Senate Approves Financial Relief For Active Duty Military

On Tuesday evening, the State Senate passed legislation to expand financial relief access for active duty military members. The bill takes the Military Relief Fund, which provides grants to military members and their families for expenses if their service creates a financial hardship, and expands it to support families where severe injury, illness or death is causing financial hardship.

According to the Military Family Advisory Network, in a 2021 survey, more than three-quarters of military and veteran families reported carrying debt, with nearly 40% saying they have less than $500 for emergencies and more than 80% experienced financial stress in the past year.

“When service members suffer injuries, or a death in the family, that can have catastrophic effects on household expenses. This bill recognizes that and takes care of our military,” said Sen. Marx. “This simple change in policy makes sure the Military Relief Fund is providing better relief to military members and their families.”

The grants can be valued at up to $5,000. The bill received strong support from military advocates, who noted that military families can experience serious financial issues from illnesses or injuries, and expanding access to the fund will provide valuable support to them.

Posted by Joe O’Leary