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Rep. Gus Bilirakis IntroduRep. Gus Bilirakis Introduces Legislation to Ease Financial Burdens on Widows of Armed Service Veterans |
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Legislation allows widows to remarry without financial penalty
February, 5, 2007
Washington, D.C.
- Today, Congressman Gus M. Bilirakis (R-Palm Harbor)
announced he filed H.R. 704, which addresses the Dependency and Indemnity
Compensation (DIC) program for widows of Armed Service Members.
Currently, widows of Armed Service Members that have died while on active
duty or from service-connected causes cannot remarry, without losing their
annual benefits, until they reach age 57. This makes the DIC program one of the
few federal annuities that do not allow widows to remarry, without financial penalty,
at the age of 55. H.R. 704 will align the DIC program with other federal
annuity programs by alleviating this unfair age restriction.
"Widows of our fallen heroes deserve the same rights and privileges that
other widows receive through federal annuity programs," Congressman Bilirakis
said. "These people have lost so much and should not be penalized financially
for moving forward with their lives."
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