Sen. Baker working to support veterans through several proposed bills

Times Leader (Wilkes-Barre, PA)

Nov. 12--WILKES-BARRE -- Those in the military know there is always something more that can be done to prepare for a mission -- and there is more the state can do to make sure those who are serving, and those who have served, are not forgotten, said Sen. Lisa Baker, R-Lehman Township.

"Those defending freedom heed the call of duty," Baker said in a news release. "We must be just as vigilant in supporting them."

Baker, who serves on the Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee, is working to advance several bills to assist those who bravely put country before self.

Stolen Valor

Pennsylvania recently updated its Stolen Valor law to include impersonating a service member to obtain money, property or other benefits, like health care, a job or a government contract.

But one local Air Force vet wondered why monies collected from a conviction go to the state's general fund rather than to aid veterans. Senate Bill 933 directs that all fines paid would be given to the Veterans Trust Fund.

"Falsely posing as a veteran or service member is an affront to all those who earn the right to wear the uniform," Baker said. "For whatever reason, there are people who lie about military service for personal gain. But thanks to the suggestion of an area veteran, these crimes can hopefully be used to aid genuine American heroes."

Baker helped to create the Veterans Trust Fund in 2012 to provide grants to veterans service organizations, charitable groups seeking to aid veterans, and county veterans affairs offices to help veterans in need of shelter and other necessities.

There is a $3 checkoff box on all driver's license and vehicle registration renewal forms that allows motorists to donate to the program -- $15 of the Honoring Our Veterans license plate fee is also contributed to the fund. To date, grants totaling more than $2.8 million have been awarded to organizations serving veterans, and an additional $2.2 million has been provided to individual veterans and their families.

Property taxes

Baker said disabled veterans incur a lot of costs as a result of their service. Pennsylvania's property tax exemption program is one of the ways the state tries to relieve some of the financial burden. Currently, income-eligible, 100 percent disabled veterans qualify, if they served during a time of officially declared war. Senate Bill 389 would expand the benefit to all service periods.

"Disabled veterans should not be excluded because their military service falls outside of a certain time range," Baker said.

Another proposal, Senate Bill 390, would extend the program to the surviving spouse of a soldier killed in action. Current guidelines allow the benefit to be transferred only to a surviving spouse of a totally disabled veteran.

Unemployment

Military families sacrifice a lot for their loved one's service, Baker said. While Pennsylvania offers various assistance to ease their burden, it is one of only four states that does not protect the unemployment compensation rights of the spouses of those on active duty.

"Our military spouses face numerous challenges when relocating because of a transfer," Baker said. "With an unemployment rate four times higher than that of civilians, they are in need of the benefit while they are trying to find a new job."

Senate Bill 271 would clarify that a husband or wife's move to follow an active duty spouse would not be considered voluntary if it is determined that continued employment would be impractical or unreasonably difficult.

Custody and visitation

Because of the mobile nature of military service, Baker said child custody issues can be particularly difficult for military families. This can be compounded when parents live in different states.

In 2012, Baker helped change the law to make it easier for military parents to modify their custody arrangements before deploying. Senate Bill 511 would complement these efforts by providing more uniformity regarding the assignment of custody and visitation rights of deployed parents.

"Disagreements can impact both the child's welfare and the service member's ability to perform their duties," Baker said. "We should do all we can to ease the situation."

House passes Cartwright's

bill that protects veterans

WASHINGTON, DC -- This week, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill introduced by U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-Moosic, to protect older, low-income veterans from financial scams.

The bipartisan Veterans Care Financial Protection Act (H.R. 3122) would direct the Department of Veteran Affairs to work with other federal agencies and states to develop and implement standards that protect veterans from predatory practices.

"Scam artists are turning well-deserved benefits into a financial nightmare for those who can least afford it. This bipartisan, commonsense proposal will help protect veterans from financial scams. We owe this to our nation's heroes," Cartwright said in a news release.

The VA offers an Aid & Attendance (A&A) benefit for veterans who qualify for a VA pension and need financial help with in-home care or assisted living. The A&A application is free, but scam artists have targeted veterans and charged them to obtain these benefits. With this information, scammers can take hold of the veteran's assets, and may even move them into an irrevocable trust or an annuity. This movement of assets may also disqualify the veteran from other assistance, such as Medicaid.

Pa. wants to put more

vets in utility workforce

HARRISBURG -- Wolf Administration officials from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry and the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs this week joined Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission Chairman Gladys M. Brown and representatives from public utilities from across the state to highlight the importance and impact of veterans in the utility workforce.

"Pennsylvania's veterans deserve every opportunity to continue their career success after they return home to civilian life," Gov. Tom Wolf said in a news release. "The chance to grow the veteran workforce in our public utilities demonstrates how Pennsylvania employers support and value these hard-working individuals."

Brown noted that Pennsylvania's workforce includes 266,000 veterans, and the state ranks eighth in the nation in the number of veterans between 18 and 64. Still, there are concerns about unemployment, with about 13,000 Pennsylvania veterans without jobs right now -- and many others may still be struggling to find the right civilian-sector job.

The PUC, together with state agencies and utilities, is working to connect more veterans to employers, as well as encouraging more talented workers, of all ages and backgrounds, to consider careers in the utility sector -- which has a strong and growing demand for a new generation of employees.

Nationally, there are about 200,000 men and women transitioning from the military to civilian work every year -- which means there is a substantial group of skilled candidates looking for opportunities. Additionally, one of the top classifications for service members looking for work in the private sector is "Engineering, Science and Technical," which fits very well with some of the utility jobs that are in the highest demand.

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