Governor Rendell Calls on Legislature to Pass National Guard and Veterans Initiatives as First Order of Business
GOVERNOR RENDELL CALLS ON LEGISLATURE TO PASS NATIONAL GUARD AND VETERANS INITIATIVES AS FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS
Governor Edward G. Rendell today sent a letter to all members of the General Assembly calling upon them to swiftly approve several legislative initiatives that would provide benefits and protections to soldiers and airmen of the Pennsylvania National Guard and their families, as well as Pennsylvania's veterans as their first order of business in the fall session. The legislature adjourned for the summer without taking action on the package that was introduced in the spring and endorsed by the Governor in April.
"This summer, I have been continually reminded that we must fulfill our commitment to these brave men and women and their families without further delay," Governor Rendell said. "The current pace of deployment and subsequent injuries and deaths have put a toll on soldiers and their families. My top priority is to get this package passed and I expect the legislature to take it up as its first order of business upon return to Harrisburg this fall."
Governor Rendell also proposed that every family of fallen National Guard soldiers killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom retroactively receive the optimal benefits that would exist if the package had been passed in June. He pledged to do a case-by-case analysis of every Guardsman killed in the War on Terror to ensure that their families receive the optimal benefit package possible, including all state and federal benefits.
"It is a shame that families are worrying about benefits and protections that could have been passed in June, while enduring such difficult and challenging times in the absence of loved ones," Governor Rendell said. "My office will work with each family of a fallen Guardsman to ensure they receive optimal benefits under this package, and I will fight for each of them to receive these benefits as soon as possible."
Governor Rendell noted that the Global War on Terrorism and Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan have resulted in a dramatic increase in operations tempo for the Pennsylvania National Guard. The Governor traveled to Camp Shelby, Mississippi in June to send off the largest combat deployment since World War II, the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, led by Pennsylvania National Guard forces. It has more than 2,300 soldiers from the Pennsylvania National Guard as part of a force with more than 3,500 soldiers from 22 states.
"These legislative initiatives are a testament to our support and thanks to all service men and women in Pennsylvania who selflessly serve our country abroad or are in active duty in-state," said Governor Rendell. "I look forward to working with members of the state legislature on a bipartisan basis to make these initiatives a reality."
Governor Rendell announced his support of the following initiatives in April of this year:
* Providing Incentives to Employers of Guard and Reserve Personnel Mobilized in the Global War on Terrorism
* Access to Military Voter Absentee Ballot Lists
* Extension of Time for Educational Assistance Program
* Payment of Servicemen's Life Insurance Premiums for Deployed Soldiers
* Pennsylvania's Service members' Civil Relief Act
* Emergency Relief for Military Families
* College Tuition for Surviving Spouses
* Reduced Price Hunting and Fishing Licenses for Deployed Soldiers
* Student Loan Deferments for Deployed Soldiers
* Child Care Priority
* Job Training Priority
* Extension of Eligibility for Health Insurance Coverage for Deployed Soldiers who are Full-Time Students
* Health Coverage for Personnel on Extended State Active Duty
* State Tax Treatment of Military Pay for State Active Duty
* Death Benefits for Survivors of Personnel Who Die as a Result of State Active Duty
* Disabled Veterans Real Estate Tax Exemption Program
SOLDIERS AND THEIR FAMILIES
Providing Incentives to Employers of Guard and Reserve Personnel Mobilized in the Global War on Terrorism
Governor Rendell said he supports a 20 percent state business tax credit for employers that provide compensation to deployed soldiers and airmen.
"When public-minded employers pay the difference between a soldier's civilian and military pay or pay a stipend like that paid by the commonwealth, they should have additional recognition for their support for the Guard, the Reserve, our state and the nation," Governor Rendell said.
Access to Military Voter Absentee Ballot Lists
The Election Code currently requires that a list of persons issued absentee ballots be posted conspicuously at the county election office and at each polling place. However, Governor Rendell supports legislation, such as House Bill 1266, to provide that the names and addresses of persons issued military absentee ballots be exempt from the public posting requirement. Instead, it allows that names be kept with the county director of elections and released upon written request.
"Public posting of the names and residence of military personnel who have requested absentee ballots raises issues of personal security since such a list would make it easy for anyone to identify who is deployed," Governor Rendell said. "Our brave servicemen and women should be extended this courtesy."
Extension of Time for Educational Assistance Program
Governor Rendell supports Senate Bill 358 and House Bill 1259 that would give soldiers and airmen who served in combat zones additional time to pursue their higher education using Educational Assistance Program grants and to give all National Guard soldiers and airmen mobilized after September 11, 2001 an extension of time to use these grants after their discharge from the Guard.
Payment of Servicemen's Life Insurance Premiums for Deployed Soldiers
Governor Rendell supports House Bill 1068 which would provide for state payment of group life insurance premiums for members of the Pennsylvania National Guard who deploy overseas. These payments would be designed to ensure that our deployed soldiers receive additional state-paid life insurance coverage.
Pennsylvania's Service members' Civil Relief Act
The federal Service members' Civil Relief Act and provisions of the state Military Code provide legal protections to Guard members and their families who are deployed. The Governor supports House Bill 1078, a comprehensive update to these protections to fill any gaps in the federal protections and to ensure that we are providing the best possible legal protections for soldiers and their families.
Emergency Relief for Military Families
Governor Rendell supports House Bill 34 which is moving forward with bi-partisan support, to provide for a state income tax check off to establish a military family emergency relief fund to provide assistance to military families in emergency situations where federal benefits are inadequate or unavailable. Governor Rendell believes that this program should be administered not by state government but by a private charitable organization such as the Red Cross.
College Tuition for Surviving Spouses
In 2004, the General Assembly enacted legislation to extend free tuition at State System of Higher Education schools to children of Pennsylvania National Guard members killed in the performance of federal or state active duty. Governor Rendell supports House Bill 1074 which would extend this educational opportunity to the unmarried surviving spouses of Guard personnel killed in the performance of their duties.
Reduced Price Hunting and Fishing Licenses for Deployed Soldiers
Governor Rendell supports House Bills 1076 and 1077 that would allow certain deployed Pennsylvania National Guard personnel to purchase resident hunting and fishing licenses for just $1. This proposal gives these personnel the opportunity to purchase a single $1 hunting and fishing license for up to two years after their return from extended active duty and overseas deployment.
Student Loan Deferments for Deployed Soldiers
Governor Rendell supports House Bill 1079 that would allow the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency to defer student loan payments and payment of interest when soldiers and airmen are ordered to extended active duty, other than active duty for training. The deferment would automatically kick in when a member is called up, and would remain in place for six months after the active duty is over.
Child Care Priority
The Governor supports the goals of House Bill 1073 which would provide families of active-duty Pennsylvania National Guard troops priority for state-funded childcare.
"Often, National Guard pay is less than what these troops earn in civilian life, so a spouse often has to work outside the home or work longer hours when a Guard member is called to active duty," Governor Rendell said. "My administration intends to implement the objectives of this legislation administratively."
Job Training Priority
Governor Rendell supports House Bill 1071 which would give the spouses of active-duty Guard members and Guard members returning from active-duty service, priority status for state job-training programs.
Extension of Eligibility for Health Insurance Coverage for Deployed Soldiers who are Full-Time Students
Many health insurance programs provide that dependent children of employees may remain eligible for coverage under their parents' health insurance coverage until a certain age as long as they remain full-time students enrolled in an institution of higher education. When a full-time student who is a member of the Guard or Reserves is called to active duty, the soldier no longer qualifies for health insurance under the parents' coverage, and this is appropriate since they have military health insurance coverage. However, when they are released from active duty and return to their full-time studies, often becoming again dependent on their parents for support, they may have lost their eligibility for coverage under the parents' health insurance program because they exceed the maximum age for coverage.
Governor Rendell supports legislation to require an extension of eligibility for coverage for a full-time student who would have been eligible under their parents' insurance but for their age. The extension of eligibility would be for a period equal to the period of active duty.
STATE ACTIVE DUTY
Members of the Pennsylvania National Guard not only face the challenges posed by the increased operations tempo in connection with the Global War on Terrorism, but also face the prospect of being ordered to state active duty to deal with natural disasters and homeland security missions. When National Guard personnel serve on state active duty, the Commonwealth is responsible for their pay and allowances, benefits, worker's compensation and tort liability coverage.
For these reasons, Governor Rendell believes that National Guard soldiers and airmen on state active duty need to have the same rights and protections as those who serve in active federal service or in a federally funded training status. Toward that end, the administration is supporting the following initiatives:
Health Coverage for Personnel on Extended State Active Duty
Under current law, the commonwealth provides workers' compensation-type coverage to Guard personnel for injuries or death incurred while performing state active duty under Section 508 of the Military Code. The Military Code does not expressly authorize the commonwealth to provide health insurance coverage to these Guard members or their families.
Governor Rendell supports an initiative to provide health insurance coverage to members of the Guard and their families who are otherwise uninsured when the Guard member is deployed on extended periods (30 or more days) of state active duty for an emergency.
State Tax Treatment of Military Pay for State Active Duty
Current law exempts active duty military pay earned outside the commonwealth from state income tax and active duty military pay from local earned income taxes. State active duty pay is not exempt from state income taxes, and its status for local earned income tax purposes (which uses the phrase "active military service" in the statute) is not clear.
Governor Rendell supports an initiative to exempt all military pay and allowances earned by Pennsylvania National Guard personnel performing state active duty from state and local income taxes.
Death Benefits for Survivors of Personnel Who Die as a Result of State Active Duty
Governor Rendell supports House Bill 728 which would increase the death benefits for personnel who die as a result of performance of state active duty from $50,000 (adjusted for inflation) to $100,000 (adjusted for inflation) and to provide that personnel who die from heart attack or similar causes within 24 hours after release from state active duty qualify for this death benefit.
VETERANS PROGRAMS
Since today's soldiers and airmen will be tomorrow's veterans, the Rendell administration is supporting the following legislative initiative for Pennsylvania's 1.3 million veterans:
Disabled Veterans Real Estate Tax Exemption Program
Governor Rendell supports House Bill 813 that would allow the State Veteran's Commission to re-evaluate the need for a real estate tax exemption every five years instead of every two.
Under the Pennsylvania Constitution, certain disabled veterans and their unmarried surviving spouses may qualify for an exemption from the real estate taxes on their residences provided the need for the exemption is determined by the State Veterans' Commission.
The Governor also urges the General Assembly to take the first steps to approve a constitutional amendment to extend the exemption to the unmarried surviving spouses of soldiers and airmen who are killed or missing in action as a result of war or armed conflict service.
LETTER TO LEGISLATORS FROM GOVERNOR EDWARD G. RENDELL
August 18, 2005
On July 30th, I went to two events, which reminded me of the importance for us to fulfill our commitment to our National Guardsmen and Veterans.
At noon, I went to the unveiling of the Korean War Memorial in York. In introducing me, the master of ceremonies praised our package of Veterans and National Guard related legislation, and it reminded me that the package has not yet been enacted.
Later that evening, I was at the 100th anniversary of Windsor Borough and heard Representative Saylor speak passionately about our obligation to support our troops fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. Yet, we adjourned for the summer without passing any of the legislation aimed at improving the benefits and protection we give our troops, legislation that I proposed or that came from different members.
Then last week, the deaths of seven of our National Guardsmen brought home the crushing reality of our war against global terrorism.
So I am writing to ask you to rededicate your efforts so that this legislation is enacted this fall. I am also asking that we amend the proposed life insurance premium legislation so that its benefits will apply retroactively to the families of all National Guardsmen killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. I am sure you will agree with me that we cannot afford any further delay.
Sincerely yours,
Edward G. Rendell
Governor
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