Breaking News

House Panel Outlines Quality-Of-Life Improvements For Troops For 2025 Defense Bill 

A 15% pay raise for junior enlisted service members. No more referrals for physical therapy, optometry, women’s health and other specialties. A basic allowance for housing that covers 100% of estimated costs.

To read more, please click here.

Senators Introduce Legislation To Increase The Rates Of Compensation For Veterans 

Each year, the Social Security Administration (SSA) determines the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) by analyzing the Consumer Price Index in order to reflect the fluctuations in goods and services across the country. The SSA last announced a 3.2% adjustment in October of 2023 and will reveal the next COLA in October of 2024. 

 To read more, please click here.

Annual Defense Authorization Work To Ramp Up In The Next Few Weeks 

Congressional committees continue their annual spring budget deliberations with an eye towards releasing their drafts of the annual defense authorization bill in early summer.

To read more, please click here.

AFSA On The Hill

LEGISLATIVE NEWS | Our Radar this week.

The House Quality of Life Panel released their report that week. Here are some of the highlights from their recommendations:

• Increase basic pay for junior enlisted servicemembers by 15%.
• Ensure the BAH covers 100% of the calculated rate for the military housing area (MHA) and reduce errors in BAH calculations.
• Permanently authorize the Military Spouse Career Accelerator Pilot which provides employment support to military spouses through a paid fellowship with employers across various industries.
• Fully fund childcare fee assistance programs to eliminate fee assistance wait lists for eligible families.
• Explore providing free wireless internet access to servicemembers in all unaccompanied housing facilities.
• Direct DHA to establish an access to care standard for beneficiaries who receive urgent referrals for specialty behavioral healthcare appointments.

You can find the full report here: https://drive.google.com/.../14TNbBx-Bzusvs.../view...

The VA PACT Act Dashboard issue 31 was released last week.

Here are some highlights from the report:

• 75% Approval rate for PACT Act related claims
• 896,899 Total PACT Act claims approved
• 5,384,058 Toxic exposure screenings completed

You can find the full report here: https://department.va.gov/.../VA-PACT-Act-Performance...

Legislative Action Center

Support the Sergeant First Class Michael Clark TRICARE Reserve Parity Act!

Link to Advocacy Campaign: https://www.votervoice.net/AFSA/Campaigns/107490/Respond

Legislation Summary

• Amend existing law to ensure three years of benefits for Guard and Reserve families, as is standard for active duty military.
• Bringing parity for guard and reserve survivor benefits to that of active-duty personnel.

Support the Health Care Fairness for Military Families Act of 2023!

Link to Advocacy Campaign: https://www.votervoice.net/AFSA/Campaigns/107499/Respond

Legislation Summary

• Modifies the extension of dependent coverage under TRICARE by allowing a dependent at the age of 26 to be covered without an additional premium.  
• Authorizes such coverage of dependents without a premium regardless of whether they are eligible to enroll in an employer-sponsored plan.

Support the Mental Health For Military Children Act!

Link to Advocacy Campaign: https://www.votervoice.net/AFSA/Campaigns/107509/Respond

Legislation Summary

• Would direct the DoD to establish a pilot program to provide routine mental health screenings or check-ups for common disorders for children ages 3-17, including questions about patients' mood, emotional state, habits, and behaviors.
• To ensure that children of military families who are at a greater risk for mental and behavioral health problems than the general population, have access to mental health screenings and check-ups at Department of Defense Education Activity schools (DoDEA). 

Support the Revisit Pay Equity Act!

Link to Advocacy Campaign: https://www.votervoice.net/AFSA/Campaigns/107467/Respond

Legislation Summary

• Increases the rate of the differential wage payment tax credit from 20% to 50% and requires that the maximum dollar amount of such credit be adjusted for inflation after 2023. 
• The credit is allowed to employers for their employees who are active duty members of the uniformed services. 

Support the Military Spouse Hiring Act!

Link to Advocacy Campaign: https://www.votervoice.net/AFSA/Campaigns/103707/Respond

Legislation Summary

• The Military Spouse Hiring Act would encourage companies to employ military spouses, who frequently face disproportionate impediments in the job market, by extending the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) to include them. 
• Intends to help military spouses find better work opportunities. 

Support the Disabled Veterans Tax Termination Act!

Link to Advocacy Campaign: https://www.votervoice.net/AFSA/Campaigns/93860/Respond

Legislation Summary

• Authorizes veterans with a service-connected disability of less than 50% to concurrently receive both retired pay and disability compensation. 
• Makes qualified disability retirees with less than 20 years of retirement-creditable service eligible for concurrent receipt, subject to specified reductions in retired pay.

Support the Major Richard Star Act!

Link to Advocacy Campaign: https://www.votervoice.net/AFSA/Campaigns/93862/Respond

Legislation Summary

• Qualify approximately 42,000 military retirees with combat-related injuries to concurrently receive both military retired pay and Veterans Affairs (VA) compensation. 
• Provide total offset relief to veterans who suffered combat injuries or illnesses who were medically retired with less than twenty years of service.

Support the Retired Pay Restoration Act!

Link to Advocacy Campaign: https://www.votervoice.net/AFSA/Campaigns/92798/Respond

Legislation Summary

• Allows the receipt of both military retired pay and veterans' disability compensation with respect to any service-connected disability.
• Extends full concurrent receipt eligibility to individuals who were retired or separated after at least 20 years of military service due to a service-connected disability.

Support the Military Family Nutrition Access Act of 2023!

Link to Advocacy Campaign: https://www.votervoice.net/AFSA/Campaigns/103672/Respond

Legislation Summary

• The Military Family Nutrition Access Act was created to aid military families with active duty members who are facing food insecurity. 
• By eliminating Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) from the income calculations used to establish eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the bipartisan bill will combat food insecurity. 
• Military personnel risk their life to protect our nation; they shouldn't have to worry about providing for their families. 

Support the Not Just a Number Act!

Link to Advocacy Campaign: https://www.votervoice.net/AFSA/Campaigns/103681/Respond

Legislation Summary

• The Not Just a Number Act would oblige the VA to look into how veterans use their benefits in their yearly report on suicide prevention in order to assess the connection between VA benefits and suicide outcomes. 
• In its fight against veteran suicides, the VA evaluates which VA benefits have the best impact on preventing suicide and requires the Department to submit recommendations for an increase in such benefits.

If you have any questions, please reach out to AFSA's Military and Government Relations team at milgov3@hqafsa.org.

AFSA Membership Information

Have You Read The Latest AFSA Magazine?

Read the latest AFSA Magazine here now! Download, print, share... WINTER Magazine 2024 - AFSA (hqafsa.org)

Have you called to verify, update, and correct your membership contact information? If you received a postcard asking you to call in, please take a few moments to call to update your info, and learn about the AFSA Oral Historical Project 2023. Learn more here now... 

Please click here to view

Greetings AFSA Division and Chapter Leadership,

We are pleased to share the AFSA Set-It-Forever/Auto Pay procedures and marketing materials to help share the process with our members, your membership and potential new recruits.

The Set-It-Forever/Auto Pay program creates an opportunity to JOIN AFSA or RENEW a membership by making a $36 once-a-year/every-year auto payment, or a $4-each-month/every- month auto payment. The $36 once-a-year option is set at $36, and the $4-a-month option includes a bank processing fee of $1 each month.

Review the two ways to enroll, the benefits to using the auto-pay option, and the marketing materials to help share the details of this program and ensure its success.

For more information, please click here.

For questions, please contact AFSAHQ Member & Field team at 800-638-0594 x 288.

Please Update Your Contact Information Today!

Dear Air Force Sergeants Association Member,

In order for the AFSA to effectively communicate with our members, it is essential to ensure we have your current and / or valid e-mail address. 
 
We are in the process of updating our records and need your help! Please take a moment to ensure that we have your most current mail and email address (no .mil's); and accurate membership listing information.

We've made it easy, as you can update your information in either one of three ways: 

1. Call Member & Field Relations team directly at 800-638-0594 x 288 (Mon. - Fri. 8:00 am to 5:00 pm (EST)
2. Email to: msvcs@hqafsa.org
3. Visit www.hqafsa.org and select the UPDATE button on the right

We thank you in advance for your support and prompt updates.

And That's The Way It Is...

In sum, these are some of the recommendations of a House panel tasked with improving the quality of life for troops and their families, as young service members, in particular, face rising living costs, substandard housing, limited access to child care, long wait times for medical care, and spousal unemployment.

Such issues have plagued the military for years, but senators say they will bring them to the forefront in the coming months as Congress prepares the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act, an annual bill that sets Pentagon priorities.

In addition, The Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2024, introduced by Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester (D-MT) and Ranking Member Jerry Moran (R-KS), and cosponsored by U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide a COLA. Morgan Luttrell (R-TX-08) introduced a similar bill in the United States House of Representatives. 

Effective December 1, 2024, the law would enhance the rates of compensation for veterans with service-connected impairments, as well as the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for the survivors of certain disabled veterans, among other things.
 

And lastly, last week, Senate Armed Services Committee officials said that they will begin markups on the enormous defense policy package during the week of June 10, with the goal of submitting it to the full Senate for consideration in mid-summer.

Meanwhile, House Armed Services Committee officials plan to hold a day-long marathon markup of the proposal in late May, though no precise date has been set.

And that's the way it is for Tuesday, April 16, 2024. 

Stay tuned for our next M&G-B, where we will continue to keep you in the loop on all things pertinent to the coronavirus, veterans, active-duty members, guard and reservists, and military family members. Stay happy, and stay healthy!