Military personnel: First OK’d
House bills help active-duty and veterans

Moeller says measures ‘make troop
support genuine – not just a mere slogan’

January 26, 2008

OLYMPIA – The first three bills passed by the House of Representatives this year would, among other things, send a helping hand to military personnel in the National Guard and armed forces reserves.
State Rep. Jim Moeller, D-Vancouver, is co-sponsoring the trio of measures unanimously clearing the House today (Monday, Jan. 26). He said the measures “help meet our society’s duty to make troop support genuine – not just a mere slogan.”
One of the measures, House Bill 1049 (http://aor.leg.wa.lcl/tld/results.aspx?ID=21&params=2009,1049&desc=Text%20of%20a%20Legislative%20Document:%202009%20(2009)), “expands the definition of ‘veteran’ for purposes of veterans’ relief programs to include current members of the National Guard and Armed Forces Reserves who have been deployed for active duty.”
Moeller, who co-chairs the Legislature’s Joint Committee for Veterans & Military Affairs, explained that HB 1049 “updates and strengthens the indigent veterans’ fund, which is an important change that I’ve been seeking in the fund for the past couple years.”
The bipartisan bill was supported in committee testimony by representatives from the Veterans of Modern Warfare, and the Veterans Legislative Coalition.
The second proposal passed out of the House today, House Bill 1050 (http://aor.leg.wa.lcl/tld/results.aspx?ID=21&params=2009,1050&desc=Text%20of%20a%20Legislative%20Document:%202009%20(2009)), “removes the requirement that public employees called to active military service must serve for at least one year in active status to claim a scoring preference on promotional exams.”
Terms of bipartisan HB 1050 allow the preference for those whose service is reduced for the convenience of the government to have the same preference as those who complete their entire deployment.
A Veterans Legislative Coalition representative also testified for this measure in a committee hearing.
The third piece of legislation OK’d by the House is House Bill 1034
(http://aor.leg.wa.lcl/tld/results.aspx?ID=21&params=2009,1034&desc=Text%20of%20a%20Legislative%20Document:%202009%20(2009)). This legislation updates the state’s policy for the discretionary rental of Washington’s 26 armories.
Moeller said that HB 1034 “reflects the fact that the armories are important resources in many of our communities and these facilities provide a positive image of the National Guard.”
He said the armories should be open for public use more often than what is currently allowed by state law. Opening the facilities for more frequent rentals would bring more private citizens into positive contact with the armories, and this expanded policy would also bring in more money to pay for building maintenance and operations.
A representative from the Veterans Legislative Coalition spoke up for the measure in a committee hearing earlier this year.
Moeller is prime-sponsoring additional legislation that would strengthen assistance for veterans.
His House Bill 1070 (http://aor.leg.wa.lcl/tld/results.aspx?ID=21&params=2009,1070&desc=Text%20of%20a%20Legislative%20Document:%202009%20(2009)) would use new lottery-game profits to help veterans and their families. Terms of the measure call for the lottery commission to conduct at least two – but no more than four – new lottery-scratch games with proceeds going to programs for veterans and their families.
HB 1070 is awaiting consideration in the House Commerce & Labor Committee of which Moeller is a member,
Moeller’s House Bill 1102 (http://aor.leg.wa.lcl/tld/results.aspx?ID=21&params=2009,1102&desc=Text%20of%20a%20Legislative%20Document:%202009%20(2009)) would help counties raise additional funds necessary to pay for programs for veterans and their families. He said that with the increasing number of veterans, “there is an increasing need in our communities for programs and services for HB 1102 is awaiting consideration in the House Finance Committee.