The bill (S1576), filed by Senator Stephen Panagiotakos (D-Lowell), was engrossed by the House of Representatives in December and now awaits action before the Senate. Panagiotakos filed the bill on behalf of Lowell Retirement Board member Joseph Mahoney and Lowell retiree Don Carroll. Both men have spent the past several years lobbying towards the bill's passage.

Lowell's contingent of retirees has been joined by disability retirees from across the state, who despite being veterans, have been left out of receiving the veterans bonus granted to superannuation retirees. The bonus, which is built into a retiree's pension, is based on $15 a year for each year of creditable service, up to a maximum of $300 a year.

Like Mahoney and Don Carroll, Joe Roselli, an elected member of the Arlington Retirement Board, has also been pushing to include disability retirees under the veteran's benefit. "It is not right...all veterans should be treated equally," said Roselli. "We are very pleased that the Legislature is now moving to correct this injustice."

The Association's legislative team is working with Senate leaders in an attempt to expedite passage of the S1576 before spring.