|
||
|
In this Update:
Next Veteran Service Officer Day is July 14
My office is continuing to host Veteran Service Officer Days every month to help veterans who have questions or need help applying for benefits they have earned through their service. The next event will take place on Tuesday, July 15 at my Strasburg district office. Community residents can schedule an appointment by calling my office at 717-397-1309. Senate Votes to Install Braille Flag at PA Capitol
A new Braille Flag monument honoring veterans with visual impairments could be installed at the Pennsylvania Capitol Building under legislation I authored that was approved by the Senate this week. The Braille Flag was created to honor the service of veterans who have been left with life-long visual disabilities. Similar monuments have been installed at Arlington National Cemetery and the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville. The display would be sponsored by the Moose Lodge and the American Braille Flag Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to the placement of these flags throughout the country. Read more about this legislation here. Displaying the POW/MIA Flag at Public Schools
In June, the Senate unanimously passed Senate Bill 835, which would require the display of the official POW/MIA flag when space permits, at public schools during times the U.S. flag is also flown. To read more about the legislation, click here. PA Guard Military Family Education Program
As students begin preparing for the fall semester, Pennsylvania National Guard members are reminded their families could be eligible for assistance to offset the cost of higher education. The Military Family Education Program is for Guard members who completed an initial service obligation on or after July 1, 2019, and is eligible to reenlist in the PA National Guard for a period of six years. The grants can be used for a degree-granting or certificate-granting curriculum, course of study, or training program required for entrance into a specific career at an approved Pennsylvania institution of higher learning. Read more details and find applications here. Beware of the “Veterans Savings Program” Postcard Scam
Veterans and their spouses are being targeted by a new postcard scam advertising a fraudulent “Veterans Saving Program.” The mailer claims eligibility for an extra $185 monthly payment and dental benefits, but the program does not exist. More information about this scam is available here. Posting of Veterans’ Benefits
With the enactment of Act 31 of 2025, Pennsylvania businesses with at least 50 employees are now required to display the benefits and services available to veterans from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs along with contact information for veterans’ resources. Veteran Benefits Assistance
The Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) provides veterans and their beneficiaries with free and safe assistance when applying for benefits. Seeking free help from the DMVA can help veterans avoid scams and exploitation from people looking to profit from veterans’ earned benefits. For more information about pension poaching, click here. Veteran Burial Benefits
Eligible veterans and their spouses can receive no-cost burial benefits at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) national cemeteries. These benefits include burial in a VA National Cemetery, headstone or marker with inscription included and gravesite maintenance in perpetuity. Veterans’ spouses are still eligible for these benefits if they pre-decease the veteran or if the veteran is interred in a non-VA cemetery. For more information on veteran burial benefits from the VA, click here. National Parks Military Lifetime Pass
Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces and members of Gold Star Families are eligible for a free Military Lifetime Pass at national parks, which will admit the passholder and accompanying passengers in a non-commercial vehicle at per vehicle fee areas, or the passholder and up to three additional people over the age of 16 where per person fees are charged. Passes cover entrance and day-use fees at lands managed by the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Reclamation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. To request a free digital pass, click here. To request a physical pass, which requires a $12.50 shipping and handling fee, click here.
If you have a question about the information in this e-newsletter or other state related matters that you would like a response to, please click HERE to submit your inquiry through my website. This will help to ensure that we are able to respond to your question in a timely fashion due to the high volume of emails and the ever growing amount of computer generated spam mail we receive daily. |
||
|
||
Want to change how you receive these emails? 2026 © Senate of Pennsylvania | https://senatorscottmartinpa.com | Privacy Policy |
