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Bill would let troops cancel more contracts

A Virginia lawmaker wants to expand the rights of service members and families to avoid financial penalties resulting from deployments.

Rep. Gerald Connelly, D-Va., wants to build on legislation allowing the cancellation without penalty of cell phone contracts, home and auto leases, and Internet and cable service with some additional protections he calls the Helping Active Duty Deployed Act.

“It is unconscionable that members of our armed forces who put their lives on the line to protect our freedom are charged early termination penalties when facing deployment or change of station,” he said.

The bill mainly addresses loopholes in protection provided by the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act.

For example, the law already allows the cancellation of cell phone contracts when troops are deployed or ordered to a new duty station. But Connelly’s bill would extend the protections so that cell phone contracts for family plans also could be terminated without penalty.

Connelly said service members with family plans “are faced with two unpalatable options: Continue to pay for a family plan they are no longer able to use or pay an early termination penalty.”

The law also allows termination of a residential lease, but still allows landlords to impose a penalty, something Connelly’s bill would change.

His legislation also would require colleges and universities to refund tuition when someone is forced to leave school because of deployment or reassignment.

His bill, HR 2874, is endorsed by Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.

It was referred to the House veterans’ affairs and education committees for review. Connelly hopes to take a shortcut in the legislative process by getting the bill considered as an amendment to the 2010 defense authorization bill, which will be debated on the House floor next week, said George Burke, a spokesman for Connelly.

The defense bill, HR 2647, would be a fitting place for Connelly’s legislation because it already contains a provision related to financial protections for troops.

That is language sponsored by Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Pa., making clear that utilities such as water, gas, electricity and oil also can be canceled without penalty if a service member deploys on a contingency operation for 90 days or longer or must make a permanent change-of-station move to a location not served by the utility.