AFSA corner: General membership meeting Aug. 29

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MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  The Air Force Sergeant's Association will be holding a general membership meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 29 at 11 a.m. in the Grizzly Bend. Everyone is welcome to attend the meeting.

The AFSA works to improve quality of life programs for current and veteran Air Force members. Most recently, the association has been involved in the passing of House Bill 1627: Honoring America's Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012, which was put in place after being signed by the President on Aug. 6. Two hot topics of this bill include:

Sec. 206: The Department of Veterans Affairs housing loan guarantees for surviving spouses of certain totally disabled veterans.

Before the bill, Veterans Affairs loan eligibility extended only to surviving spouses of military members who were killed in service or whose deaths were linked to a service-connected disability. After H.R. 1627 was signed, the VA loan program opened to spouses whose veterans had permanent service-connected disabilities for at least 10 years preceding their death.

Sec. 210: Waiver of loan fee for individuals with disability ratings issued during pre-discharge programs.

Before the bill, the VA waived its mandatory funding fee on purchase and refinance loans for borrowers with service-connected disabilities. However, active-duty military members preparing to separate from the service found themselves caught in a financial no-man's land. Many got a VA disability exam before being discharged, but waited months to receive an official disability rating. Despite proof that the official disability rating was forthcoming, lenders still required veterans who bought a home during that waiting period to pay the full funding fee. This bill closed that loophole. Now, funding fees will be waived for everyone who is eligible.

Readers can review the full text and status of this bill at: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/112/hr1627

Also, the AFSA International Legislative Committee Bulletin 2012-092 has recently been published.

For more information on the AFSA membership meeting, contact Staff Sgt. Mary Ann Pastor via email at mary_ann.pastor@us.af.mil.