Massachusetts Bill to Cut Red Tape for Military Families Could Also Aid Barnes Air National Guard Base’s Quest for New Fighter Jets

WESTFIELD — A proposal to improve military spouses’ job prospects could also boost Barnes Air National Guard Base’s prospects with the Department of Defense.

Legislation filed by Sen. John Velis would cut down on certain licensing requirements for service members and their spouses seeking to use their out-of-state credentials in Massachusetts. It would also expedite the enrollment of their children in Massachusetts schools.

Such a move could help make the Westfield military base a top choice for federal investments, like the next-generation F-35A Lightning II fighter jets that Barnes is on the short list to receive.

“Massachusetts is far and away the best state when it comes to looking out for our service members and veterans,” said Velis, D- Westfield, a major in the U.S. Army Reserve. “Where we need to play a little catchup is in our advocacy for the families.”

That includes cutting red tape for military families moving into Massachusetts, he said.

“When spouses are unable to find work, it leads many service members to leave the military,” Velis told lawmakers Tuesday. “These problems lead to dwindling trained forces and major troop-readiness concerns that affect our entire national security.”

The Pentagon completed a site evaluation of the Westfield base in June ahead of making a decision on whether Barnes will receive the coveted fighter jets. Also in the running are bases in California and Louisiana. Officials said the word won’t come down for several months.

A spokesperson for Barnes did not respond to an email Tuesday seeking comment on Velis’ bill.

Christopher Arnold, the northeast liaison from the Pentagon’s Defense-State Liaison Office, told lawmakers approving the bill would help Massachusetts meet the Defense Department’s criteria as it considers the base for upgraded F-15EX planes or new F-35As. The new fighter jets would replace the base’s aging F-15C fleet.

Massachusetts licensing laws have faced scrutiny for years as physical therapists, nurses and others face delays to get the green light to practice in the Bay State. Service members can receive orders to relocate every few years. For their spouses, the wait to get out-of-state credentials approved in Massachusetts can throw a wrench in the job search.

“While military spouses as a group are more educated than their civilian counterparts and many are actively pursuing careers, they often struggle to find work,” Arnold said during his testimony Tuesday afternoon. “This is due in large part to the challenges of military life, including frequent military-ordered moves.”

Velis’ bill, S.2433, would require the state’s Division of Professional Licensure to approve or deny a service member or spouse’s license within 30 days of applying.

Other provisions in the bill would help the service member’s children better adjust to their new school. Under the bill, students would be able to enroll remotely before showing up.

Service members stationed in Massachusetts for military orders would be eligible for in-state tuition, as would their spouses and children. They could still be considered in-state students if they receive military orders to leave Massachusetts.

“These changes will ensure that we are doing everything in our power to ease transitions for these families who are already sacrificing so much for us,” Velis said. “These changes are also an important signal to the Department of Defense that our military installations are primed with support and that we are a viable state for future investments.”

The bill would put Massachusetts in line with 22 other states considered “Purple Star” states. A Purple Star School is a public or charter school that has trained its staff to meet the needs of military students, appointed a school liaison for military students, created a transition or “welcome” program or taken other steps to help military families acclimate, according to the Military Child Education Coalition, a national advocacy group.

The coalition estimates some 200,000 students connected to the military transition to a new school on an average year. An estimated 80% of them attend public school, said Tim Farrell, senior vice president and chief operating officer at the coalition.

“When you can feel confident that the school gets it, the teachers get it, the guidance counselors get it, the administrator gets it and is helping the family that’s behind (a deployed service member), when that service member returns home, they’re able to reinvolve them — all of those things just gel together, and the Purple Star School program is the collator of it,” Farrell said.

Related Content:

• Pentagon completes comprehensive evaluation of Barnes Air National Guard Base in Westfield ahead of F-35 jet decision
• A ‘jewel of the Air National Guard’: Barnes Regional Airport celebrates $4.7 million taxiway and ramp project while angling for F-35 fighter jets
• Gov. Charlie Baker meets at Pentagon with Air Force brass as Westfield works to get F-35 fighter jets at Barnes Air National Guard Base

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