Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY-21) introduced the Lift the Relocation Burden from Military Spouses Act -- bipartisan legislation to alleviate the undue stress, expenses, and excessive wait times professionally employed military spouses experience when their family moves for a Permanent Change of Station on military orders. Click here or on the image above for video of Rep. Stefanik’s floor remarks:
“Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of our resilient military families.
“These families endure countless relocations and deployments, every couple of years transitioning to new schools, new jobs, and fitting into new communities.
“Military spouses wear their own patches of service and share a true sense of duty to our country.
“They sacrifice a great deal of themselves amid strain and the unknown, while providing unyielding support to their spouse in uniform.
“Military spouses are often employed in professions which require new licensing that vary from state to state with fees and wait times.
“To alleviate this burden and provide predictability in the lives of military spouses and their families, I have reintroduced the Lift the Relocation Burden from Military Spouses Act.
“Military spouses serve too – and my bill will help alleviate unnecessary stress and expenses, help make job changes easier, and will give these spouses and their families some deserved predictability as they serve their nation.
“I urge my colleagues to support this important bill and I yield back”
The Lift the Relocation Burden from Military Spouses Act will:
- Require the Department of Defense to provide a reimbursement for licensing fees up to $500 for each Permanent Change of Station.
- Expedite license portability.
- Require the Department of Defense to conduct a study to determine ways to improve the military spouse unemployment and underemployment rate.
Click here for bill text.
Original cosponsors of this legislation include: Reps. Walter Jones (R-NC-03), Pete King (R-NY-02), Denny Heck (D-WA-10), Daniel Webster (R-FL-11), John Delaney (D-MD-06), Tim Walz (D-MN-01), John Faso (R-NY-19), and Bobby L. Rush (D-IL-01).
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