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Mission: Family: DoD works with states to aid families

Issues affecting military families span many fronts — not just federal laws and Defense Department regulations, but state laws, too.

For example, state laws dictate whether military spouses can be eligible for unemployment compensation when they quit their jobs to relocate with their service members.

DoD has no direct control over state legislatures and policies, but it has been working with states to help them understand how their laws can affect military families’ quality of life.

Defense officials have gained ground by working with state legislatures and organizations such as the National Governors Association, and a number of states have adopted laws to help military families.

For example, 35 states have adopted the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children, initiated by defense officials and the Council of State Governments. This provides a common road map for states to follow in supporting military children as they transition between schools.

Defense officials now have announced their revised key initiatives for 2011, after an extensive nomination and review process with input from the military services and others:

• Increase support for National Guard and reserve members and their families, such as tax exemptions, state-sponsored home loan programs and automatic extensions of driver’s and professional licenses.

• Ensure deployments do not determine child custody decisions. Defense officials believe the welfare of the child is paramount, but they also believe absence brought on by military service should never be the sole basis for loss of custody or diminished visitation rights. Twelve states lack laws to specifically address these concerns.

• Increase access to quality, affordable child care.

• Minimize school disruption for military children during transition and deployment.

• Remove licensure impediments for military spouses and for service members leaving the military.

• Provide unemployment compensation for trailing military spouses. Currently, 38 states and the District of Columbia provide eligibility, nearly triple the number in 2004.

• Promote consumer protections and enforcement of the predatory lending regulation.

• Eliminate conflict between state and federal laws and DoD regulations that require service members to designate a person authorized to direct the disposition of remains. At least 31 states do not provide for accommodation of the expressed wishes of the service member.

Working with all these diverse state legislatures is a major effort for DoD, but gains are being made. Follow the progress online.

Karen Jowers is the wife of a military retiree.