GERALD GREENE: Supporting our Georgia soldiers and veterans

By now, you have seen the images of our soldiers in Afghanistan. You have seen U.S. soldiers attempting to keep our allies free from harm and striving to ensure that all Americans are brought back safely. The commitment of our servicemen and women to keeping Americans safe, even at great risk to themselves, deserves our utmost respect and gratitude.

Listed below are several recent ways that I have supported our service members and their families. This year, House Bill 338 was passed, expanding which veterans are entitled to a veteran driver’s license. Any Georgian who served in active military, naval, or air service and was discharged or released under conditions that were not dishonorable will be eligible for a veteran’s license.

Expanding the definition of those eligible for this license was, quite simply, the right thing to do. Honoring our veterans for their service with a special driver’s license is a small token of our appreciation for those who were willing to risk their lives to protect our nation, and I was proud to vote for the measure.

An ongoing priority of mine is to provide our service members and their families the smoothest path I can as they transition back to civilian life. In 2020, House Bill 914 was passed, which allows professional licensing boards to expedite license processing for military spouses or members of the military who are transitioning to civilian life and currently hold a license in good standing in another state.

In 2021, we continued to make it easier for service members and their families to move into the next stage of their life after serving our country. House Bills 34, 268 and 395 were passed. These three bills bring Georgia into agreements with other states that will give greater flexibility to service members and their families who may have received licenses in other states for audiology, speech-language pathology, occupational therapy or professional counseling. These agreements will provide a quicker process for these professionals to become licensed in the state of Georgia.

In the Fiscal Year 2022 budget, I supported including almost $200,000 for the Troops to Teachers program, which offers military members a path to become classroom teachers. I also supported providing more than $2 million of bond funding for the Georgia War Veterans Nursing Home in Milledgeville to purchase new equipment, fixtures and furniture, and $1 million of bond funding was provided to create a state veterans cemetery in Richmond County. I will always support our service members and their families — from the moment they join the armed forces and throughout their time after retirement.

Thank you all for allowing me to represent Georgia House District 151. It is truly an honor to work for you and this great state. As always, please do not hesitate to call (404) 656-9210 or email me at [email protected] to share your thoughts and concerns.

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