Legislation would make life
a little easier for soldiers

By Tom Waring
Times Staff Writer

Patrick Campbell made sure to suspend his cell phone contract before being deployed to Iraq in 2004.
The 30-year-old Californian, a sergeant who served as a medic with the Washington, D.C., National Guard, started receiving bills from the cell phone company after six months.
The soldier, who at the time was still in Iraq as part of a 14-month deployment, eventually agreed to pay $10 a month to keep his phone number.
Campbell’s phone broke, and on his first day back in the United States, he visited a cell phone store in a mall.
He spent eight hours in the store, as the phone provider sought up to $700 in payments. He labeled the experience "a big pain."
"These are the new problems facing our service members," he said.
Campbell spoke to reporters last week on a conference call organized by U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-8th dist.), a veteran of the Iraq war.
They were lobbying for passage of Murphy’s 21st Century Servicemembers Protection Act, which he introduced in August 2007.
The act would update the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, which provides financial protection for deployed military personnel. It would expand coverage for such modern contracts as cell phone service, car insurance, utilities, cable television and Internet access.
Similar to provisions governing residential and automobile leases, it would allow deployed troops to terminate or suspend service contracts without fee or penalty. It would enable them to keep their phone numbers, would protect their credit rating and keep them free from the harassment of collection agencies.
"It’s a simple concept," said Campbell, a member of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, adding that a similar law works well in Illinois.
The legislation also adds penalties of up to $10,000 to creditors who refuse to reduce interest rates upon notification from a soldier with deployment orders.
The measure, backed by the Veterans of Foreign Wars and other military organizations, was incorporated into a larger bill, the Injunctive Relief for Veterans Act of 2008.
Murphy’s act attracted 86 bipartisan co-sponsors. It first passed the House Veterans Affairs Committee, then won approval from the full House of Representatives on July 31.
"This is the least we can do for our troops," Murphy said.
Murphy said industry leaders affected by the bill were apprehensive initially, but they eventually dropped their resistance after his staff worked closely with them on the language.
Now, the bill heads to the Senate. Murphy is lobbying Pennsylvania Sens. Arlen Specter and Bob Casey Jr. in hopes of expediting the bill.
Murphy said soldiers should focus on completing their mission and returning home safely, not worrying about whether they’ll be able to reconnect with family and friends upon their return to the United States. He believes the 21st Century Servicemembers Protection Act would remove any worries.
"We owe it to our brave troops and their families," he said.
Also last week, the House passed a Murphy-sponsored bill to prohibit funds to enforce a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ban on non-partisan voter registration drives at its facilities.
Murphy also voted for a bill that boosts funding for veterans’ health care. ••
Reporter Tom Waring can be reached at 215-354-3034 or twaring@phillynews.com