Foster unveils legislation for miliary benefits

Flanked by a military family, Congressman Bill Foster said Monday he plans to pursue legislation that would allow them and all other such families with special needs children to collect a greater chunk of family survivor benefits.

The proposed bill would allow military personnel to designate pension contributions for trust funds for the benefit of family members with special needs. Nonmilitary government workers already are currently entitled to set up such "blind trusts" which would keep dependents from being barred from also collecting Social Security disability benefits, Foster said.

The proposed legislation was spurred, in part, by the lobbying efforts of retired Army Lt. Col. Don Henzlik, a North Aurora resident who, along with his family, had spent the last two years seeking support for the idea from Foster's predecessor, Republican Dennis Hastert, as well as Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin and then-Sen. Barack Obama, both Democrats.

Henzlik's 20-year-old son, William, suffers from epilepsy and autism.

"My wife and I have worked very hard to give our son the quality of life he deserves," Henzlik said. "This is an issue of fairness. We simply wanted the same privileges as families of other federal employees."

Foster, a Geneva Democrat, said he plans to spend the next few weeks seeking a co-sponsor for his bill.

"Once they hear what this is about," Foster said, "this (bill) should be a no-brainer."