[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 129 (Wednesday, September 24, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1844]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          UNIFORMED SERVICES FORMER SPOUSES EQUITY ACT OF 1997

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                             HON. BOB STUMP

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 24, 1997

  Mr. STUMP. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing H.R. 2537, a bill to 
restore a small measure of balance to the way military retired pay is 
handled during a divorce.
  Under the Uniformed Services Former Spouses Protection Act, courts 
were given the authority to divide military retirement pay as property. 
Since then, the courts have almost uniformly taken advantage of that 
provision. However, this has resulted in certain injustices to military 
retirees. Chief among them is the fact that former spouses continue to 
receive a share of the retired pay even after one or more remarriages, 
regardless of the respective financial positions of the former spouse 
and the retiree. Moreover, there is no limitation on when former 
spouses can seek a division of retired pay.
  My bill has three principal components. First, it would terminate 
payments made as a division of property from retired pay upon 
remarriage of the former spouse. Second, it would require computation 
of the former spouse's portion of retired pay based on the rank and 
longevity of the individual at the time of divorce, not at the time of 
retirement. Third, it would limit the time in which a former spouse may 
seek a division of retired pay.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in seeking equity for military 
retirees.

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