HEROES Act would retroactively increase life insurance benefit to $400,000 and death gratuity to $100,000 for servicemembers killed in combat
WASHINGTON - Senator Joe Lieberman (D-CT) today announced plans to introduce legislation later this month increasing benefits to soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines killed in combat. The Honoring Every Requirement of Exemplary Service (HEROES) Act, which Lieberman will introduce along with Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) when Congress reconvenes January 24, will increase the maximum life insurance coverage for servicemembers to $400,000 and increase the death gratuity paid to families of servicemembers killed in combat to $100,000. These benefit changes would cover all servicemembers regardless of rank, and would apply retroactively to cover those lost in Operations Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
“We can never fully repay the debt we owe the brave men and women in uniform who have made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our freedoms,” Lieberman said. “But we can help lessen the financial hardship on the families who must bury their son, daughter, wife or husband killed in combat. Our bill, the HEROES Act, significantly increases life insurance coverage for our military men and women and the death gratuity paid to their families if they die in the line of duty. This bill deserves to become law because it is what our fallen heroes and their families deserve.”
Specifically, the HEROES Act increase the Servicemen’s Group Life Insurance (SGLI) benefit to $400,000 and cover the cost of the first $150,000 for troops serving in a combat zone. Currently, the SGLI maximum coverage is $250,000.
Lieberman’s bill also increases the death gratuity to $100,000 for personnel killed in combat. The death gratuity was raised in the FY 2005 National Defense Authorization Act from $6,000 to $12,000 and indexed to the rate of annual pay raises. Raising the amount to $100,000 will substantially assist the families of service personnel lost in combat and eliminate the financial hardship so many have had to endure while planning for the burial of their husband, wife, son or daughter.
