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| Woolsey Proposal Would Ease Burden of Deployments on Military Families | | June 19, 2008 | |
| Washington, DC – Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey, the Chair of the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, today announced legislation to ease the burden of deployments on thousands of military families, joining Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Russ Feingold (D-WI) in introducing The Military Family Support Act. The proposal would give federal employees designated as caregivers increased flexibility in using their accrued sick leave to help them handle the increased family responsibilities resulting from the deployment of a loved one. Senators Feingold and Casey introduced companion legislation today in the Senate.
“The Military Family Support Act sends a message to our service men and women, and their loved ones, that we not only stand beside them as they deal with the physical and mental wounds of war, but that we stand beside their families as well,” said Woolsey.
The legislation, which is supported by the National Military Family Association, would require the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to create a program to allow federal employees to use accrued leave in a variety of situations. Eligible employees would be able to use their leave to arrange child care, attend spousal support meetings, or address financial and legal obligations resulting from the deployment.
This is not the first legislation that Woolsey has introduced on behalf of military families. It follows Woolsey’s Support for Injured Servicemembers Act, a proposal to expand FMLA protections to private sector employees caring for injured service members. The legislation, which was signed into law by President Bush earlier this year, provides 6 months of unpaid, job-protected leave to the spouse, parent, child, or next of kin of service members who are injured in the line of duty, allowing them to care for injured service members without having to fear losing their jobs.
“As a result of the Support for Injured Servicemembers Act, private sector employees no longer have to choose between losing their job and caring for a wounded family member,” said Woolsey. “I believe that federal employees must have that same opportunity, and this proposal would greatly increase their flexibility in not only caring for an injured loved one, but caring for their family while their loved one is deployed.” |
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