Governor Signs Legislation to Aid Guardsmen, Reservists

Flanked by two Georgia Army Guard Blackhawk helicopters in the hangar at Dobbins ARB, Georgia 's Governor Sonny Perdue recently signed a series of bills passed by the Georgia legislature providing significant benefits to members and families of the Guard and Reserve called to active duty for the Global War on Terrorism.

Guard officials indicate that the bills passed in support of deployed Guardsmen and their families are among the most generous enjoyed by Guardsman and Reserves over the past several years.

The past legislative session showed widespread support by legislators in both houses for the men and women serving in our National Guard and Reserves.  Numerous pieces of military legislation designed to ease the burden of military mobilizations and deployments were at the forefront of military legislation throughout the session.

Among the numerous bills signed into law by the Governor were the following:

1. A bill exempting from jury duty service members and spouses when member is on "ordered' military duty;
2. Legislation providing for Automatic Occupational, Professional and Drivers license extensions until six months after discharge from active duty;
3. Honorary hunting and fishing licenses for reservist one year after discharge;
4. A bill allowing termination of  rental or telephone contracts without penalty after 30-day notice when called to active duty or transferred;
5. Legislation providing for a tax credit equal to the cost of insurance premiums paid by the member through the Servicemembers' Group Life insurance Program  (Guard and Reserve members serving on active duty for at least 90 consecutive days)
6. A bill providing for the automatic license extension  and exemption from continuing education requirement for all license or registration required by the state, except attorneys;
7. Legislation to allow a spouse of a service member, reassigned to a new military assignment, to resign a job to accompany the service member.  This resignation would be considered "for good cause" for unemployment insurance purposes;
8. A bill to authorize taxpayers to make contributions to the Georgia National Guard Family Support Foundation through check-off box on their income tax files being in taxable year 2006;
9. Legislation authorizing special licenses plates honoring families with a member serving in the military;
10. Similar legislation authorizing a special licenses plate which displays "Support Georgia Troops;"
11. Removes age cap for volunteer participating in the State Defense Force.

Other benefits to the Guard resulting from the recent Legislative session included an additional $128,284 state match funds to initiate maintenance program for renovated state armories.  Georgia 's Youth Challenge Academy received more than $330,000 that matches more than $500,000 received in federal funding. Additional state bonds for armory renovations in the amount of $1.8 million will be matched by more than $7.2 million in federal funding.

The signing ceremony was conducted before more than one hundred Georgia Army and Air National Guardsmen gathered in the hangar of the 1/171^st Aviation Regiment. State Senator Jack Hill, Senator John Douglas, Chairman of the Senate Military and Veterans Affairs Committee joined Major General David B. Poythress in the one-hour bill signing session with the Governor.