Bill Text: NJ SR109 | 2010-2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Urges Congress end policy of denial of full military insurance benefits to certain surviving spouses of deceased members of military; supports H.R.178.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-03-21 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee [SR109 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2010-SR109-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator DIANE B. ALLEN
District 7 (Burlington and Camden)
Senator JAMES BEACH
District 6 (Camden)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senators Connors, Van Drew and Norcross
SYNOPSIS
Urges Congress end policy of denial of full military insurance benefits to certain surviving spouses of deceased members of military; supports H.R.178.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
A Senate Resolution urging Congress to end the policy of denial of full military insurance benefits to certain surviving spouses of deceased members of the military and supporting H.R.178.
Whereas, Members of the military make essential arrangements for their spouses to be taken care of in the event of their death, yet many of the nation's surviving spouses are denied the full benefits of their military insurance, creating a substantial hardship upon them; and
Whereas, Current federal policy requires that a military spouse whose loved one dies from a service-related cause cannot collect both the Survivor Benefit Pension (SBP) and the full annuity benefits from insurance the couple bought from the United States Department of Defense at retirement, called Dependency Indemnity Compensation (DIC), and the amount of the annuity payment is reduced by the amount of the monthly survivor benefit; and
Whereas, The Veterans Benefits Act of 2003 restored eligibility for DIC to military surviving spouses who remarry after age 57 and become eligible for the full benefit of their military insurance, but the surviving spouses can only receive it by repaying the insurance premiums the federal government had refunded to them; and
Whereas, H.R.178, the "Military Surviving Spouses Equity Act," would eliminate the SBP/DIC offset, repealing the dollar-for-dollar reduction of SBP by the DIC received, and would also prohibit the federal government from recoupment of amounts previously refunded to a surviving spouse who is or has been in receipt of an annuity under the SBP and who has received a refund; and
Whereas, The Gold Star Wives of America, Inc., a congressionally chartered group of military widows, supports the Military Surviving Spouses Equity Act, which eliminates both the offset and the requirement for certain surviving spouses to pay back premiums previously refunded to them; and
Whereas, Surviving spouses of members of the military who have given their lives in service to this country should not be deprived of their full benefits when they are already emotionally and financially burdened with the need to ensure the best possible care for themselves and for their families and eliminating both the offset and the refund requirement would make a much fairer system of determining benefits for these surviving spouses; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey:
1. This House respectfully urges Congress to eliminate the policy of denial of full military insurance benefits to certain surviving spouses of deceased members of the military and to pass H.R.178, the Military Surviving Spouses Equity Act.
2. Duly authenticated copies of this resolution, signed by the President of the Senate and attested by the Secretary of the Senate, shall be transmitted to the President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Senate Majority Leader, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, each member of Congress from the State of New Jersey, and the National President and the Mid Atlantic Regional President of the Gold Star Wives of America, Inc.
STATEMENT
This Senate resolution respectfully urges Congress to end the policy of denial of full military insurance benefits to surviving spouses of deceased members of the military by eliminating the Survivor Benefit Pension (SBP)/Dependency Indemnity Compensation (DIC) offset. The federal legislation would prohibit the federal government from requiring surviving spouses, who remarry after age 57 and become eligible for the full insurance benefit, from having to pay back premiums previously refunded to them. The resolution urges passage of H.R.178, the Military Surviving Spouses Equity Act, which would accomplish these purposes.
