[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 120 (Tuesday, July 28, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S6085]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               WOUNDED WARRIORS FEDERAL LEAVE ACT OF 2015

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 160, S. 242.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 242) to amend title 5, United States Code, to 
     provide leave to any new Federal employee who is a veteran 
     with a service-connected disability rated at 30 percent or 
     more for purposes of undergoing medical treatment for such 
     disability, and for other purposes.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read a third 
time and passed, and the motion to reconsider be considered made and 
laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill (S. 242) was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, 
was read the third time, and passed, as follows:

                                 S. 242

       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 ``Wounded Warriors Federal 
     Leave Act of 2015''.

     SEC. 2. ADDITIONAL LEAVE FOR FEDERAL EMPLOYEES WHO ARE 
                   DISABLED VETERANS.

       (a) In General.--Subchapter II of chapter 63 of title 5, 
     United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
     following:

     ``Sec. 6329. Disabled veteran leave

       ``(a) Definitions.--In this section--
       ``(1) notwithstanding section 6301, the term `employee'--
       ``(A) has the meaning given such term in section 2105; and
       ``(B) includes an officer or employee of the United States 
     Postal Service or of the Postal Regulatory Commission;
       ``(2) the term `service-connected' has the meaning given 
     such term in section 101(16) of title 38; and
       ``(3) the term `veteran' has the meaning given such term in 
     section 101(2) of title 38.
       ``(b) Leave Credited.--During the 12-month period beginning 
     on the first day of the employment of an employee who is a 
     veteran with a service-connected disability rated as 30 
     percent or more disabling, the employee is entitled to leave, 
     without loss or reduction in pay, for purposes of undergoing 
     medical treatment for such disability for which sick leave 
     could regularly be used.
       ``(c) Limitations.--
       ``(1) Amount of leave.--The leave credited to an employee 
     under subsection (b) may not exceed 104 hours.
       ``(2) No carry over.--Any leave credited to an employee 
     under subsection (b) that is not used during the 12-month 
     period described in such subsection may not be carried over 
     and shall be forfeited.
       ``(d) Certification.--In order to verify that leave 
     credited to an employee under subsection (b) is used for 
     treating a service-connected disability, the employee shall 
     submit to the head of the employing agency a certification, 
     in such form and manner as the Director of the Office of 
     Personnel Management may prescribe, that the employee used 
     the leave for purposes of being furnished treatment for the 
     disability by a health care provider.''.
       (b) Technical and Conforming Amendment.--The table of 
     sections for chapter 63 of title 5, United States Code, is 
     amended by adding after the item relating to section 6328 the 
     following:

``6329. Disabled veteran leave.''.

       (c) Application.--The amendment made by subsection (a) 
     shall apply with respect to an employee (as that term is 
     defined in section 6329(a)(1) of title 5, United States Code, 
     as added by subsection (a)) hired on or after the date that 
     is 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act.
       (d) Regulations.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
     enactment of this Act--
       (A) the Postmaster General shall prescribe regulations with 
     respect to the leave provided under the amendment made by 
     subsection (a) for employees of the United States Postal 
     Service and the Postal Regulatory Commission; and
       (B) the Director of the Office of Personnel Management 
     shall prescribe regulations with respect to the leave 
     provided under the amendment made by subsection (a) for all 
     other employees.
       (2) Briefing requirement.--Not later than 3 months after 
     the date of enactment of this Act, and every 3 months 
     thereafter until the date on which the Director of the Office 
     of Personnel Management prescribes final regulations under 
     paragraph (1)(B), the Director shall brief the Committee on 
     Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and 
     the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House 
     of Representatives regarding the development of such 
     regulations.

                          ____________________