Federal Daily - April 27, 2009

Bill Would Eliminate Educational Assistance Penalties

Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., introduced a bill that would—if signed into law—eliminate penalties for beneficiaries of Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA) who also accrue credits under other service-related Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and DoD educational benefit programs. Currently, VA limits educational benefits under multiple programs to 48 total months of credit, which means that the DEA counts against additional GI Bill benefits that may be earned by these beneficiaries. The Webb bill, S. 847, eliminates the 48-month limit. “If a member of our U.S. armed services is killed or seriously disabled in the line of duty, the compensation the VA provides for spouses and dependents should not be counted against any educational benefits that a survivor has earned through his or her own service to our country,” said Webb. To see more, go to: http://webb.senate.gov/newsroom/record.cfm?id=311870&.  

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MHS Announces $6.5 Million Grant

A $6.5 million grant awarded to the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress will fund research into ways to help the reintegration of servicemembers returning with combat injuries, according to an April 22 announcement by DoD’s Military Health System (MHS). The grant, funded by the Office of the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program, initially will support efforts at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C.; Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, Texas; and Madigan Army Medical Centers, Tacoma, Wash. The program will seek to identify needs of not only servicemembers, but also of their families and children. “This is a challenging, yet important study that will hopefully help us to better understand and care for our wounded servicemembers and their families following a deployment,” said Stephen Cozza, USU professor and associate director of the CSTS. Little data exists to suggest how servicemembers, their families and their children adjust in the aftermath of a service-related injury, MHS said. To see more, go to: www.health.mil/Press/Release.aspx?ID=660.

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USPS Announces Early-Retirement Deadlines

The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) announced new deadlines for eligible postal workers who want to apply for USPS’ latest Voluntary Early Retirement (VER) offer, according to a letter posted April 23 on the American Postal Workers Union (APWU) Web site. USPS says eligible employees—who wish to apply for VER retirement by June 30 or July 31—have until June 19 to file an application. Also, USPS has designated June 19 as the “irrevocable” date, which is the last day for those who have applied for June and July VER to change their minds and withdraw their request. Employees who wish to apply for VER effective May 31 must do so by May 15; which is also the irrevocable date for May 31 retirements. Carriers who are age 50 with at least 20 years of service, or any age with at least 25 years of service, may choose to take the option and may select one of three effective dates: May 31, June 30 or July 31, according to information posted by the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC). Those covered by Civil Service Retirement System who take the VER option must accept a permanent reduction in their annuities of 2 percent for each year they are under age 55 on the effective date of their early retirement, NALC said. There is no reduction for eligible carriers covered by Federal Employees Retirement System who take VER, but those carriers would not receive the special supplemental annuity benefits payable to annuitants under age 62, NALC said. The Postal Service’s VER offer does not provide any financial incentives (such as lump-sums or special severance payments) to choose early retirement, said NALC. To see more, go to: http://apwu.org/news/webart/2009/09-048-veradeadlines-090423.htm or www.nalc.org/news/latest/index.html#VER.

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