VIPMOAA Legislative Affairs Program

Our local team seeks to engage and work with Federal, State, and local elected officials, to seek positive change for the members of the uniformed services, our nation’s veterans, and all military families and survivors.  We remain nonpartisan and work with all elected officials to gain support to both sustain or increase benefits, health care, and compensation in support of the uniformed services and their families.

VIPMOAA coordinates with MOAA’s Virginia Council of Chapters (VCOC) to improve legislative effectiveness, both national and state, to addresses challenges specific to the uniformed services, as well as other military organizations, in Virginia.

                                                                        NATIONAL

Work in concert with MOAA National’s Government Relations Office to provide support to Legislative objectives by:

• Interacting with Virginia’s Senators and Representatives from Congressional Districts within the Chapter’s geographic boundaries via mail, e-mail, or invitations to speak at Chapter events.

• Visiting the elected official’s District offices.

• Encouraging Chapter members to personally communicate with elected officials to urge their support of important legislation.

• Support Virginia Council of Chapters’ annual “Congressional Luncheon” held in the D.C. area.

                                                            STATE LEVEL

•  The Chapter is active in supporting the Virginia Council of Chapters, which is composed of representatives of all MOAA chapters throughout Virginia.

• Participate in and support “VCOC Day at the Capitol” event in Richmond, VA, to meet with State legislators to urge support of proposed State legislation being considered to benefit military members, et al, who are residents of or are stationed in Virginia.
• Visiting Virginia elected officials’ District offices.

• Some of the significant state-oriented legislative accomplishments in 2022 include:

            - Income tax deduction on the first $10,000 for military retirees, those ages 55                                and older, for tax year 2022, which will increase to $20k in 2023, $30k in 2024                             and $40k in 2025.

            -  Voluntary property tax reduction for surviving spouses whose military spouse                           died in the line of duty (not killed by enemy). 

VIPMOAA needs your energy and support to keep the momentum going for existing national priorities such as the Major Richard Star Act, which would benefit tens of thousands of combat-injured veterans and had the support of two-thirds of Congress at the end of last session. We also need your support to engage with elected officials as new objectives and emergent issues develop, as in getting the Virginia Assembly to pass legislation to remove the age 55 start date for the military retiree income tax deduction.