Congress Just Approved More Sick Leave for Disabled Veterans in Government
October 30, 2015
Categories:
VA
Veterans should not have to face the difficult choice of missing a doctor’s appointment or risk losing their job. That’s why AFGE praises the recent passage of a bill this week that will give veterans additional sick leave to treat their service-connected issues.
The Wounded Warriors Federal Leave Act, which passed the House and the Senate on Sept. 28 and Oct. 26 respectively and is being sent to President Obama for his signature, will provide veterans who are 30% or more service-connected disabled with an additional 104 hours of sick leave for treating their service-connected issues during their first year of federal employment. Once the president has signed the bill into law, the Office of Personnel Management has nine months to implement it.
“AFGE thanks Sen. Jon Tester of Montana for shepherding the bill through the Senate so quickly,” AFGE National President J. David Cox Sr. said. “This bill will make the federal government a more supportive work environment for veterans transitioning out of military service. Too often, veterans are unfairly removed from federal service during their probationary periods. This helps level the playing field for them.”
The House bill, HR 313, was introduced in January by Rep. Stephen Lynch of Massachusetts with bipartisan support. The bipartisan Senate bill, S 242, was introduced in January by Tester and Jerry Moran of Kansas.
