House passes Wenstrup’s bill to help dependents of injured, fallen servicemembers

The U.S. House of Representatives on Feb. 25 approved bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) to support the dependents of U.S. military servicemembers killed or severely injured in the line of duty. The bill now advances to the U.S. Senate.

“We owe our service members a debt of gratitude that extends to their spouses and children as well,” Rep. Wenstrup said. “When a member of our military pays the ultimate sacrifice or is catastrophically injured, their loved ones need the flexibility to be able to move closer to family for care and support.”

Rep. Wenstrup is the lead original cosponsor of the Gold Star Spouses and Spouses of Injured Servicemembers Leasing Relief Expansion Act of 2019, H.R. 2227, with bill sponsor U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-IL) to authorize spouses of military servicemembers to terminate leases of premises and motor vehicles in certain situations, according to the congressional record summary.

Specifically, H.R. 2227 would permit the spouse of a servicemember lessee to terminate the leases within one year of the date on which the servicemember incurs a catastrophic injury or illness connected with their military service, according to the summary, and also allows the spouse of a servicemember lessee who died in military service to terminate a motor vehicle lease within one year of the death of the servicemember.

Rep. Bustos added that she “was proud to work across the aisle with Congressman Wenstrup, to build on the protections extended to Gold Star and injured spouses.”

Among the 10 other members who joined Rep. Wenstrup as a cosponsor of H.R. 2227 was U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA).