LANSING—Senator Deb Cherry (D-Burton) commended the Michigan Legislature today for its passage of House Bills 6426 and 6427 last week, legislation that will provide unemployment benefits for a person who voluntarily leaves a job because of the military duty reassignment of a spouse to a different geographic location as the long as the reassigned spouse is a full-time member of the United States Armed Forces. Sen. Cherry sponsored identical legislation, SB 130, in the Senate.

“I have shared the concerns of my colleagues for those who have been put in this position, and I’m glad that these bills to help military families receive this financial assistance have been passed,” said Sen. Deb Cherry (D-Burton). “It’s hard enough for spouses to endure the challenges of having a husband or wife in the military, but that is compounded when there’s an unexpected reassignment to a new place, where employment opportunities may be uncertain. This legislation will help counteract that burden until these families are able to get settled into their new surroundings.”

House Bill 6427, sponsored by Rep. Fred Miller (D-Mount Clemens), would amend the Michigan Employment Security Act to provide an exception for spouses of full-time military personnel who voluntarily leave a job because of the geographic reassignment of their significant other to enable them to still draw unemployment benefits. House Bill 6426, sponsored by Rep. Gino Polidori (D-Dearborn), would amend the Michigan Employment Security Act to specify that unemployment benefits paid to a relocating military spouse would be charged to the nonchargeable benefits account rather than the person's employer for benefit years beginning after March 30, 2009.

With final passage by both the Michigan House and Senate, the bills will be sent to Governor Granholm to be signed into law.

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