Senate bill would help military families when troops move

A new bipartisan bill announced Tuesday would help provide military families with more stability when service members are required to move to a new post.

Most members of the military have to move every few years, but the bipartisan effort led by Sens. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) would allow military families to remain in place for six months before or after a service member’s permanent change of station (PCS).

That would allow military children to finish the school year or spouses to be able to start or finish professional or education programs.

{mosads}”Our nation’s heroes do not serve alone and this is a great opportunity to help better take care of our military families,” said Blunt. “Too often spouses are forced to sacrifice their own careers to accommodate the needs of the military.

“More military spouses are working than ever before and abrupt relocations negatively affect military children in school,” he added. 

“The buffer that this bill creates will allow military spouses to continue their employment or education for six months, and will allow the service member to move ahead of the family so the children can finish the school year.”

“The Military Family Stability Act would better serve the modern military family to give our service members, their spouses, and their children new resources and much-needed flexibility when they have to move,” added Gillibrand. “We owe it to them to pass this bill.”

The bill, dubbed the Military Family Stability Act of 2015, is co-sponsored by Sens. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii).

The bill is endorsed by veteran and service groups, including the Veterans of Foreign Wars, The American Legion, National Military Family Association, The Military Officers Association of America, The Military Child Education Coalition, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Blue Star Families, and the Veterans Support Foundation.