Gov. Ned Lamont on Thursday marked the recent passage of three new laws aimed at expanding state services for Connecticut veterans, including helping them with re-entry to civilian life.

At a bill-signing ceremony at the West Haven Veterans Museum and Learning Center, Lamont, surrounded by veterans, state lawmakers and advocates, said the new laws, which cover job training, property tax exemptions and expanded eligibility for state veterans benefits, demonstrate a commitment by his administration and the state legislature to those who served in the armed forces.

"The men and women of the military committed themselves to serve on behalf of our nation, and it is our responsibility to be there for them after they return to civilian life — whether that be immediately after they leave service, throughout the duration of their civilian careers, or well after a long-deserved retirement," Lamont said in a statement.

The bills, which take effect Oct. 1, were passed unanimously by both the state House and Senate.

Lamont has said that the state is the "Silicon Valley of advanced manufacturing," and one of the laws directs the workforce development board in the southwest region of the state to establish a pilot program to help vets earn an advanced manufacturing certificate from a qualifying program and secure a job upon completion.

The state is home to major defense contractors Electric Boat, Sikorsky and Pratt & Whitney, all of which have been busy with work in recent years, given lucrative defense contracts. That growth also is being felt by defense suppliers across the state.

The law also directs the workforce development board to develop and operate a pilot program to provide training and subsidized employment for vets who've experienced long-term unemployment, generally defined as being out of work for 27 weeks or longer.

"The transition from the military can be exceptionally challenging as veterans leave jobs where they have strong social support from close peers and clearly defined roles for civilian roles not necessarily connected to their previous experiences," Steve Kennedy, an Army veteran and Connecticut team leader for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, testified at a public hearing convened by the state's Veterans Affairs Committee earlier this year.

Commissioner of the state's Department of Veterans Affairs Thomas J. Saadi in a statement thanked the committee and the governor for their work getting the laws passed and signed.

The two other laws do the following:

Extend certain state war service benefits to vets who served less than 90 days in a period of war because they "incurred or aggravated" an injury in the line of duty that is not considered to be a service-connected disability by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The law also rescinds a prior requirement that a vet, who didn't live in Connecticut at time of enlistment or induction into the military, had to live in the state for two years to receive certain benefits, such as hospital care and funeral expenses.

Increases the base property tax exemption for certain disabled service members and veterans by $500.

j.bergman@theday.com