Duval Times

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and a bipartisan group of lawmakers have reintroduced the Intelligence Community Workforce Agility Protection Act to expand tax benefits to members of the intelligence community who must relocate due to a change in assignment. Currently, intelligence community civilians face tax penalties for job-related relocations, while active-duty military servicemembers are exempt from these penalties.

The legislation aims to rectify this disparity and ensure that intelligence community professionals are not burdened with out-of-pocket costs for their relocations. The proposed bill would allow intelligence community members to deduct moving expenses from their federal taxes, similar to the benefits provided to military servicemembers.

"We ask a lot from the men and women who serve our nation, especially those in the intelligence community," said Senator Rubio. "Extending this benefit to those who sacrifice so much in defense of our nation is common sense to enable our intelligence community to recruit and retain a highly qualified workforce."

Joining Senator Rubio in sponsoring the bill are Senators Mark Warner (D-VA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Susan Collins (R-ME), Mike Rounds (R-SD), and Michael Bennet (D-CO). The bipartisan group emphasizes the importance of supporting intelligence community professionals, who often uproot their lives to serve wherever they are needed.

Senator Warner stated, "Like the men and women of our armed forces, our intelligence community professionals go to extraordinary lengths to serve and protect their country. They often uproot their lives to go serve where they are needed – no matter where that may be. This commonsense legislation will ensure that these brave Americans are not forced to pay out of pocket for the costs of their relocations."

Senator Gillibrand echoed this sentiment, saying, "Members of the intelligence community devote their lives to serving our country and they deserve our support. Enabling the intelligence community to deduct moving expenses from their federal taxes is a simple, but important, provision that honors their dedication."

To learn more about the Intelligence Community Workforce Agility Protection Act, you can visit here.

For additional information on the legislation, you can refer to the press release issued by Senator Rubio and his colleagues in July 2021.