[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8445 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8445

  To amend title 38, United States Code, and the Servicemembers Civil 
Relief Act to provide for the eligibility of United States citizens who 
serve in the Israeli Defense Forces for certain protections relating to 
                             such service.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 17, 2024

 Mr. Reschenthaler (for himself and Mr. Miller of Ohio) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title 38, United States Code, and the Servicemembers Civil 
Relief Act to provide for the eligibility of United States citizens who 
serve in the Israeli Defense Forces for certain protections relating to 
                             such service.

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

SECTION 1. ELIGIBILITY OF UNITED STATES CITIZENS SERVING IN THE ISRAELI 
              DEFENSE FORCE FOR BENEFITS UNDER USERRA AND THE SCRA.

    (a) USERRA.--
            (1) In general.--Subchapter IV of chapter 43 of title 38, 
        United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
        following new section:
``Sec. 4336. Treatment of service in Israeli Defense Forces
    ``(a) In General.--For purposes of this chapter, to the extent 
practicable, the service of a citizen of the United States in the 
Israeli Defense Forces shall be treated in the same manner as service 
in the uniformed services.
    ``(b) Regulations.--The Secretary shall prescribe such regulations 
as may be necessary to implement this section.''.
            (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the 
        beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the 
        item relating to section 4335 the following new item:

``4336. Treatment of service in Israeli Defense Forces.''.
    (b) SCRA.--Section 104 of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (50 
U.S.C. 3914) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``A citizen'' and inserting ``(a) In 
        General.--A citizen''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(b) Service in IDF.--A citizen of the United States who is 
serving with the Israeli Defense Forces is entitled to the relief and 
protections provided under this Act if that service is similar to 
military service as defined in this Act. The relief and protections 
provided to such citizen shall terminate on the date of discharge or 
release from such service.''.
    (c) Applicability.--The amendments made by this section shall apply 
with respect to service performed on or after the date of the enactment 
of this Act.
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