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National Guard and Reserve Caucus Chairmen Reintroduce Bill to Help Guard Members and Reservists Earn and Keep Jobs While Deployed
Washington,
February 1, 2019
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Steven Palazzo (R-MS) and Congressman Tim Ryan (D-OH) have reintroduced the Reserve Component Employer Incentive, Compensation, and Relief Act of 2019 in the U.S. House of Representatives. By providing employers with a tax credit aimed to offset costs accrued and hardships undertaken when employees that are members of the National Guard and Reserves are activated, this legislation incentivizes employers to hire and retain Guard members and reservists. “Often times National Guardsmen and Reservists have unique demands that require them to drop everything and respond to their sworn military duties. This bill is a step in the right direction to provide relief for the employers that sometimes must choose between their own bottom line and patriotic duty to hire service members,” said Congressman Palazzo. Moreover, tax credits in the past have been targeted at too small a population and were too small monetarily to truly incentivize companies and small business to hire members of the National Guard and Reserves. Further, a study conducted by Members of the Minnesota National Guard enrolled in the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program at the University of Minnesota found the following:
For the first time, the Reserve Component Employer Incentive, Compensation, and Relief Act provides long overdue continuous benefits for all employers of actively serving members of the Reserve Component and provides a scalable benefit for those employers that experience extended absences of employees for military service. The Reserve Component Employer Incentive, Compensation, and Relief Act is endorsed by the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States (EANGUS) and the National Guard Association of the United States (NGAUS). “EANGUS applauds Representative Tim Ryan for reintroducing the Reserve Component Employer Incentive Compensation and Relief Act that provides employers an annual tax credit for every Reservist/Guardsman employed. As Citizen-Soldiers, our members heavily rely on their employers for supporting their families and maintaining their jobs when deployed or in training. This common sense bill enhances the significant role employers play in military readiness. We strongly support this legislation,” said retired Sgt. Maj. Frank Yoakum, EANGUS executive director. “This is a potential game-changer for employers who hire Guardsmen and Reservists or who are considering one for a position,” said retried Brig. Gen. J. Roy Robinson, the NGAUS president. “Not only would it compensate employers for the loss of valuable employees to training or a deployment, it also recognizes the contributions of Guard and Reserve employers to the defense and security of our nation. We enthusiastically support the Reserve Component Employer Incentive, Compensation, and Relief Act.” Specifically, the Reserve Component Employer Incentive, Compensation, and Relief Act of 2019 accomplishes the following:
A key difference between the Reserve Component Employer Incentive, Compensation, and Relief Act and similar past efforts is that this tax credit applies to all employers that hire and employ actively serving members of the Reserve Component. To learn more about the Reserve Component Employer Incentive, Compensation, and Relief Act of 2019, click here for the full bill text. ### |