Protecting Families of Fallen Servicemembers Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4356) to amend the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to allow certain individuals to terminate contracts for telephone, multichannel video programming, or internet access service, and for other purposes, as amended.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 4356

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Protecting Families of Fallen Servicemembers Act''. SEC. 2. TERMINATION OF CONTRACTS FOR TELEPHONE, MULTICHANNEL VIDEO PROGRAMMING, OR INTERNET ACCESS SERVICE BY CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS UNDER SERVICEMEMBERS CIVIL RELIEF ACT.

Section 305A(a) of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (50 U.S.C. 3956(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

``(4) Additional individuals covered.--For purposes of this section, the following individuals shall be treated as a servicemember covered by paragraph (1):

``(A) A spouse or dependent of a servicemember who dies while in military service or a spouse or dependent of a member of the reserve components who dies while performing duty described in subparagraph (C).

``(B) A spouse or dependent of a servicemember who incurs a catastrophic injury or illness (as that term is defined in section 439(g) of title 37, United States Code), if the servicemember incurs the catastrophic injury or illness while in military service or performing duty described in subparagraph (C).

``(C) A member of the reserve components performing military service or performing full-time National Guard duty, active Guard and Reserve duty, or inactive-duty training (as such terms are defined in section 101(d) of title 10, United States Code).''.

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Mr. TAKANO. 4356, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4356, as amended, the Protecting Families of Fallen Servicemembers Act.

Mr. Speaker, this bill was introduced by Representative Josh Harder from California, and I thank him for his work with the committee on the bill. It expands on the work the committee did last Congress in partnership with Representative Bustos to improve the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act.

This bill ensures that spouses and dependents of both Active and Reserve component servicemembers who are catastrophically injured or pass away while in service to this Nation have protections under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, otherwise known as SCRA. Specifically, the bill allows impacted servicemembers or their families to terminate cable, internet, and phone service.

Servicemembers and families undergo difficult life transitions because of a catastrophic injury or death of loved ones. Families should have the flexibility to be at the servicemember's side during recovery. Surviving spouses and family members of fallen servicemembers should easily be able to move closer to family and friends or other support networks. Families dealing with the difficult loss or injury of their loved ones should not have to worry about contracts or cancellation fees.

I would like to note that this legislation unanimously passed the House last Congress and has been updated to reflect improvements recommended by veterans service organizations.

I also thank Dr. Wenstrup, who served with us on the committee for several Congresses, for his focus on the issue and for working with Mr. Harder on this bill.

Finally, I thank the Paralyzed Veterans of America for highlighting the need to include catastrophically disabled veterans and families in our work to improve the SCRA.

Mr. Speaker, I applaud the bipartisan work of Congressman Levin and Congressman Bilirakis on moving this bill through committee.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to join me in voting to pass H.R.

Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4356, as amended, the Protecting Families of Fallen Servicemembers Act.

Mr. Speaker, this bill would amend the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to give a spouse or dependent of a servicemember who experiences a catastrophic injury or who dies while in military service the ability to terminate telephone, multichannel video programming, or internet service contracts.

This bill would also extend SCRA protections to members of the National Guard and Reserve who are executing Active Duty orders or performing inactive duty training. These are worthwhile protections for our servicemembers and are worthy of our support.

This bill is sponsored by Congressman Josh Harder from California, and I appreciate his work.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close.

Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee. Dr. Colonel Brad Wenstrup is a combat veteran of Iraq who is still on Reserve duty and has served at both Fort Belvoir Hospital and Walter Reed Hospital.

Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, this is commonsense legislation--I talk about this a lot when I go home--about a grieving spouse, a husband or wife, who has lost a family member in combat in service to our country. I saw many of those this past weekend, as many of us did, as we attended veterans events.

I can't think of anything worse than being a spouse who is in a city that is unfamiliar to them, away from family, and to have these contractual obligations through our catastrophically injured veteran or a deceased veteran.

It is the right thing to do. Everywhere I go and talk about this throughout the country, our fellow Americans want this done.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly encourage my colleagues to support this much- needed legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I agree with my friend and colleague from Tennessee, Ranking Member Roe. This is commonsense legislation. We should not compound the suffering of a family, whether they are caretakers or grieving, with the complications that they may not be aware of, which are these continuing contractual agreements for cable, internet, or other types of contractual agreements of the sort. This bill addresses a way for families to easily terminate these contracts.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 4356, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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