Savannah Chamber Joins Statewide Chambers In Celebrating Passage of Military Spousal Licensing Reform
The Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce is joining its partner chambers from around the state in thanking the Georgia General Assembly for passing a military spousal licensing reform bill. This bill was the top legislative priority for the Savannah Chamber and the Georgia Chamber’s Hub Chamber Council, a policy coalition featuring leadership from 11 of the state’s major Hub communities outside of metro Atlanta.
The Council has worked in close partnership with military installations across Georgia to advocate for the passage of significant reforms to the state’s licensing procedures for military spouses.
“Georgia is home to 11 military installations that contribute more than $19 billion in economic impact annually to our state,” said Georgia Chamber President and CEO Chris Clark. “The spouses of our active-duty service members deserve the opportunity to live, work, and raise their families here in Georgia without the burden of excessive wait times for their occupational licenses. We commend Rep. Bethany Ballard (R-Warner Robins) and the Georgia General Assembly for their efforts to see this legislation across the finish line.”
Military spouses routinely lose six to nine months of income due to wait times associated with the transfer of occupational licenses. HB 880 brings Georgia into compliance with the “Federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act” by ensuring that qualified military spouses may obtain their Georgia occupational license within 30 days of application after receiving official orders of a permanent change of station.
“Georgia’s military spouses face a 21 percent unemployment rate compared to 3.7 percent for the general population, impacting the financial security of military families and the readiness of our active-duty military personnel,” said Barbara Rivera Holmes, president, and CEO of the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce and Chair of the Georgia Chamber Hub Council, many of whose members represent military communities. “The updates proposed by HB 880 strengthen Georgia as a military state and will benefit our state’s military families and the greater economy by providing a streamlined pathway to employment in some of Georgia’s highest-demand careers.”
The Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce is a proud member of the Hub Chamber Council and commends the work of all who have dedicated time to this issue over the past two years. “Keeping our military families here in Coastal Georgia is a major part of our workforce development strategy,” added Bert Brantley, the President & CEO of the Savannah Chamber. “This bill will help us retain servicemembers as they complete their duty from Fort Stewart or Hunter Army Airfield by making it easy for their spouses to work in their chosen field.”
To learn more about the Georgia Chamber’s Hub Council and its efforts to advocate for the citizens and businesses of our Hub communities, visit www.gachamber.com/hub-council/.
