Veterans & Military Families

Virginia is home to over 700,000 veterans, and our state government can and must do more to honor their service and sacrifices. The men and women of our armed services put their lives on the line each and every day to protect our country. When they return from their tour of duty, we need to provide them with all necessary resources to thrive as they adjust to civilian life. I will work to provide veterans with job retraining and access to high-quality jobs in the 44th district, affordable housing, and the comprehensive healthcare they need to live healthy, successful lives. In addition, we can help military families by connecting them with job opportunities and expanding their access to health and mental healthcare services.

During the 2016 session, I patroned HB 391 , which aimed to prevent the State Corporation Commission from issuing licenses for the operation of a motor vehicle title loan office within 10 miles of a military base in order to protect service members from predatory title lending. In 2017, I copatroned HB 1841 which would have established the Virginia Veteran Entrepreneurship Grant Program and Fund to provide grants to eligible providers of educational, training, or other services to veterans in the areas of starting their own business, purchasing a franchise, or other entrepreneurial endeavors and to assist such service providers in offering resources to veterans for the start-up of new veteran-owned business operations in the Commonwealth. This session, I voted to pass several bills related to license reciprocity for military spouses and their families, which allow teachers, physical therapists, and nurses who have licenses in other states to practice here in Virginia. I was also proud to support Leader Filler-Corn’s constitutional amendment this past session to allow tax exemptions for one motor vehicle of a veteran who has a 100 percent service-connected, permanent, and total disability.