The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA), is a law designed to ease the financial burdens during periods of military service. This law amended the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Civil Relief Act of 1940.

The SCRA provides benefits to the following individuals:

1. Full-time active duty members of the five military branches (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard);
2. Reservists on federal active duty;
3. Members of the National Guard on federal orders for a period of more than 30 days;
4. Commissioned officers in active service of the Public Health Service (PHS);
5. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); and
6. Servicemembers absent from duty for a lawful cause or because of sickness, wounds or leave.

The SCRA’s benefits and protections include:

1. a six percent interest rate cap on financial obligations that were incurred prior to military service;
2. the ability to stay civil court proceedings;
3. protections in connection with default judgments;
4. protections in connection with residential (apartment) lease terminations;
5. protections in connection with evictions, mortgage foreclosures, and installment contracts such as car loans.

If you qualify under the SCRA you may terminate your residential lease agreement by submitting a written notice and a copy of your orders, or a letter from a commanding officer, to the landlord or landlord’s agent.

The Department of Defense has an SCRA website at https://scra.dmdc.osd.mil/scra/#/home, where you can print out records and receive more information about the SCRA.

The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), protects the right of servicemembers to return to work after a period of federal military service. It provides that returning servicemembers are to be reemployed in the job that they would have attained had they not been absent for military service, (the "escalator" principle), with the same seniority, status and pay, as well as other rights and benefits determined by seniority.

USERRA protects civilian job rights and benefits for veterans and members of the active and Reserve components of the U.S. armed forces.

To return to work a servicemember must:

• provide advanced written or oral notice of service;
• have been called away from work for no more than five years of cumulative time in the uniformed service;
• timely return to work or apply for reemployment; and
• serve under honorable conditions.

Yes, USERRA does have limitations that are separated out by time periods, they are as follows:

• Less than 31 days service: By the beginning of the first regularly scheduled work period after the end of the calendar day of duty, plus time required to return home safely and an eight-hour rest period. If this is impossible or unreasonable, then as soon as possible.
• 31 to 180 days: The employee must apply for reemployment no later than 14 days after completion of military service. If this is impossible or unreasonable through no fault of the employee, then as soon as possible
• 181 days or more: The employee must apply for reemployment no later than 90 days after completion of military service.
• Service-connected injury or illness: Reporting or application deadlines are extended for up to two years for persons who are hospitalized or convalescing.

A servicemember can file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Labor, Veterans Employment and Training Services VETS at 1-866-4-USA-DOL or visit its website at www.dol.gov/agencies/vets. An interactive online USERRA Advisor can be viewed at webapps.dol.gov/elaws/userra.htm.