Strengthening America's Armed Forces and Military Family Bill of Rights Act

Bill: 109-s-460
Sponsor: Sen. Kerry, John F. [D-MA]
Introduced: 2005-02-18 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Afghanistan
Armed forces abroad
Armed forces reserves
Army
Business education
Case management
Checkoff
Coinsurance
Commerce
Congress
Congressional investigations
Congressional reporting requirements
Counseling
Crime and Law Enforcement
Department of Defense
Economics and Public Finance
Entrepreneurs
Families
Finance and Financial Sector
Government Operations and Politics
Government and business
Government lending
Government publicity
Government trust funds
Grants-in-aid
Group counseling
Health
Health insurance continuation
Housing and Community Development
Housing subsidies
Income tax
Individual retirement accounts
Insurance premiums
International Affairs
Iraq
Iraq compilation
Labor and Employment
Law
Managed care
Manufacturing industries
Marines
Marketing
Medical economics
Mental health services
Middle East and North Africa
Military dependents
Military housing
Military medicine
Military operations
Military pay
Military personnel
National Guard
Payroll deductions
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Psychiatrists
Replacement workers
Self-employed
Small Business Administration
Small business
Social Welfare
South Asia
Survivors' benefits
Tax credits
Tax exclusion
Tax penalties
Tax rates
Tax refunds
Tax returns
Taxation
Terrorism
Veterans' employment
Veterans' hospitals
Veterans' medical care
Wages
War casualties

Summary:
action_date: 2005-02-18
text: 
Strengthening America's Armed Forces and Military Family Bill of Rights Act - Increases Army and Marine Corps end strengths for FY 2005 and thereafter.
 
Makes members of the Selected Reserve and the Individual Ready Reserve eligible for either the Prime or Standard option of the TRICARE Program (a Department of Defense managed health care program), allowing for either self-coverage or self-and-family coverage.
 
Directs the Secretary of the military department concerned to pay the applicable premium to continue in force any qualified health plan coverage for a reserve member (and his or her dependents) while the member is serving on active duty pursuant to a call or order issued during a war or national emergency declared by the President or Congress. Requires the continuation of COBRA coverage during such period.
 
National Reservist Enterprise Transition and Sustainability Act of 2005 - Amends the Small Business Act to direct the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to establish a program to provide business planning assistance to small businesses owned and operated by members of the National Guard and Reserve. Authorizes SBA: (1) loans to new veteran entrepreneurs; and (2) grant assistance for military reservists' small businesses.
 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide a reserve component employment credit equal to the sum of the employment credit with respect to all qualified employees of the taxpayer and the self-employment credit of a qualified self-employed taxpayer. Disallows the credit for failure to comply with reserve member employment or reemployment rights, or when a reserve member is called or ordered to active duty for training.
 
Authorizes a taxpayer to designate overpayments of income tax for payment into the the American Military Family Relief Fund (established herein), to be used to make distributions to individuals and family of members who serve or have served in the Armed Forces for needs not met by other laws or programs.
 
Authorizes penalty-free withdrawals from retirement plans for individuals called or ordered to certain active duty.
 
Increases the military death gratuity from $12,000 to $250,000. Continues for 365 (currently 180) days the basic allowance for housing for dependents of members who die while on active duty.
 
Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to employ at least one psychiatrist and a complimentary clinical team at each Department of Veterans Affairs medical center to provide post-traumatic stress disorder treatment for veterans of service in Afghanistan and Iraq and the War on Terrorism.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2005-02-18
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2005-02-18
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S1720-1722)
action_date: 2005-02-18
text: Introduced in Senate