Published: 06-20-08
Testimony on H.R.6070 the Military Spouses Residency Relief Act
For a video of Congressman Carter’s testimony click here.
Washington DC – U.S. Rep John Carter (TX-31) testified today before the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity regarding H.R. 6070 the Military Spouses Residency Relief Act. The bill would amend the Servicemember’s Civil Relief Act (SCRA) to allow a military spouse who moves out of the state with their servicemember because of military orders to have the option to claim the same state of domicile as their active duty spouse regardless of where they are stationed. The following is Carter’s statement as submitted for the record.
“Madame Chairwoman and members of the committee good morning. First I would like to thank you for your commitment to our veterans and service members. It has been an honor to work hand-in-hand with you as a member of the Military Quality of Life and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee in an effort to improve the lives of those that have given so much for our Nation’s freedom. I am honored to be here and happy to discuss H.R. 6070 the Military Spouses Residency Relief Act with you.
“As you are all aware the Servicemember’s Civil Relief Act (SCRA) provides basic civil relief to our men and women in the Armed Services in exchange for their voluntary service. These range from relief from adjudication while deployed in combat to maintaining a single state of domicile regardless of where their military orders may send them. This state of domicile provides an important stability for our soldiers airmen and marines.
“Though their orders may send them to Texas Virginia and California they are able to simplify their state income tax requirements maintain property titles and drivers license in a single state and continue to vote for the elected officials from their hometown. Without the SCRA protections the service member would see all of these concerns change every time they move to a military installation located in a different state.
“However the composition of the military has changed since SCRA was first written. It is no longer enough for this Committee the Congress and the Department of Defense to provide relief to just the men and women that have volunteered to protect us. We no longer deal with a primarily unmarried fighting force. The saying “We recruit a soldier but retain a family” could not be any more accurate.
“While our service members receive this important civil relief we do not offer the same protections to those that bear the same stress and responsibility as the member – their spouse. Over the course of their spouse’s career they face multiple changes of voter registration and drivers licenses will pay income tax to a state they never intended to live in and likely not have their name on any property titles leading to a feeling that they are second class citizens.
“My bill would amend the SCRA to allow a military spouse to claim the same state of domicile as the service member for the purposes of state income and personal property taxes as well as voter registration. This policy would prevent a military family from suddenly losing up to 9.3 of their income if they were to be restationed from Fort Hood to Fort Irwin up to 8.25 if they were to move from Fort Bliss to Schofield Barracks or up to 8.97 if they were to go from Lackland Air Force Base to McGuire Air Force Base. This is a significant loss of income that occurs only because of government orders.
“H.R. 6070 also affords legal protections to spouses that they do not currently have because they do not have their names on deeds and titles. While this may not seem a pressing issue consider the legal ramifications should a service member and his or her spouse decide to end their marriage. While this is a worst case scenario that I would hope very few of our men and women in uniform must endure it is a realistic situation that this Congress should address.
“In closing in a time when retention and recruitment is so important we must take every opportunity to remove potential disincentives to serving in our Nation’s military. While you and I may not think of this as one of the most pressing issues for our service members for these husbands and wives it is one more stressful change they have to deal with as they help lead their families through restationing and deployment. I urge the Committee to join myself and 69 other Members of Congress in support of this important change to the Servicemember’s Civil Relief Act.”
