Glen Burnie, MD (October 23, 2019) – For the more than 55,000 veterans that call Anne Arundel County home, information and access to benefits just became a bit easier. The Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) and the Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration (MDOT MVA) today officially opened a new Veterans Service Center at the MDOT MVA Glen Burnie branch office. The office, located on the ground floor at 6601 Ritchie Highway, has a full-time veteran’s benefits specialist available to provide representation to veterans and families when applying for U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs benefits.
“Our administration was proud to honor Maryland’s veterans by proclaiming 2019 as the Year of the Veteran, a yearlong observance to raise awareness of the brave service and sacrifice our veterans and their families have made for Maryland and our nation,” said Governor Larry Hogan. “This partnership between our state agencies, for a new and first-of-its-kind veteran’s service center in Anne Arundel County, will improve the delivery of vital resources for even more veterans. We are committed to finding more ways to support these deserving heroes.”
MDOT MVA also announced that legislation will be introduced during the 2020 Maryland General Assembly legislative session that would exempt active duty military personnel from the requirements of the state’s Vehicle Emissions Inspection Program (VEIP) if they are deployed outside of the U.S. or stationed in a non-emissions inspection area. Under the proposal, active duty military customers meeting the requirements would be able to defer testing of their vehicles for one inspection cycle at a time, which is two years for certain vehicles, and may apply for additional waivers for as long as they qualify.
MDVA Secretary George Owings and MDOT MVA Administrator Chrissy Nizer were joined Wednesday by Baltimore Veterans Affairs Regional Office Director Antione Waller to cut the ribbon on the new Veterans Service Center. Also attending were staff representatives from Maryland’s U.S. Congressional Delegation, members of the Maryland General Assembly Veterans Caucus and Anne Arundel County Delegation, as well as representatives from the Anne Arundel County Executive’s Office and Veterans Affairs Commission. Maryland Senator Pam Beidle presented a citation on behalf of the county delegation to the General Assembly.
“I could not be more pleased to be partnering with MDOT MVA,” said MDVA Secretary Owings. “This interagency collaboration allows our department to conveniently serve more Anne Arundel County veterans, as well as those in surrounding communities, in an accessible location where they are already doing business.”
The Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs Service and Benefits Program aids men and women who served in the uniformed services of the United States, as well as their dependents and survivors, in obtaining benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the U.S. Department of Defense, the State of Maryland and other agencies. These service centers are located in 13 communities throughout Maryland. The Glen Burnie center is the first of its kind in Anne Arundel County, which is home to the second largest veteran population in Maryland.
“MDOT MVA is committed to honoring our veterans and is always looking for ways to better serve them,” said MDOT MVA Administrator Nizer. “The new service center gives veterans the opportunity to take care not only of Veterans Affairs and MDOT MVA business, but also access to other government services such as E-ZPass, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Precheck and Transportation Worker Identification Credentials (TWIC). The forthcoming VEIP legislation for active duty military is a testament to MDOT MVA’s commitment to providing premier customers service by ensuring access and convenience for everyone, especially the brave men and women serving in our military.”
MDOT MVA also has several ways for veterans to show their pride. Driver license and identification card holders can add the “Veterans Status” to their card, which indicates they are eligible for state veteran benefits. MDOT MVA also issues permanent vehicle registration cards and license plate stickers to Maryland veterans who qualify as 100 percent disabled. There are also more than 100 types of specialty license plates honoring veterans and their families. Visit mva.maryland.gov/drivers/pages/military.aspx for more information.
To learn more about the Glen Burnie veterans service office or to meet with a veteran’s benefits specialist, call 410-424-3039.
CONTACT:
Dana Burl, MDVA
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