As we paused on Memorial Day to pay tribute to our nation’s heroes who sacrificed everything for our freedoms, I hope all Missourians also took time to recognize the efforts of the remarkable veterans and military members who are still with us today. Missouri is home to some 543,000 veterans, as well as a healthy population of men and women who currently serve in our Armed Forces. We owe them a debt of gratitude as they have risked their lives, and many still risk their lives, to ensure the American way of life is preserved and our freedoms are protected.
Each year, the General Assembly takes a close look at the things we can do legislatively to honor and respect our veterans and our active duty military members. I am proud to say this year was particularly productive as we passed a long list of bills that will give something back to the fine men and women who have given so much to our great nation.
Veterans Court Legislation (SB 118) It is a sad truth that some of our military members who return home turn to drugs and alcohol in order to cope with the trauma and stress that can result from war. These are individuals who need our help rather than to spend time in a correctional facility. With that in mind, a few areas of our state have established veterans treatment courts that handle cases involving current and former military personnel with mental health or substance abuse issues. Because these courts have been very effective in keeping non-violent offenders out of the criminal justice system by focusing on effective rehabilitation, we passed legislation this year to allow for more courts to be set up throughout Missouri. By increasing the availability of these courts we hope to help even more veterans to lead stable and sober lives.
Educational Credits for Military Members (SB 106)
Another bill passed this year that will soon become law will give returning members of our military the opportunity to convert their training and experience into academic credits here at home. Specifically, it will allow certain military training courses to convert into academic credit at Missouri’s public colleges, universities and vocational and technical schools. The bill also gives certain members of the Armed Forces the opportunity to keep their professional health-related licenses or certificates in good standing while on active duty. In addition, it allows any applicable training or service received by military members to apply toward qualifications to receive a professional license or certificate.
Child Custody and Visitation Rights for Active Duty Military Members (SB 106, SB 110, SB 117, HB 148)
Several bills passed by the General Assembly establish the child custody and visitation rights of a deploying military parent. The bills are meant to protect deployed military members from having their custody orders changed while they are unavailable to respond to any court actions brought by the other parent. The bills provide deployed military parents the right to attend a hearing modifying visitation rights to his or her child. Also, the bills require 30 days before such a hearing can be conducted after the affected person returns home from deployment. In addition, the bills require that communications between parent and child are maintained even during the deployment.
In-State Tuition for Military Members (SB 117)
Yet another bill passed this year allows outgoing members of the military who receive an honorable discharge to receive resident status in order to receive in-state tuition rates for public institutions of higher education in Missouri. The change will allow returning veterans to immediately pursue their educational goals rather than waiting for a year to achieve residency status in Missouri.
Improving the Voting Process for Active Duty Military Members (SB 116) Members of the military stationed overseas will have fewer hurdles to jump through when they next go to vote. Right now, the process to obtain an absentee ballot can take exceedingly long, which can discourage many of our active duty military members from participating in the process. Because we want these fine men and women to be able to make their voices heard in the elections process, we passed legislation this year that establishes the Uniformed Military and Overseas Voters Act. The bill requires our Secretary of State to develop an online process to allow voters to apply and receive voter registration materials and military-overseas ballots. It is a change that should significantly speed up the process and allow military members, and other voters who are overseas, to be active participants in the political process.
Proof of Residency Exemption for Children of Military Members (HB 159) The men and women who serve our nation often leave behind spouses and children who have to cope with their absence. In many instances a wife or husband left behind to care for the children will relocate closer to other family members who can provide assistance. Unfortunately, in these cases the parent has to pay tuition for a child to attend public school because they are not residents of the school district. Because we want to support our military families, this year we passed legislation that will exempt children with a parent serving in active duty from the proof of residence requirements to register for school. We hope this change will alleviate some of the undue financial burden that has been placed on parents doing their best to get by while their spouse is away serving our nation.
Returning Lost Military Medals (HB 702 and SB 186)
Another important piece of legislation approved this year will empower the State Treasurer to return lost military medals to their rightful owners. Right now, our treasurer has more than 80 unclaimed military medals. Our legislation will allow his office to use photos and other information to try to identify and find their rightful owners. It is a small but important change that will hopefully allow these medals to be returned to the fine men and women who earned them, or their families.
Providing a Proper Burial for Unclaimed Remains (SB 186)
Nationally, there are thousands of cremated remains of American veterans that have gone unidentified and unclaimed. These remains, including several thousand even here in Missouri, have remained in funeral homes as a proper burial has been denied to individuals who sacrificed all for this nation. Legislation we passed this year will help resolve this problem by ensuring the unclaimed remains of veterans are interred with the due respect they deserve. The bill authorizes funeral establishments and coroners to release information to veterans' service organizations so that they can help identify the remains. It also limits liability for the organizations and funeral establishments, which is an issue that has kept many of them from taking action in the past. We believe the bill will allow these heroes to finally receive the proper military burial they have rightfully earned.
