Final Overview & Statement - January 14, 2026
CAVWV report submited by member Scott Walker - not discussed and omitted from the offacial record
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Audio File - duration - 16:30
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CAVWV Balanced Analysis Report - November 2026
submitted by member Scott Walker - not discussed and omitted from the offical record.
| cavwv_report.pdf |
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Executive Brief
Report & Analysis
Addenda
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MDVA Draft Protocol which was discussed and became the focus of all the remaining meetings - submitted for final approval and passed
on a 7-3-3 vote at the Task Force last, Meeting 8
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MDVA Text of Protocol
The Advisory Task Force’s recommendations Draft Protocol & Eligibility Criteria Language:
Eligibility for State Veterans Benefits and Privileges Protocol – Veterans of the Secret War in Laos
This protocol establishes procedures for determining eligibility for state veterans benefits and privileges for Veterans of the Secret War in Laos.
Eligibility for benefits under this section require the applicant to pre-file for burial with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemetery Administration. The applicant must complete VA Form VA40-10007, “Application for Pre-Need Determination of Eligibility for Burial in a VA National Cemetery.” The registration number will be used by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to retrieve the applicant’s naturalization records for determination by the Federal VA.
Minnesota County Veteran Service Officers or the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs must assist applicants in completing VA Form VA40-10007. Copies of this form will be available on the department website and at department offices.
After the Federal VA determines eligibility, the applicant must provide a copy of the determination to the department. Upon verification, the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs will issue the applicant a Certificate of Eligibility qualifying them for state veterans benefits and privileges.
Special Consideration by the Commissioner
If an applicant does not receive a positive determination from the Federal VA, they may request Special Consideration by the Commissioner Applications for Special Consideration must follow the prescribed process by the Commissioner.
Applicable forms and the submission process will be available on the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs website and in person at the offices of the department.
For Special Consideration, the applicant must submit the following:
(1) the denial notice from the Federal VA, and
(2) at least two different forms of documentation supporting the claim of Veteran status. Acceptable documentation may include:
(1) original service-related documents;
(2) an affidavit from a commissioned officer, non-commissioned officer, or other member of the applicant’s chain of command with direct knowledge of the applicant’s service;
(3) two affidavits from individuals who served with the applicant in a special guerrilla unit or irregular forces, and have personal knowledge of the applicant’s service; or
(4) other appropriate proof as determined by the Commissioner, including but not limited to: a. Photographs taken during their service in Laos as SGU members.
b. Newspaper articles (published, written, or digital) featuring or quoting their service as SGU veterans or irregular forces.
c. Certificates of membership from recognized veterans’ organizations, such as the Lao-Hmong American Coalition, Lao Veterans of America, SGU Veterans and Families of USA, Inc., Royal Lao Armed Forces and SGU, etc.
d. Congressional recognition certificates.
e. Certificates of training (including from Thailand).
f. Letters of commendation.
g. Additional affidavit from either a U.S. Intelligence Case Officer or someone in the chain of honor. g. Other relevant supporting documents.
Determination of an applicant’s eligibility for special consideration requires the Commissioner to evaluate the authenticity and consistency of all submitted documentation and may also review records maintained by organizations that track SGU or Irregular Force Veterans.
Within 90 days of receiving a completed application and supporting documentation, the Commissioner will issue a determination of eligibility, determination of denial, or request additional information from the applicant. Applications will remain open until a final determination is issued. If the Commissioner determines that the applicant qualifies as a Veteran of the Secret War in Laos, the Commissioner will issue a Certificate of Eligibility recognizing the applicant’s status for state veteran benefits and privileges.
Appeals of Special Consideration Determinations
If the Commissioner denies issuance of a Certificate of Eligibility, the applicant may submit a written request for a contested case hearing to challenge the determination of Veteran status. The request must be filed within 60 days from the date of the denial notice and must state the specific reasons for contesting the determination.
Contested case hearings will be conducted in accordance with the procedures established in Minnesota Statutes sections 14.57 through 14.62.
Deadline for Application
Applications for eligibility determinations will be accepted until December 31, 2030.
Eligibility for State Veterans Benefits and Privileges Protocol – Veterans of the Secret War in Laos
This protocol establishes procedures for determining eligibility for state veterans benefits and privileges for Veterans of the Secret War in Laos.
Eligibility for benefits under this section require the applicant to pre-file for burial with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemetery Administration. The applicant must complete VA Form VA40-10007, “Application for Pre-Need Determination of Eligibility for Burial in a VA National Cemetery.” The registration number will be used by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to retrieve the applicant’s naturalization records for determination by the Federal VA.
Minnesota County Veteran Service Officers or the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs must assist applicants in completing VA Form VA40-10007. Copies of this form will be available on the department website and at department offices.
After the Federal VA determines eligibility, the applicant must provide a copy of the determination to the department. Upon verification, the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs will issue the applicant a Certificate of Eligibility qualifying them for state veterans benefits and privileges.
Special Consideration by the Commissioner
If an applicant does not receive a positive determination from the Federal VA, they may request Special Consideration by the Commissioner Applications for Special Consideration must follow the prescribed process by the Commissioner.
Applicable forms and the submission process will be available on the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs website and in person at the offices of the department.
For Special Consideration, the applicant must submit the following:
(1) the denial notice from the Federal VA, and
(2) at least two different forms of documentation supporting the claim of Veteran status. Acceptable documentation may include:
(1) original service-related documents;
(2) an affidavit from a commissioned officer, non-commissioned officer, or other member of the applicant’s chain of command with direct knowledge of the applicant’s service;
(3) two affidavits from individuals who served with the applicant in a special guerrilla unit or irregular forces, and have personal knowledge of the applicant’s service; or
(4) other appropriate proof as determined by the Commissioner, including but not limited to: a. Photographs taken during their service in Laos as SGU members.
b. Newspaper articles (published, written, or digital) featuring or quoting their service as SGU veterans or irregular forces.
c. Certificates of membership from recognized veterans’ organizations, such as the Lao-Hmong American Coalition, Lao Veterans of America, SGU Veterans and Families of USA, Inc., Royal Lao Armed Forces and SGU, etc.
d. Congressional recognition certificates.
e. Certificates of training (including from Thailand).
f. Letters of commendation.
g. Additional affidavit from either a U.S. Intelligence Case Officer or someone in the chain of honor. g. Other relevant supporting documents.
Determination of an applicant’s eligibility for special consideration requires the Commissioner to evaluate the authenticity and consistency of all submitted documentation and may also review records maintained by organizations that track SGU or Irregular Force Veterans.
Within 90 days of receiving a completed application and supporting documentation, the Commissioner will issue a determination of eligibility, determination of denial, or request additional information from the applicant. Applications will remain open until a final determination is issued. If the Commissioner determines that the applicant qualifies as a Veteran of the Secret War in Laos, the Commissioner will issue a Certificate of Eligibility recognizing the applicant’s status for state veteran benefits and privileges.
Appeals of Special Consideration Determinations
If the Commissioner denies issuance of a Certificate of Eligibility, the applicant may submit a written request for a contested case hearing to challenge the determination of Veteran status. The request must be filed within 60 days from the date of the denial notice and must state the specific reasons for contesting the determination.
Contested case hearings will be conducted in accordance with the procedures established in Minnesota Statutes sections 14.57 through 14.62.
Deadline for Application
Applications for eligibility determinations will be accepted until December 31, 2030.
Protocol Vote
Yes
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No
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Absent
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Minority Report Motion
Motion made by Member Scott Walker to provide a minority report to the Commisioner and State Legislature.
Motion discussed but failed,
Vote 8 to 2, - 3 absent
Task Force Adjourned
Motion to Pause Task Force Report and Protocol - Meeting 4- Failed
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Audio file duration - 1:45
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To Pause Task Force Protocol Report and Advise a Pause in Implementation
Motion to Pause Protocol Report and Advise Legislative and Administrative Pause
I move that the Minnesota Advisory Task Force recommend that the MDVA Commissioner and the Minnesota Legislature be advised to pause the implementation of any protocols or the codification of eligibility protocols under Minnesota Statute §197.448, pending resolution of identified structural and verification deficiencies.
This motion is based on the following factual findings established in the Task Force record:
Given these unresolved issues, proceeding with protocol development or implementation risks inconsistent administration, inequitable outcomes among similarly situated allied veterans, heightened fraud exposure, and downstream controversy affecting public confidence in Minnesota’s veterans benefits framework.
Accordingly, the Task Force should advise that implementation of §197.448 be paused until these deficiencies can be remedied through clear definitions, credible verification standards, and appropriate safeguards that are consistent with historical reality, equal treatment principles, and long-term administrative sustainability.
Motion to Pause Protocol Report and Advise Legislative and Administrative Pause
I move that the Minnesota Advisory Task Force recommend that the MDVA Commissioner and the Minnesota Legislature be advised to pause the implementation of any protocols or the codification of eligibility protocols under Minnesota Statute §197.448, pending resolution of identified structural and verification deficiencies.
This motion is based on the following factual findings established in the Task Force record:
- Public Law 106-207 identifies only Lao Hmong SGU Veterans for immigration relief and does not identify or verify other foreign irregular veterans, including other Lao, Vietnamese, Khmer, or other allied forces, who operated in Laos or supported U.S. government-directed military or national security operations during the Secret War in Laos and Vietnam War period.
- Minnesota Statute §197.448 mirrors this limitation in subdivision (1), while subdivision (2) relies on undefined terms, such as “special guerrilla unit,” “irregular forces,” “base in Laos,” and “in support of the armed forces of the United States”, that lack sufficient clarity for consistent and equitable adjudication.
- The statute and draft Task Force protocol apply less stringent verification standards to foreign allied veterans than are required of U.S. veterans for comparable state benefits and privileges, including veterans' preference in public employment and permissive preference in private employment.
- The current framework omits recognized categories of allied service, including Lao and Hmong T-28 pilots and other operational roles, despite their documented participation in U.S.-directed wartime operations.
- Public Law 106-207 was not designed as a service-verification statute and does not reliably identify SGU or irregular service in support of U.S. foreign policy or national security objectives during the Vietnam War, creating a weak and incomplete foundation for state veteran-status determinations.
- The Task Force draft protocol does not incorporate any structured, hierarchical verification mechanism comparable to the CAVWV Letter of Certification framework and which despite evidence in the record that such a framework has already been accepted by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs for SGU burial determinations in record-scarce environments.
Given these unresolved issues, proceeding with protocol development or implementation risks inconsistent administration, inequitable outcomes among similarly situated allied veterans, heightened fraud exposure, and downstream controversy affecting public confidence in Minnesota’s veterans benefits framework.
Accordingly, the Task Force should advise that implementation of §197.448 be paused until these deficiencies can be remedied through clear definitions, credible verification standards, and appropriate safeguards that are consistent with historical reality, equal treatment principles, and long-term administrative sustainability.
Re-framing Minnesota Statute 197.448
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Audio file duration - 5:00
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Re-framing Minnesota Statute §197.448
The statute and draft protocol before the Task Force appear to reflect a limited operational framing of U.S. involvement in Indochina during the Vietnam War period, principally a Laos-centric and SGU-centric understanding, without fully accounting for the broader range of U.S. government-directed military and national security operations conducted across Laos, South Vietnam, Cambodia, and North Vietnam, including interagency and cross-border activities under MACVSOG and related authorities. This narrowing effect is most plausibly explained not by intent, but by knowledge-boundary constraints inherent in legislating complex, historically covert operations decades after the fact. However, when such constraints are not acknowledged and remedied through clearer definitions, verification standards, and inclusive scope analysis, the resulting framework risks repeating governance errors seen in other contexts, namely, incomplete eligibility criteria, inconsistent adjudication, and downstream controversy once implementation begins. The Task Force record should therefore reflect the need for further historical and operational grounding before finalizing protocols that confer high-salience veterans' benefits.
This issue isn’t about any one community or intent; it’s about how states sometimes struggle to legislate accurately when dealing with complex, covert history. The Vietnam-era conflict in Indochina involved multiple U.S.-directed operations across several countries and agencies, many of which were deliberately undocumented. Minnesota’s current framework appears to rely on a narrow historical lens that doesn’t fully capture that complexity. When laws are built on an incomplete scope, especially when they involve employment preferences and other tangible benefits, states risk the same kinds of implementation problems seen elsewhere: uneven treatment, verification gaps, and loss of public confidence. The responsible response isn’t blame; it’s to pause, broaden the factual foundation, and get the definitions and safeguards right before moving forward.
Proposed amendment to — Minnesota Statutes §197.448
Proposed Amendment to Minn. Stat. § 197.448, Subd. 1
An act relating to veterans; clarifying the definition of veteran of the Secret War in Laos to promote inclusive recognition of allied service, address Task Force challenges, incorporate ignored expert input, and mitigate equity concerns; amending Minnesota Statutes 2025, section 197.448, subdivision 1.
WHEREAS, the Secret War in Laos (February 28, 1961, to May 14, 1975) involved diverse allied forces—including special guerrilla units, irregular forces, Royal Lao Air Force pilots (such as T-28 operators), and other ethnic groups (Hmong, Lao Loum, Lao Theung, Khmer, Thai, Vietnamese, Montagnard)—who supported United States efforts at great personal risk and sacrifice; and
WHEREAS, Minnesota Statutes, section 197.448 (enacted in 2025, Laws 2025, Chapter 30, Article 2, Section 9) expanded veteran recognition for these allies but contains ambiguities in terms such as “operated from a base in Laos” and “irregular forces,” and over relies on the federal Hmong Veterans’ Naturalization Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-207) as a primary proxy, potentially excluding legitimate veterans who staged from adjacent countries (e.g., Thailand for training and missions) or served in non-Hmong capacities; and
WHEREAS, the Veterans of Special Guerrilla Units and Irregular Forces in Laos Advisory Task Force, established under the 2025 law to recommend eligibility criteria and verification protocols, faced significant challenges including initial inability to fill statutory membership leading to delays (first meeting canceled due to incomplete roster), exclusion of highly knowledgeable non-Minnesota residents with direct expertise, imbalanced composition creating conflicts of interest (Hmong legislator as Chair and MDVA representative as Vice Chair controlling direction, majority Hmong-affiliated or legislative members, limited non-Hmong/non-veteran input), procedural issues (rejected motion to return ambiguities to the Legislature for clarification, constrained discussion of external analyses), and suppression of dissent (motion to offer a minority report voted down after majority protocol adoption); and
WHEREAS, the Coalition of Allied Vietnam War Veterans (CAVWV) submitted its “CAVWV Report & Analysis” on Identifying Irregular Veterans of Laos (SGU)” (November 2025) via Task Force member Scott Walker, critiquing circular dependencies, federal process flaws (credibility-based humanitarian decisions not equating military verification, Chenery doctrine violations), exclusion of ~70% non-Hmong forces, and proposing a state “Chain-of-Honor” verification model (sequential corroboration via sworn claimant affidavits), SGU officer confirmations, retired CIA veteran authentication of officer reliability under EO 13526 without classified disclosure, historical consistency checks, board oversight by historians/SGU officers/CIA retirees/legal experts, and antifraud safeguards including perjury penalties, audits, no referee compensation, and cross-corroboration), yet the report was never formally discussed, entered into the official record, or substantively addressed during meetings (though MDVA legal counsel reviewed it and identified no factual deficiencies); and
WHEREAS, these Task Force challenges and the sidelining of CAVWV’s expert input—combined with the original statute’s ambiguities—have complicated verification, risked inequitable access to state benefits (such as veterans’ designations, preference, cemeteries, and honor guards), and limited full honoring of all contributors to U.S. objectives in Southeast Asia; and
WHEREAS, the statute’s two-tier eligibility structure and ethnic/operational limitations may raise constitutional equity concerns under Minnesota Constitution Article I, Section 2 (guaranteeing rights and privileges without deprivation except by due process, interpreted as embodying equal protection principles synonymous with the Fourteenth Amendment), including potential unequal treatment among similarly situated Secret War veterans based on ethnicity, naturalization status, or base location, without sufficient rational basis, thereby risking challenges to the law’s fairness and enforceability; and
WHEREAS, clarifying the definition will enable a fairer, more evidence-based eligibility process, respect the covert nature of operations and scarcity of formal records, incorporate broader expertise such as that provided by CAVWV (including recommendations for independent state verification beyond federal proxies), remedy the inequities identified through the Task Force experience, and better align with constitutional principles of equal protection;
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2025, section 197.448, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
Subdivision 1. Definition. “Veteran of the Secret War in Laos” means a Minnesota resident who:
(1) was naturalized under section 2(1) of the federal Hmong Veterans’ Naturalization Act of 2000, Public Law 106-207; or
(1a) was naturalized under any federal immigration relief program for Southeast Asia service in support of the President of the United States foreign policy objectives during the Vietnam War era (February 28, 1961, to May 14, 1975), including Royal Lao Air Force pilots (e.g., T-28 operators) or other allied personnel; or
(2) served honorably in any capacity with a special guerrilla unit, irregular forces, or allied regular or paramilitary forces (including Royal Lao Air Force units and other ethnic groups such as Hmong, Lao Loum, Lao Theung, Khmer, Thai, Vietnamese, and Montagnard) that conducted operations within Laos or operated from a base in Laos or from bases in adjacent countries (including Thailand, Cambodia, or Vietnam) in direct support of operations within Laos, in support of the mutual interests of the President of the United States and The King of Laos between February 28, 1961, and May 14, 1975, and is a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident.
“Honorably” means service without desertion, mutiny, or other disqualifying misconduct, as shown by affidavits, witness statements, historical records, photographs, or other credible evidence acceptable to the commissioner, considering the covert nature of the operations.
Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.
The statute and draft protocol before the Task Force appear to reflect a limited operational framing of U.S. involvement in Indochina during the Vietnam War period, principally a Laos-centric and SGU-centric understanding, without fully accounting for the broader range of U.S. government-directed military and national security operations conducted across Laos, South Vietnam, Cambodia, and North Vietnam, including interagency and cross-border activities under MACVSOG and related authorities. This narrowing effect is most plausibly explained not by intent, but by knowledge-boundary constraints inherent in legislating complex, historically covert operations decades after the fact. However, when such constraints are not acknowledged and remedied through clearer definitions, verification standards, and inclusive scope analysis, the resulting framework risks repeating governance errors seen in other contexts, namely, incomplete eligibility criteria, inconsistent adjudication, and downstream controversy once implementation begins. The Task Force record should therefore reflect the need for further historical and operational grounding before finalizing protocols that confer high-salience veterans' benefits.
This issue isn’t about any one community or intent; it’s about how states sometimes struggle to legislate accurately when dealing with complex, covert history. The Vietnam-era conflict in Indochina involved multiple U.S.-directed operations across several countries and agencies, many of which were deliberately undocumented. Minnesota’s current framework appears to rely on a narrow historical lens that doesn’t fully capture that complexity. When laws are built on an incomplete scope, especially when they involve employment preferences and other tangible benefits, states risk the same kinds of implementation problems seen elsewhere: uneven treatment, verification gaps, and loss of public confidence. The responsible response isn’t blame; it’s to pause, broaden the factual foundation, and get the definitions and safeguards right before moving forward.
Proposed amendment to — Minnesota Statutes §197.448
Proposed Amendment to Minn. Stat. § 197.448, Subd. 1
An act relating to veterans; clarifying the definition of veteran of the Secret War in Laos to promote inclusive recognition of allied service, address Task Force challenges, incorporate ignored expert input, and mitigate equity concerns; amending Minnesota Statutes 2025, section 197.448, subdivision 1.
WHEREAS, the Secret War in Laos (February 28, 1961, to May 14, 1975) involved diverse allied forces—including special guerrilla units, irregular forces, Royal Lao Air Force pilots (such as T-28 operators), and other ethnic groups (Hmong, Lao Loum, Lao Theung, Khmer, Thai, Vietnamese, Montagnard)—who supported United States efforts at great personal risk and sacrifice; and
WHEREAS, Minnesota Statutes, section 197.448 (enacted in 2025, Laws 2025, Chapter 30, Article 2, Section 9) expanded veteran recognition for these allies but contains ambiguities in terms such as “operated from a base in Laos” and “irregular forces,” and over relies on the federal Hmong Veterans’ Naturalization Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-207) as a primary proxy, potentially excluding legitimate veterans who staged from adjacent countries (e.g., Thailand for training and missions) or served in non-Hmong capacities; and
WHEREAS, the Veterans of Special Guerrilla Units and Irregular Forces in Laos Advisory Task Force, established under the 2025 law to recommend eligibility criteria and verification protocols, faced significant challenges including initial inability to fill statutory membership leading to delays (first meeting canceled due to incomplete roster), exclusion of highly knowledgeable non-Minnesota residents with direct expertise, imbalanced composition creating conflicts of interest (Hmong legislator as Chair and MDVA representative as Vice Chair controlling direction, majority Hmong-affiliated or legislative members, limited non-Hmong/non-veteran input), procedural issues (rejected motion to return ambiguities to the Legislature for clarification, constrained discussion of external analyses), and suppression of dissent (motion to offer a minority report voted down after majority protocol adoption); and
WHEREAS, the Coalition of Allied Vietnam War Veterans (CAVWV) submitted its “CAVWV Report & Analysis” on Identifying Irregular Veterans of Laos (SGU)” (November 2025) via Task Force member Scott Walker, critiquing circular dependencies, federal process flaws (credibility-based humanitarian decisions not equating military verification, Chenery doctrine violations), exclusion of ~70% non-Hmong forces, and proposing a state “Chain-of-Honor” verification model (sequential corroboration via sworn claimant affidavits), SGU officer confirmations, retired CIA veteran authentication of officer reliability under EO 13526 without classified disclosure, historical consistency checks, board oversight by historians/SGU officers/CIA retirees/legal experts, and antifraud safeguards including perjury penalties, audits, no referee compensation, and cross-corroboration), yet the report was never formally discussed, entered into the official record, or substantively addressed during meetings (though MDVA legal counsel reviewed it and identified no factual deficiencies); and
WHEREAS, these Task Force challenges and the sidelining of CAVWV’s expert input—combined with the original statute’s ambiguities—have complicated verification, risked inequitable access to state benefits (such as veterans’ designations, preference, cemeteries, and honor guards), and limited full honoring of all contributors to U.S. objectives in Southeast Asia; and
WHEREAS, the statute’s two-tier eligibility structure and ethnic/operational limitations may raise constitutional equity concerns under Minnesota Constitution Article I, Section 2 (guaranteeing rights and privileges without deprivation except by due process, interpreted as embodying equal protection principles synonymous with the Fourteenth Amendment), including potential unequal treatment among similarly situated Secret War veterans based on ethnicity, naturalization status, or base location, without sufficient rational basis, thereby risking challenges to the law’s fairness and enforceability; and
WHEREAS, clarifying the definition will enable a fairer, more evidence-based eligibility process, respect the covert nature of operations and scarcity of formal records, incorporate broader expertise such as that provided by CAVWV (including recommendations for independent state verification beyond federal proxies), remedy the inequities identified through the Task Force experience, and better align with constitutional principles of equal protection;
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2025, section 197.448, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
Subdivision 1. Definition. “Veteran of the Secret War in Laos” means a Minnesota resident who:
(1) was naturalized under section 2(1) of the federal Hmong Veterans’ Naturalization Act of 2000, Public Law 106-207; or
(1a) was naturalized under any federal immigration relief program for Southeast Asia service in support of the President of the United States foreign policy objectives during the Vietnam War era (February 28, 1961, to May 14, 1975), including Royal Lao Air Force pilots (e.g., T-28 operators) or other allied personnel; or
(2) served honorably in any capacity with a special guerrilla unit, irregular forces, or allied regular or paramilitary forces (including Royal Lao Air Force units and other ethnic groups such as Hmong, Lao Loum, Lao Theung, Khmer, Thai, Vietnamese, and Montagnard) that conducted operations within Laos or operated from a base in Laos or from bases in adjacent countries (including Thailand, Cambodia, or Vietnam) in direct support of operations within Laos, in support of the mutual interests of the President of the United States and The King of Laos between February 28, 1961, and May 14, 1975, and is a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident.
“Honorably” means service without desertion, mutiny, or other disqualifying misconduct, as shown by affidavits, witness statements, historical records, photographs, or other credible evidence acceptable to the commissioner, considering the covert nature of the operations.
Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.