Bill Overview
Title: Military Spouse Entrepreneur Reimbursement Act
Description: This bill authorizes the military department concerned to reimburse certain business costs (e.g., equipment removal or relocation) incurred by the spouse of a member of the Armed Forces when the member is reassigned or moved to a new duty station.
Sponsors: Rep. Escobar, Veronica [D-TX-16]
Target Audience
Population: Spouses of armed forces members running businesses
Estimated Size: 60000
- The bill targets spouses of military personnel, specifically those who are running businesses.
- When military personnel are reassigned, it disrupts not only their lives but also the lives of their families, especially those with business interests.
- Many military spouses choose to run their own businesses due to the flexibility it offers, accommodating frequent relocations.
- The U.S. Department of Defense reports there are over 1.3 million active-duty members of the Armed Forces.
- It is estimated that there are approximately 626,000 spouses of active-duty personnel.
- Among these spouses, it is reasonable to assume a fraction are entrepreneurs who might require reimbursement due to relocation.
Reasoning
- I have chosen a diverse range of military spouses who run different types of businesses and have varying experiences with relocations.
- The commonness reflects the likelihood of encountering such individuals in the US population of military spouse entrepreneurs.
- I chose a mix of high, medium, and low impact to illustrate the varying degrees of policy impact on different business scenarios.
- The well-being scores reflect both current challenges due to relocations and potential improvements if the policy were implemented.
Simulated Interviews
Café Owner (San Diego, CA)
Age: 35 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Relocating my café every time we move is costly and exhausting.
- It would be a relief to have some financial help with these moves.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Freelance Graphic Designer (Fort Bragg, NC)
Age: 28 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Most of my work is online, so I'm not as affected by moves as others might be.
- I appreciate the gesture of support, but I might not need to utilize it.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Personal Trainer (Colorado Springs, CO)
Age: 42 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Each move makes me start over with finding clients, which is stressful and impacts my income.
- Financial help for moving equipment and setup would be wonderful.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Online Retailer (Norfolk, VA)
Age: 31 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- My business hardly gets affected by relocations, so I wouldn't really need this policy.
- It's great for others who deal with physical goods or local services.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
Surf School Instructor (Oahu, HI)
Age: 38 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Moving all the surf gear and losing regular clients every few years is tough.
- This policy could really ease the financial strain of relocating our equipment.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Etsy Shop Owner (Fayetteville, NC)
Age: 30 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Having an online shop helps, but the local markets are where I gain visibility and customers.
- The policy could help pay for relocation-related expenses when setting up at a new place.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Day-care Operator (San Antonio, TX)
Age: 27 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 7.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's hard to constantly find new families that I can provide day-care services for every time we move.
- This policy would definitely help cover the costs of setting up my home for a new day-care.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Consultant (Washington, DC)
Age: 33 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 14/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Moving doesn't affect my work much since it's all about managing my projects.
- I'm more concerned about the personal time lost during relocations than the business costs.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
Landscaper (Jacksonville, FL)
Age: 40 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 6.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The cost of transporting my tools and finding new clients after every move is a major stressor.
- A policy like this would definitely help relieve the burden of relocation expenses.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Yoga Instructor (El Paso, TX)
Age: 29 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- My online classes are stable, but moving means I lose my local studio clients.
- This policy could help with transitioning to new studios and marketing in new areas.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $27000000 (Low: $24000000, High: $30000000)
Year 2: $28000000 (Low: $25000000, High: $31000000)
Year 3: $29000000 (Low: $26000000, High: $32000000)
Year 5: $31000000 (Low: $28000000, High: $34000000)
Year 10: $34000000 (Low: $31000000, High: $37000000)
Year 100: $44000000 (Low: $41000000, High: $47000000)
Key Considerations
- The policy aims to alleviate financial burdens on military households, enhancing family stability.
- Cost estimates are based on assumptions about the percentage of eligible spouses applying for reimbursements and their average costs.
- Economic impacts outside the target group are minimal as the reimbursement influences only a small financial segment.