[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 90 (Monday, June 8, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S3871]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 1815. Mr. BROWN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to 
amendment SA 1463 proposed by Mr. McCain to the bill H.R. 1735, to 
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2016 for military activities 
of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for 
defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military 
personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which 
was ordered to lie on the table, as follows:

       At the appropriate place in division A, insert the 
     following:

     SEC. __. GUIDANCE ON PROCESSING OF REQUESTS FOR EARLY 
                   SEPARATION FROM THE ARMED FORCES FOR MEMBERS 
                   PARTICIPATING IN PROGRAMS OF PUBLIC AND 
                   COMMUNITY SERVICE AFTER SEPARATION.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of Defense shall issue 
     guidance, consistent with the goals specified under section 
     1143a of title 10, United States Code, to the Secretaries of 
     the military departments regarding discharge or release from 
     active duty in the Armed Forces by eligible members who have 
     been accepted into a public and community service program.
       (b) Eligibility for Early Separation.--For purposes of this 
     section, a member of the Armed Forces is eligible for an 
     early separation from the Armed Forces to participate in a 
     program of public and community service if the member--
       (1) is not essential to the performance of the mission of 
     the command to which assigned (as determined by the commander 
     of that command);
       (2) demonstrates that the date on which the member is 
     expected to be discharged or released from active duty in the 
     Armed Forces is within 90 days after the date of commencement 
     of participation in such a program (including participation 
     in training for such program);
       (3) clearly establishes that the specific public and 
     community service program for which the member seeks early 
     separation meets the requirements of the definition specified 
     in subsection (c);
       (4) clearly establishes that a delay of program enrollment 
     would cause undue hardship; and
       (5) provides a statement from an appropriate program 
     official indicating acceptance into the program and 
     reflecting that the latest acceptable date for commencement 
     of participation in the program (including participation in 
     training for such program) falls within the 90-day period 
     preceding the date described in paragraph (2).
       (c) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Active duty.--The term ``active duty'' has the meaning 
     given the term in section 101 of title 38, United States 
     Code.
       (2) Public and community service.--The term ``public and 
     community service'' means such service, within the meaning of 
     section 1143a of title 10, United States Code.
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