“Veterans receiving SNAP benefits should look to the veterans non-profit pantries, such as Clear Path for Veterans in Devens and Methuen, along with Veterans Northeast in Haverhill,” the Veterans Services Department said.
The Veterans Services Department encouraged all veterans seeking assistance to reach out to their office at 978-399-2328.
