A bipartisan group of U.S. senators has introduced the Support our Military Spouses Act — a bill to ease the relocation process required of military families.
The bill, introduced by U.S. Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va; Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.; John Kennedy, R-La.; John Cornyn, R-Texas; and Tim Kaine, D-Va., aims to ensure all spouses of active duty service members do not have to establish new legal residency each time they move for a military reassignment.
“Behind so many of our brave service members are loving spouses who support them,” Manchin said. “The sacrifices military spouses make for this great country often go unnoticed and we owe it to them to do anything we can to make life a little easier.”
The 2017 Blue Star Families Lifestyle Survey reported 72 percent of military families lived in their communities for two years or less, and a majority of families indicated they are experiencing high levels of stress associated with moving for the military.
In 2009, the Military Spouses Residency Relief Act (MSRRA) gave military spouses the right to retain their state of legal residence after a military reassignment if the couple has established the same residence at the time of their marriage.
The Support our Military Spouses Act will allow military spouses to use the same residence as their spouse after a military reassignment regardless of the couple’s residency at the time of the marriage. By allowing spouses to select and keep the same state of residency as their partner, the Support our Military Spouses Act will reduce confusion and ease transitions from year to year for these families.
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© 2018 The Register-Herald (Beckley, W.Va.)
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