2023 Legislative Priorities: Military Families First

It’s a new year and a new Congress. The National Military Family Association (NMFA) has been on the Hill working and advocating for military families.

At the beginning of the 118th Congress, our Association rolled out our priorities. Some of the priorities are new, and others are familiar. We’ve taken them to the Capitol, and legislators have started to respond.

We are grateful to the Members of Congress who have listened and introduced legislation to address the challenges military families face. Some of that legislation includes:

TRICARE for Dependents Over Age 18

H.R. 1045, the Health Care Fairness for Military Families Act. This legislation will eliminate TRICARE Young Adult and allow young adults to stay on TRICARE until age 26, premium free just like their civilian peers.

Incentives for Hiring Military Spouses

H.R. 1277 and S. 596, the Military Spouse Hiring Act. This legislation would create an incentive for employers to hire military spouses by establishing a new target group for military spouses under the Work Opportunity Tax Credit program. Under the bill, employers may claim a one-off tax credit of up to $2,400 for every military spouse they hire.

Easier Access to Food Assistance

S.497, the Military Family Nutrition Access Act, which would eliminate the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) from Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) consideration.

We know that Representatives and Senators listen to their constituents—hearing from you makes a difference in their support for these bills. Call, email, or write your legislator’s office today to tell them you want them to co-sponsor this legislation. To see if your legislators have already signed on to support the bill, check the cosponsor lists on Congress.gov for both the House and the Senate bill. To find your Representative or Senator and how to contact them directly, visit Congress.gov/members and search by your state or address.

NMFA will keep you informed as these pieces of legislation move their way through the process. We will also inform you as legislation is introduced to support our other priorities.

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