MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WAFF) – On Monday President Joe Biden signed the Supporting Families of the Fallen Act into law, which Senator Tommy Tuberville sponsored.
The bill is to increase the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance and Veterans’ Group Life Insurance benefit coverage. The coverage amount will go from $400,000 to $500,000, SGLI and VGLI coverage amounts have not been updated in 17 years.
“The Supporting Families of the Fallen Act is long overdue and will authorize the Servicemebers’ Group Life Insurance and Veterans’ Group Life Insurance to catch up with inflation. This legislation is ultimately about supporting the families of service members and MOAA looks forward to growing bi-partisan support for this important modernization of life insurance,” President and CEO of Military Officers Association of America Dana Atkins said.
Sen. Tuberville introduced the bill in Sept. 2021, the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee passed the bill in December 2021 and was approved by the full senate in March. It was passed by the House of Representatives last month.
“The families of America’s heroes deserve our unwavering support and appreciation,” Sen. Tuberville said. “Increasing the life insurance benefit provided to families of those who pay the ultimate sacrifice was long overdue, and I am proud to see this important legislation signed into law. We can never fully repay our service members and military families for their sacrifice, but I am committed to finding ways to show our appreciation by doing everything I can to support our troops and their loved ones.”
U.S. senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Rick Scott (R-FL), Mike Braun (R-IN), John Barrasso (R-WY), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), John Cornyn (R-TX), Mike Rounds (R-SD) and Roger Wicker (R-MS) cosponsored the legislation.
