Veterans are among the critics of a legislative proposal to establish a Green Alert system in Connecticut to alert the public when at-risk veterans go missing, similar to the Amber and Silver alerts issued for children and the elderly.

The proposal, which was introduced last legislative session, was among a slew of bills discussed Thursday at a public hearing convened in Hartford by the General Assembly's Veterans Affairs Committee.

Wisconsin became the first state to establish a Green Alert system following advocacy by the family of Corey Adams, an Air Force Reserve sergeant who was found dead in 2017 after going missing for 18 days. The family detailed their struggle in getting law enforcement to search for Adams, who they said had post-traumatic stress disorder. Several states have considered establishing such a system, and there have also been efforts to do so on the national level.

But veteran groups in Connecticut, such as Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and the Connecticut Veterans and Military Coalition, say House Bill 5266 as written could have unintended consequences and further could stigmatize vets with mental health conditions by creating an enduring record on the internet and in news stories.

IAVA is against the idea entirely, but said if the bill pushes forward, at the very least it should be modeled off of Texas' "Camo Alert" system, which only releases alerts for veterans who have opted in to the program.

Another bill that garnered a lot of testimony Thursday is Senate Bill 220, which would change how Connecticut handles veterans' pension benefits. The proposal, which also has come up during past legislative sessions, would exclude pension benefits when determining whether a veteran is eligible for public assistance programs.

One of those who submitted written testimony in support of the bill is Eileen Degaetano, whose father, the late Herbert Schacht, was affected by the issue. The family had promised Schacht, a World War II veteran, as he got older, that they would let him receive care at home for as long as possible. They applied for a veteran's benefit called "aid and attendance" to help cover the cost of his home care services.

In order to qualify for the aid and attendance benefit, veterans must first apply for pension benefits.

But Connecticut counts the pension portion of the money as part of a veteran's income, and in Schacht's case, that increased his income threshold and made him ineligible for other state benefit programs he was using.

"The news of this loss of eligibility created tremendous uncertainty, emotional and economic stress for my parents and my family, as it could for other veterans and their families who find themselves in similar situation," Degaetano said in her testimony.

Ultimately Schacht's access to state assistance was reinstated, but only after the family went through the arduous process of filing an appeal with the state Department of Social Services and then reapplying for the state assistance he was getting. Degaetano said other states do not count the pension benefit as part of a veteran's income, and she is urging Connecticut to do the same.

Many of the bills being considered by the Veterans Affairs Committee have to do with tax abatements and removing service fees for veterans and have been brought up before. One of those proposals would exempt veterans in the state from paying the Passport to Parks motor vehicle fee. The state Department of Motor Vehicles charges motorists $10 every time they register, renew registration or transfer plates on a noncommercial vehicle, and that money goes toward supporting the operation and maintenance of state parks, forests and wildlife management areas.

Several parks and conservation groups spoke against the measure, saying it would result in a major loss of revenue and could lead to other requests for exemptions.

The committee's next public hearing is scheduled for March 3 in Hartford.

j.bergman@theday.com