House Republican Press Release

April 18, 2008

Press Office: 860-240-8700

Reps D’Amelio, Noujaim: Bill Making Unemployment Comp for Military Spouses Permanent Passes House

Current Law Benefiting Military Families Reassigned to Out-of-State Bases Set to Expire June 30^th

Civilian spouses who leave their jobs to accompany their military spouses when they are reassigned to bases elsewhere in the United States would not lose their eligibility for unemployment compensation on June 30^th if a bill that passed the state House of Representatives this week is enacted into law, state representatives Anthony J. D’Amelio and Selim Noujaim said today.

Under current law, civilian spouses who voluntarily leave their jobs to accompany their military spouses to out-of-state bases when they receive orders to relocate are only eligible for unemployment compensation if they leave their jobs between July 1, 2007 and June 30, 2008. The measure that passed the House (House Bill 5438) would make them permanently eligible for the benefit, representatives Noujaim and D’Amelio said. Both legislators co-sponsored the bill.

“Service in the U.S. armed forces often demands great sacrifices from our servicemen and women,” said Representative Noujaim, R-Waterbury. “For married military personnel, those sacrifices are shared by their families. Military personnel earn less than their civilian counterparts, and for that reason military families usually require two incomes to survive financially.  When military spouses are ordered to redeploy to out-of-state bases, their families usually move with them. That forces civilian spouses to leave their jobs, which in turn means a significant loss of family income - and too often, financial hardship.”

“Thousands of servicemen and women from Connecticut are serving in the military and many are risking their lives every day to preserve our freedom,” Representative D’Amelio said. “Keeping a military family together is not an easy task under any circumstances. Military families face unique challenges, including frequent school transfers and long separations when military spouses are deployed overseas to dangerous places like Iraq and Afghanistan. They should not have to worry about whether they can adequately provide for their families if they are transferred from a base in Connecticut to an out-of-state military facility after June 30^th. Enacting this legislation into law will mean a lot to our state’s military families. By doing so, we can demonstrate our appreciation and gratitude for the sacrifices they make for us every day.”

The legislation, which passed the House on a vote of 145 – 0 Wednesday (April 17), was sent to the state Senate for final legislative approval.