[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4954 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4954

 To amend the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to authorize leave 
for the immediate family members of a member of the uniformed services 
who dies in the line of duty to facilitate the attendance of immediate 
  family members at the burial ceremony of the member, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 22, 2004

  Mr. Honda introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
   Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the 
Committees on Government Reform and House Administration, for a period 
    to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
                          committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to authorize leave 
for the immediate family members of a member of the uniformed services 
who dies in the line of duty to facilitate the attendance of immediate 
  family members at the burial ceremony of the member, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Military Families Bereavement Leave 
Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) As the 21st century begins, the United States faces new 
        and unprecedented challenges in defending itself, including the 
        need to combat and prevent global terrorism.
            (2) The men and women serving as members of the Armed 
        Forces have made and continue to make prodigious sacrifices to 
        protect and defend the United States.
            (3) In addition to the sacrifices made by members of the 
        Armed Forces, their loved ones must live without the aid and 
        support of family members serving the United States overseas.
            (4) More than 830 members of the Armed Forces have lost 
        their lives in military operations in Iraq, with over 600 of 
        these members killed in action, and more than 100 members have 
        lost their lives in military operations in Afghanistan, 
        bringing extraordinary hardship to their families in the United 
        States.
            (5) The immense grief felt by the families of these members 
        who have made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of the United 
        States is compounded by the need of family members to miss work 
        and other responsibilities in order to attend to burial duties, 
        funeral services, and related family concerns, causing 
        additional economic and personal hardship.
            (6) Just as those people in the United States who face the 
        challenges of growing families or unexpected medical 
        emergencies have benefited from the Family and Medical Leave 
        Act of 1993, so too will military families, who continue to 
        make brave sacrifices on behalf of the United States, gain as a 
        result of access to the benefits of this Act.
            (7) More than 60 percent of public and private sector 
        employees working in the United States work for covered 
        employers and meet the eligibility criteria of the Family and 
        Medical Leave Act of 1993.
            (8) While 140,000 members of the Armed Forces remain in 
        Iraq, Afghanistan, and other dangerous places throughout the 
        world, their families continue to face the possible danger of 
        meeting their economic needs without the support of a full 
        family and with limited assistance from outside sources.

SEC. 3. FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE IN CONNECTION WITH DEATH OF MEMBER OF 
              THE UNIFORMED SERVICES.

    Section 102(a) of the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (29 
U.S.C. 2612(a)) is amended by adding after paragraph (2) the following 
new paragraph:
            ``(3) Death of member of uniformed services in line of 
        duty.--
                    ``(A) In general.--An eligible employee shall be 
                entitled to a total of seven days of leave because of 
                the death of a parent, spouse, son, daughter, or person 
                for whom the employee serves as designated 
                representative under section 1482(c) of title 10, 
                United States Code, if the deceased died in the line of 
                duty as a member of the uniformed services. Such leave 
                is intended to permit the employee to prepare for or 
                attend the burial ceremony of the deceased member of 
                the uniformed services and may be paid or unpaid leave.
                    ``(B) Treatment of federal officers and employees 
                as eligible employees.--For purposes of this paragraph, 
                the exclusion under section 101(2)(B)(i) of a Federal 
                officer or employee as an eligible employee shall not 
                apply.''.
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