May 11, 2020

Manchin Bill To Help Servicemembers And Families During COVID-19 Pandemic

Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) introduced a bipartisan bill to expand the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) to provide additional legal protections for servicemembers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The SCRA provides legal protection to servicemembers to prevent them from being taken advantage of while on duty or deployed, and can postpone or suspend financial or civil obligations – including preventing foreclosures, evictions or repossession of a vehicle under the right circumstances. The Senators’ legislation expands SCRA protections to servicemembers who were previously issued orders to change duty stations but, due to the global pandemic, received a stop movement order and may have a housing or car lease in two different locations.

“Our servicemembers and their families sacrifice every day to keep our nation safe, and during the COVID-19 pandemic we must do everything possible to ensure those impacted by the pandemic are taken care of. Many military families lives’ have been put on hold while orders to move to new stations are halted and plans are suspended. This bill will help those families with leasing issues and other assistance, and I look forward to working with my bipartisan colleagues to pass this legislation to help our military families,” said Senator Manchin.

This legislation is also cosponsored by Senators Jon Tester (D-MT), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Kelly Loeffler (R-GA), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), John Boozman (R-AR), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Thom Tillis (R-NC).