Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

Notwithstanding the provisions of section 135 of chapter 697 of the acts of 1987, the provisions of the first paragraph of section 58B of chapter 32 of the General Laws shall apply to benefits received pursuant to applications for such benefits, allowances or other payments made before January 12, 1988.

This act shall be prospective from the effective date of this act and shall not entitle a veteran to retroactive benefits.

This act shall take effect in a city, town, county, district or authority subject to the approval of the legislative body. For the purposes of this act, legislative body shall mean, in the case of a city, the city council in accordance with its charter, in the case of a town, the town meeting, in the case of a county, the county retirement board advisory council, in the case of a region, the governing body, in the case of a district, the district members, and, in the case of an authority, the governing body.