We've been working hard to affect change for our veterans and active duty soldiers and I wanted to give you a quick update on everything that is going on. At the end of last week, I was out on the west coast for a meeting of the National Conference of State Legislators Military and Veterans Task Force, where I am Co-Chairman. Some of our bigger focuses were on strengthening the National Guard's recruitment, resiliency, and retainment. On the national level, we tackled combatting veterans suicide and how we can facilitate better awareness and mental health treatment at the state level.
On Friday, we spent the day at Naval Base Kitsap. Our Task Force is also working on the DoD's REPI program, and making sure state and local governments are working towards meeting the guidelines outlined. These goals involve lifting restrictions and dealing with land use issues, so that our soldiers have places to train and are better equipped to keep us safe. President Reagan's "Peace through Strength" continues to ring true - the better prepared our military is, the less we will need to use it.
While the national effort with NCSL is helping active duty soldiers and veterans across the country, we also had some big wins at home in Virginia this week. Governor Youngkin signed two of my bills into law on Friday - SB529 and SB768. SB768 amends the definition of "qualified survivors and dependents" under the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program (VMSDEP) to include that a child who is a stepchild of a deceased military service member shall receive all Program benefits. The VMSDEP is a key recruiting tool to entice veterans to remain in Virginia. It provides tuition and fee waivers for veterans with severe disabilities and for families of military members who died on active duty. Unfortunately, the reality of the modern "blended family" is such that some veterans may have been the step-parent of a child since birth but never legally adopted the child. Senate Bill 768 fixes this issue. I was thrilled to work with my colleagues in the General Assembly, and Governor Youngkin, to get this bill passed unanimously and solve this problem.
SB529 was another big win for our active duty members. The Pentagon has been highlighting how important it is, operationally, for consistent and affordable child care for active duty service members. This bill is a massive first step in easing access to child care for all active duty members in our Commonwealth.
I've always been committed to serving those who served us in Richmond. I'm eager to keep up this fight for you when I go to Congress. Unlike Abigail Spanberger, I live in this district and will always fight for our shared values. If you haven't gotten a chance to vote yet, please click HERE to find out how. And please keep our campaign in your prayers over the next few weeks.
Sincerely,
Bryce Reeves
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