[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1839 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1839

To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for the retention of 
  members of the reserve components on active duty for a period of 45 
  days following an extended deployment in contingency operations or 
homeland defense missions to support their reintegration into civilian 
                     life, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 10, 2011

   Mr. Wyden introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
              referred to the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for the retention of 
  members of the reserve components on active duty for a period of 45 
  days following an extended deployment in contingency operations or 
homeland defense missions to support their reintegration into civilian 
                     life, 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 ``National Guard and Reserve Soft 
Landing Reintegration Act''.

SEC. 2. TEMPORARY RETENTION ON ACTIVE DUTY AFTER DEMOBILIZATION OF 
              RESERVES FOLLOWING EXTENDED DEPLOYMENTS IN CONTINGENCY 
              OPERATIONS OR HOMELAND DEFENSE MISSIONS.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 1209 of title 10, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 12323. Reserves: temporary retention on active duty after 
              demobilization following extended deployments in 
              contingency operations or homeland defense missions
    ``(a) In General.--Subject to subsection (d), a member of a reserve 
component of the armed forces described in subsection (b) shall be 
retained on active duty in the armed forces for a period of 45 days 
following the conclusion of the member's demobilization from a 
deployment as described in that subsection, and shall be authorized the 
use of any accrued leave.
    ``(b) Covered Members.--A member of a reserve component of the 
armed forces described in this subsection is any member of a reserve 
component of the armed forces who was deployed for more than 269 days 
under the following:
            ``(1) A contingency operation.
            ``(2) A homeland defense mission (as specified by the 
        Secretary of Defense for purposes of this section).
    ``(c) Pay and Allowances.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
law, while a member is retained on active duty under subsection (a), 
the member shall receive--
            ``(1) the basic pay payable to a member of the armed forces 
        under section 204 of title 37 in the same pay grade as the 
        member;
            ``(2) the basic allowance for subsistence payable under 
        section 402 of title 37; and
            ``(3) the basic allowance for housing payable under section 
        403 of title 37 for a member in the same pay grade, geographic 
        location, and number of dependents as the member.
    ``(d) Early Release From Active Duty.--(1) Subject to paragraph 
(2), at the written request of a member retained on active duty under 
subsection (a), the member shall be released from active duty not later 
than the end of the 14-day period commencing on the date the request 
was received. If such 14-day period would end after the end of the 45-
day period specified in subsection (a), the member shall be released 
from active duty not later than the end of such 45-day period.
    ``(2) The request of a member for early release from active duty 
under paragraph (1) may be denied only for medical or personal safety 
reasons. The denial of the request shall require the affirmative action 
of an officer in a grade above O-5 who is in the chain of command of 
the member. If the request is not denied before the end of the 14-day 
period applicable under paragraph (1), the request shall be deemed to 
be approved, and the member shall be released from active duty as 
requested.
    ``(e) Treatment of Active Duty Under Policy on Limitation of Period 
of Mobilization.--The active duty of a member under this section shall 
not be included in the period of mobilization of units or individuals 
under section 12302 of this title under any policy of the Department of 
Defense limiting the period of mobilization of units or individuals to 
a specified period, including the policy to limit such period of 
mobilization to 12 months as described in the memorandum of the Under 
Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness entitled `Revised 
Mobilization/Demobilization Personnel and Pay Policy for Reserve 
Component Members Ordered to Active Duty in Response to the World Trade 
Center and Pentagon Attacks-Section 1,' effective January 19, 2007.
    ``(f) Reintegration Counseling and Services.--(1) The Secretary of 
the military department concerned may provide each member retained on 
active duty under subsection (a), while the member is so retained on 
active duty, counseling and services to assist the member in 
reintegrating into civilian life.
    ``(2) The counseling and services provided members under this 
subsection may include the following:
            ``(A) Physical and mental health evaluations.
            ``(B) Employment counseling and assistance.
            ``(C) Marriage and family counseling and assistance.
            ``(D) Financial management counseling.
            ``(E) Education counseling.
            ``(F) Counseling and assistance on benefits available to 
        the member through the Department of Defense and the Department 
        of Veterans Affairs.
    ``(3) The Secretary of the military department concerned shall 
provide, to the extent practicable, for the participation of 
appropriate family members of members retained on active duty under 
subsection (a) in the counseling and services provided such members 
under this subsection.
    ``(4) The counseling and services provided to members under this 
subsection shall, to the extent practicable, be provided at National 
Guard armories and similar facilities close the residences of such 
members.
    ``(5) Counseling and services provided a member under this 
subsection shall, to the extent practicable, be provided in 
coordination with the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program of the State 
concerned under section 582 of the National Defense Authorization Act 
for Fiscal Year 2008 (10 U.S.C. 10101 note).''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
chapter 1209 of such title is amended by adding at the end the 
following new item:

``12323. Reserves: temporary retention on active duty after 
                            demobilization following extended 
                            deployments in contingency operations or 
                            homeland defense missions.''.
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