Congress passes benefits for ‘sole survivor’ veterans
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WASHINGTON — Legislation to ensure that “sole survivors” in military families will receive veterans benefits passed the Senate unanimously Friday. The House passed the bill earlier in the week, and President Bush is expected to sign it.
The bill is called the Hubbard Act after a family from California’s Central Valley that lost two of three sons in the Iraq war.
After his brothers were killed in combat, Jason Hubbard left the Army under the military’s “sole survivor” policy, which allows sole surviving siblings to be discharged before their enlistment period is over.
But he soon found that the Army was denying him benefits he would otherwise have received, including healthcare coverage and access to the GI Bill. He was asked to repay some of his enlistment bonus.
The measure would ensure that sole survivors get the same benefits as others who honorably leave the military.
The bill was sponsored by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Visalia).
The Defense Department has counted at least 50 sole survivors since Sept. 11, 2001, according to Nunes’ office. The bill will be retroactive.
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