Tester’s bipartisan bill to modernize American Legion becomes law

Senator’s measure allows dues to be paid electronically

(U.S. SENATE) – Senator Jon Tester’s bipartisan bill to modernize the American Legion, Sons of the American Legion, and the American Legion Auxiliary is now law.

The President today signed Tester’s bill permitting the American Legion, whose charter is approved by Congress, to accept debit and credit card payments online. Currently, veterans can only pay membership dues by cash or check.

“Senator Tester has built a career upon standing up for Montanans and for veterans,” said Dave McLean, former Montana Commander of the American Legion. “This new law will make it easier for more veterans to get the support and resources they need – and it serves as one more example of Jon taking action to benefit veterans across Montana and the country.”

Tester wrote the bill with Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., after gathering input from Montana veterans. He said that the change will make it easier for newer generations of veterans to benefit from membership in the service organization.

“Montana veterans came to me with a problem and we worked together on this common sense solution,” said Tester, Montana’s only member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee. “Now, veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan can easily turn to the American Legion for critical support and resources. That’s one less hurdle for veterans to overcome.”

In 2010, the National Convention of the American Legion adopted an amendment to allow for dues to be paid online with debit and credit cards, but all changes to the Legion’s charter must be approved by Congress and signed into law by the President of the United States.

The American Legion was chartered and incorporated by Congress in 1919 in the wake of World War I. Nearly one hundred years later, it is the nation’s largest veterans service organization.

A copy of Tester’s bill to modernize the Legion is online HERE.

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