WATCH/DOWNLOAD: Sen. Ossoff speaks on passage of his bipartisan bill
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff’s bipartisan legislation to support military spouses’ careers passed the Senate as part of this year’s National Defense Authorization Act.
Earlier this year, Sens. Ossoff and Eric Schmitt (R-MO) introduced the bipartisan Military Spouse Career Support Act of 2023 to grant reimbursements for military families’ business expenses when moving between active and reserve assignments — with the goal of improving retention rates across the armed forces.
Many military families incur high costs during frequent moves, including military spouses who must reapply for business licenses, certifications, and more when moving to a new assignment.
Currently, the Department of Defense (DoD) only offers reimbursements for military spouses’ relicensing, recertification, and business costs when active-duty military families relocate between assignments; not when families relocate between active and reserve assignments.
“I don’t think we give enough love and recognition to the military spouses who are there alongside service members — caring for children, raising a family, and building their own careers,” Sen. Ossoff said. “That’s why I passed this legislation with Republican and Democratic support to help military spouses during that transition from active duty to reserve service — who may be moving and getting relicensed in fields of their choice — so that they too have the opportunity and support from the Department of Defense to pursue their careers as they choose.”
According to the DoD, nearly 39% of military spouses require a professional license for their jobs and can face unemployment each time they move.
Last year, Sen. Ossoff worked across the aisle to pass the bipartisan Military Spouse Licensing Relief Act into law to make job opportunities more flexible for military spousesby requiring states to recognize the professional licenses of military spouses from other states when their family’s station changes.
Click here to read the bipartisan Military Spouse Career Support Act of 2023.
