Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed a bipartisan bill that provides compensation to Michigan National Guard soldiers who were deployed at the U.S. Capitol earlier this year.

House Bill 4019 is intended to support the National Guard Soldiers who purchased many out-of-pocket meals during their stay in Washington D.C. because of insufficient food served through a third-party vendor.

"I am grateful to the brave men and women of the Michigan National Guard for their service earlier this year protecting our nation’s Capitol Building," said Governor Whitmer. "The Michigan National Guard has risen to the occasion over the past year as we responded to COVID-19, natural disasters, and civil unrest. It is unacceptable that our service members faced hardships of inadequate meals while serving our nation. I am delighted to sign this bipartisan bill to recognize Michigan National Guard members for their service."

Governor Whitmer visited the servicemembers in early March to thank them for their service.

Key provisions of the bill include:

• The Department of Military and Veteran Affairs must issue a one-time grant to eligible solders who were deployed in D.C. in support of the Capitol Response II mission within 45 days of receiving the funds.
• The DMVA must divide the total amount donated, up to $110,000, by the number of eligible soldiers who were deployed so that each servicemember receives the same amount of grant money.

Click here to view a copy of HB 4019.