Did you know that commissioned officers in active service with the Public Health Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are covered by the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act?
Are you an active duty member of the uniformed services? The time for midterm elections is approaching as are the deadlines to register and/or request an absentee ballot. Visit https://t.co/K0sDmTM4H1 to learn the deadline to register and request a ballot in your voting state.
The DOJ, along with our partners at the FTC, SEC, and CFPB, is dedicated to fighting financial fraud and scams targeting servicemembers and veterans. These crimes can be especially harmful to those who are serving overseas and are unable to defend their rights here at home.
“When our enemies attacked the Pentagon, they pierced the rings of this building. But they could not break the resolve of the United States Armed Forces.” President George W. Bush speaking on 9/11/2008 at the dedication of the 9/11 Pentagon Memorial.
The United States Marine Corps Reserve was established on this day in 1916. The SVI thanks the Marine Forces Reserve for its over 100 years of service. @MarForRes
In response to a properly made request to terminate cell phone service under the SCRA, the service provider may assess taxes and other charges that are due and unpaid, but may not assess an early termination charge.
Under the SCRA, the term “dependent” includes a servicemember’s spouse, children, and any other person for whom the servicemember has provided more than half of their financial support for the past 180 days.
1/3: DOJ has reached a settlement with WiFi Alliance (WIFI), a non-profit in Austin, TX, resolving a claim that WIFI allegedly violated the USERRA rights of LTC Charles O’Donnell, an Army Reservist.
2/3: Under the settlement agreement, which was reached on July 18th, WIFI will pay LTC O’Donnell $62,500 in back pay and initiate company-wide training and policy updates to address USERRA and servicemember employment rights.
Are you a servicemember who is being relocated for at least 90 days to a place that doesn’t support your cell phone contract? Under the SCRA, you may be entitled to terminate that contract provided that you entered into it before you received the military orders to relocate.
The “uniformed services” for purposes of USERRA include: the Armed Forces active and Reserve components, the Army and Air National Guards, FEMA’s disaster assistance teams, and the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service.
1/2: DOJ reached a settlement on 5/18 w/ the Puerto Rico Police Bureau resolving allegations that PRPB violated USERRA by failing to make the promotions of 3 officers/PR Army Nat’l Guard members retroactive to when they would have been promoted but for their military service.
2/2: Under the terms of the settlement, PRPB has agreed to, among other things, compensate the three officers/servicemembers about $25K in lost wages, correct the effective dates of their promotions, and change a policy to ensure compliance with USERRA.
Justice Department Reaches Settlement Agreement with the Puerto Rico Police Bureau on Behalf of Three Puerto Rico Army National Guard Members: https://t.co/HINt3T5QnE
Today is Gold Star Spouses Day, a day of recognition for the surviving spouses of military members killed in the line of duty in combat. Please join the SVI and the DOJ in honoring the sacrifices the families at home make while our servicemembers are serving the country.
The AG has assigned responsibility for handling USERRA referrals to the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division. The Division’s Employment Litigation Section handles the referrals, often in cooperation with local United States Attorneys’ Offices.