From: Delegate Peter Murphy Dear Friends, As we approach the upcoming Veterans Day holiday, I want to take a moment to inform you of the successes we accomplished in the 2013 legislative session on behalf of Maryland Veterans. As many of you may know, far too many veterans who return home and leave active duty have difficulty finding meaningful employment. As a way to address this problem, the Governor signed into law the Veterans Full Employment Act. This Act ensures that veterans who apply for certain occupational and professional licenses in Maryland will receive credit for their military training towards meeting the requirements to obtain such professional licenses. The law also requires Maryland’s public institutions of higher education develop and implement policies for awarding academic credit for relevant military training and education. Both of these initiatives will go a long way to ease the transition from military service to civilian life. And to further support military families, the law establishes processes for issuing temporary licenses to military spouses who hold an occupational or professional license in another state. This expedited process will help military spouses get back to work in a shorter time period which will lessen the financial burden on their families. To further support veterans and their civilian communities through economic development, the Military Personnel and Veteran-Owned Small Business No-Interest Loan Program received $300,000 and was expanded to include all veteran business owners not only disabled veterans. By expanding the eligible pool of applicants, career opportunities can become realities and result in permanent Maryland residents. A win-win for all! Another important piece of legislation established the Maryland Veterans Trust Fund. By allowing the Fund to apply for 501(c)(3) status, it will now be eligible to accept tax deductible donations and expend the money in the form of grants and loans to veterans and their families as well as to programs that support veterans and their families. This change in status should be in incentive to broaden the universe of supporters and result in greater benefits to our veterans and their family members. And finally, $750,000 will provide scholarship funding for Veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts; and $463,000 will go toward providing behavioral health services and transportation for veterans who require behavioral health treatment. As you can see, efforts were made to support veterans and their families not only throughout their transition into civilian life but throughout the years. So, please, if you know a veteran, take a moment to thank them for their service and that it does not go unnoticed or unappreciated. And please join me at the “Salute to Veterans Parade” in La Plata on Sunday, November 10, 2013 at 1:00 pm as we celebrate the women and men who proudly served our country and state. My best, Peter
Posted on: Fri, 08 Nov 2013 23:27:06 +0000
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