[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3159 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3159

   To mandate minimum periods of rest and recuperation for units and 
   members of the regular and reserve components of the Armed Forces 
 between deployments for Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring 
                                Freedom.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 24, 2007

 Mrs. Tauscher (for herself, Ms. Shea-Porter, Mr. Meek of Florida, Mr. 
   Loebsack, Mr. Abercrombie, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Hare, Ms. 
 Kaptur, Mr. Courtney, Ms. Giffords, Mr. Gilchrest, Mr. Jones of North 
  Carolina, Ms. Harman, Mr. Taylor, Mr. Ortiz, Ms. Loretta Sanchez of 
  California, Mr. Larsen of Washington, Mr. Smith of Washington, Mr. 
   Andrews, and Mr. Reyes) introduced the following bill; which was 
              referred to the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To mandate minimum periods of rest and recuperation for units and 
   members of the regular and reserve components of the Armed Forces 
 between deployments for Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring 
                                Freedom.

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

SECTION 1. MINIMUM PERIODS OF REST AND RECUPERATION FOR UNITS AND 
              MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES BETWEEN DEPLOYMENTS.

    (a) Regular Components.--
            (1) In general.--No unit or member of the Armed Forces 
        specified in paragraph (3) may be deployed for Operation Iraqi 
        Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom (including participation 
        in the NATO International Security Assistance Force 
        (Afghanistan)) unless the period between the deployment of the 
        unit or member is equal to or longer than the period of such 
        previous deployment.
            (2) Sense of congress on optimal minimum period between 
        deployments.--It is the sense of Congress that the optimal 
        minimum period between the previous deployment of a unit or 
        member of the Armed Forces specified in paragraph (3) to 
        Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom and a 
        subsequent deployment of the unit or member to Operation Iraqi 
        Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom should be equal to or 
        longer than twice the period of such previous deployment.
            (3) Covered units and members.--The units and members of 
        the Armed Forces specified in this paragraph are as follows:
                    (A) Units and members of the regular Army.
                    (B) Units and members of the regular Marine Corps.
                    (C) Units and members of the regular Navy.
                    (D) Units and members of the regular Air Force.
                    (E) Units and members of the regular Coast Guard.
    (b) Reserve Components.--
            (1) In general.--No unit or member of the Armed Forces 
        specified in paragraph (3) may be deployed for Operation Iraqi 
        Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom (including participation 
        in the NATO International Security Assistance Force 
        (Afghanistan)) if the unit or member has been deployed at any 
        time within the three years preceding the date of the 
        deployment covered by this subsection.
            (2) Sense of congress on mobilization and optimal minimum 
        period between deployments.--It is the sense of Congress that 
        the units and members of the reserve components of the Armed 
        Forces should not be mobilized continuously for more than one 
        year; and the optimal minimum period between the previous 
        deployment of a unit or member of the Armed Forces specified in 
        paragraph (3) to Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring 
        Freedom and a subsequent deployment of the unit or member to 
        Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom should be 
        five years.
            (3) Covered units and members.--The units and members of 
        the Armed Forces specified in this paragraph are as follows:
                    (A) Units and members of the Army Reserve.
                    (B) Units and members of the Army National Guard.
                    (C) Units and members of the Marine Corps Reserve.
                    (D) Units and members of the Navy Reserve.
                    (E) Units and members of the Air Force Reserve.
                    (F) Units and members of the Air National Guard.
                    (G) Units and members of the Coast Guard Reserve.
    (c) Waiver by the President.--The President may waive the 
limitation in subsection (a) or (b) with respect to the deployment of a 
unit or member of the Armed Forces if the President certifies to 
Congress that the deployment of the unit or member is necessary to meet 
an operational emergency posing a threat to vital national security 
interests of the United States.
    (d) Waiver by Military Chief of Staff or Commandant for Voluntary 
Mobilizations.--
            (1) Army.--With respect to the deployment of a member of 
        the Army who has voluntarily requested mobilization, the 
        limitation in subsection (a) or (b) may be waived by the Chief 
        of Staff of the Army.
            (2) Navy.--With respect to the deployment of a member of 
        the Navy who has voluntarily requested mobilization, the 
        limitation in subsection (a) or (b) may be waived by the Chief 
        of Naval Operations.
            (3) Marine corps.--With respect to the deployment of a 
        member of the Marine Corps who has voluntarily requested 
        mobilization, the limitation in subsection (a) or (b) may be 
        waived by the Commandant of the Marine Corps.
            (4) Air force.--With respect to the deployment of a member 
        of the Air Force who has voluntarily requested mobilization, 
        the limitation in subsection (a) or (b) may be waived by the 
        Chief of Staff of the Air Force.
            (5) Coast guard.--With respect to the deployment of a 
        member of the Coast Guard who has voluntarily requested 
        mobilization, the limitation in subsection (a) or (b) may be 
        waived by the Commandant of the Coast Guard.
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