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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Fifth Legislature, First Regular Session
AMENDED
military family relief fund
Purpose
Expands Military Family Relief Fund (Fund) residency eligibility requirements to include service members who established residency in Arizona and can prove continuous physical presence in Arizona for at least 12 months and clarifies Pre-9/11 Veterans Subaccount (Pre-9/11 Subaccount) and the Post-9/11 Veterans Subaccount (Post-9/11 Subaccount) eligibility.
Background
The Fund consists of private donations, grants, bequests and other monies received for military family relief. The Fund consists of the Pre-9/11 Subaccount and the Post-9/11 Subaccount, which are both administered by the Arizona Department of Veterans' Services (ADVS).
The
monies in the Pre-9/11 and Post-9/11 Subaccounts must be used to provide
financial assistance to eligible applicants. For the Post-9/11 Subaccount, the
service member of an applying family must have: 1) been deceased, wounded,
injured or became seriously ill after September 11, 2001; 2) been deployed from
a military base in Arizona; 3) claimed Arizona as their home of record; or 4)
been a member of the Arizona National Guard at the time of deployment. For the
Pre-9/11 Subaccount, the service member of an applying family must have: 1)
been deceased, wounded, injured or became seriously ill before September 11,
2001; 2) been deployed from a military base in Arizona; 3) claimed Arizona as
their home of record; or 4) been a member of the Arizona National Guard at the
time of deployment.
Assistance under the Pre-9/11 and Post-9/11 Subaccounts must be based on financial need, up to $20,000 per family. Eligible assistance is available as follows: 1) widows, widowers or dependent children of service members who died in the line of duty in a combat zone or a zone where the person was receiving hazardous pay may apply for a stipend that covers living expenses for up to six months; 2) an immediate family member who has a temporary residence near the medical facility where the current or former service member is being treated may apply for payment to cover costs of temporary residence near the medical facility; and 3) an immediate family member, service member or former service member may apply for living expenses and other appropriate expenses as determined by the Pre-9/11 and Post-9/11 Military Family Relief Advisory Committees (A.R.S. § 41-608.04).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Allows a service member, who established residency in Arizona and can provide proof of continuous physical presence in Arizona for at least 12 months before submitting an application, to be eligible for assistance from the Post-9/11 and Pre-9/11 Subaccounts, if other statutory requirements are met.
2. Specifies that a service member of an applying family who was deceased, wounded, injured or became seriously ill and was deployed from an Arizona military base must have been:
a) deployed after September 11, 2001, to be eligible for assistance from the Post-9/11 Subaccount; or
b) deployed on or before September 11, 2001, to be eligible for assistance from the Pre-9/11 Subaccount.
3. Allows the Director of ADVS to allocate up to 10 percent, rather than 5 percent, of the Fund donations for the actual reasonable costs of administering the Pre-9/11 and Post-9/11 Subaccounts and the Financial Assistance Program.
4. Requires assistance from the Post-9/11 and Pre-9/11 Subaccounts to be based on financial need as a result of the service member's military service.
5. Defines established residency and continuous physical presence.
6. Makes technical and conforming changes.
7. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Amendments Adopted by the House of Representatives
· Clarifies that a service member who was deployed from an Arizona military base on September 11, 2001, is eligible to receive assistance from the Pre-9/11 Subaccount, if other statutory requirements are met.
Senate Action House Action
APPROP 2/9/21 DP 8-0-2 MAPS 3/1/21 DP 12-0-0-2
3rd Read 2/18/21 30-0-0 3rd Read 3/11/21 60-0-0
Prepared by Senate Research
March 12, 2021
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