Congressmen Kim and Burchett Introduce Bill to Help Small Businesses Hire Reservists

Statement

Today, Congressman Andy Kim (NJ-03) and Congressman Tim Burchett (TN-02) introduced H.R. 3661, the Patriotic Employer Protection Act, which would strengthen programs intended to protect small business owners whose employees are military Reservists deployed on active duty.

"Across Burlington and Ocean Counties, I've seen small business owners who have done the right thing by hiring military Reservists for key positions but worry about the uncertainty posed if they're transferred to active duty and deployed overseas," said Congressman Kim. "This bipartisan bill would strengthen key programs and give these patriotic small business owners the peace of mind they need to put more of our Reservists to work without worrying if a single deployment will severely impact their business."

"Men and women in East Tennessee and across the United States serve in the National Guard and Reserve in defense of our nation, and we should support and protect them when we can," said Congressman Burchett. "This bi-partisan bill provides economic security to Guard members and Reservists who are small business owners or small business employees. Small businesses drive our economy and service members guard our freedom, and the least we can do is protect these patriotic employers and employees when they're called into service."

The Patriotic Employer Protection Act would restructure Military Reservist Economic Injury Disaster Loan (MREIDL) program and the Repayment Deferral for Active Duty Reservists program so that they better reflect the current deployment trends of Reservists. The bill would allow these programs to be used for any Reservists being ordered to active duty for a period of more than 30 consecutive days, broadening the program to more people in need.

In addition, the bill would create a new business training program to provide counseling and assistance to support members of the Reserves and their spouses, as well as direct the Small Business Administration to develop more targeted and effective outreach to Reservists and small business owners.

"These important programs are underutilized because their eligibility restrictions do not fully reflect current deployment practices," said Davy Leghorn, Assistant Director of the Veterans Employment and Education Division at the American Legion, which has endorsed the bill. "National Guard members and military reservists are an integral part of our armed forces and national defense and this nation should do everything we can to support their service."

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