[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 142 (Tuesday, September 20, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H5699-H5700]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION VETERAN TRANSITION IMPROVEMENT ACT OF
2016
Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 5957) to include disabled veteran leave in the personnel
management system of the Federal Aviation Administration.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 5957
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 ``Federal Aviation
Administration Veteran Transition Improvement Act of 2016''.
SEC. 2. INCLUSION OF DISABLED VETERAN LEAVE IN FEDERAL
AVIATION ADMINISTRATION PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT
SYSTEM.
(a) In General.--Section 40122(g)(2) of title 49, United
States Code, is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (H), by striking ``; and'' and
inserting a semicolon;
(2) in subparagraph (I)(iii), by striking the period at the
end and inserting ``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(J) subject to paragraph (4) of this subsection, section
6329, relating to disabled veteran leave.''.
(b) Certification of Leave.--Section 40122(g) of such title
is amended--
(1) by redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph (5); and
(2) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following:
``(4) Certification of disabled veteran leave.--In order to
verify that leave credited to an employee pursuant to
paragraph (2)(J) is used for treating a service-connected
disability, that employee shall, notwithstanding section
6329(c) of title 5, submit to the Assistant Administrator for
Human Resource Management of the Federal Aviation
Administration certification, in such form and manner as the
Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration may
prescribe, that the employee used that leave for purposes of
being furnished treatment for that disability by a health
care provider.''.
(c) Application.--The amendments made by this section shall
apply with respect to any employee of the Federal Aviation
Administration hired on or after the date that is one year
after the date of the enactment of this Act.
(d) Policies and Procedures.--Not later than 270 days after
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of
the Federal Aviation Administration shall prescribe policies
and procedures to carry out the amendments made by this
section that are comparable, to the maximum extent
practicable, to the regulations prescribed by the Office of
Personnel Management under section 6329 of title 5, United
States Code.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
York (Mr. Zeldin) and the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Carson) each will
control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.
General Leave
Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on H.R. 5957.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New York?
There was no objection.
Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5957.
When Congress passed the Wounded Warriors Federal Leave Act last
year, it inadvertently excluded new FAA employees from coverage under a
new sick leave system. This bill corrects that omission.
Mr. Speaker, one-third of veterans who served after September 11
report having a service-connected disability, with more than two-thirds
of those disabilities rating 30 percent or higher.
There are more than 35,000 veterans in my district alone, many of
whom have the skill sets and background in aviation necessary to
succeed in highly technical FAA positions. This bill will help ensure
that a veteran's service to our Nation does not become a barrier to
future employment.
I want to thank Aviation Subcommittee Chairman LoBiondo and
Subcommittee Ranking Member Larsen for their leadership and bipartisan
partnership on this simple, yet important fix to remove an unnecessary
barrier to employment for our Nation's veterans.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5957.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CARSON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5957, the Federal Aviation
Administration Veteran Transition Improvement Act of 2016.
This bill, introduced by my colleague and Aviation Subcommittee
Ranking Member Rick Larsen, a distinguished Member, will provide newly
hired disabled veterans at the FAA with the same entitlement to leave
that disabled veterans receive at other Federal agencies. I am also
proud to be a sponsor of this bill.
H.R. 5957 will close an important loophole and it will create parity
between FAA-employed veterans with certain service-connected
disabilities and veterans at other Federal agencies.
This bill is fair, it is necessary, and it is the right thing to do
for servicemen and -women who have bravely served this great Nation.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the very
distinguished gentleman from Washington State (Mr. Larsen).
Mr. LARSEN of Washington. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of
H.R. 5957, the FAA Veteran Transition Improvement Act of 2016.
Last November, after passing the House and the Senate by unanimous
consent, the Wounded Warriors Federal Leave Act was signed into law.
That legislation recognizes that no one who has sustained an injury due
to military service should have to choose between earning a paycheck or
receiving health care.
Specifically, that act provides up to 104 hours of upfront, disabled
veteran leave during an employee's first 12 months on the job. The
Wounded Warriors Federal Leave Act will apply to anyone hired on or
after November 5 of this year.
However, that legislation only applies to Federal civilian personnel
covered under title 5 leave provisions. Consequently, those not covered
under title 5--including employees of the FAA--are not able to use
these leave benefits.
Now, in my own State of Washington, there are more than 650 veterans
who work at the FAA; and across the country, more than 15,000 veterans
work for the FAA. From 2012 to 2016, the FAA hired between 150 to 350
veterans each year--men and women who have served our country but may
be unable to get the health care that they need. So in an effort to
expand these benefits to disabled veterans hired by the FAA,
Representative LoBiondo joined me in introducing this bipartisan bill
earlier this month.
[[Page H5700]]
H.R. 5957 will ensure that newly hired disabled veteran FAA employees
receive the same upfront disabled leave that personnel at other
government agencies will receive. This legislation will help ensure
that no newly hired disabled veteran FAA employee is faced with the
choice between earning a paycheck or receiving health care, and
finishes the laudable work that was started by the Wounded Warriors
Federal Leave Act.
I want to thank all the advocacy organizations who support this
legislation, including the Veterans of Foreign Wars, The American
Legion, Paralyzed Veterans of America, American Federation of
Government Employees, the Federal Managers Association, the FAA
Managers Association, Professional Aviation Safety Specialists, General
Aviation Manufacturers Association, and the National Air Traffic
Controllers Association.
I also want to be sure to thank Representative LoBiondo for working
with me on this important legislation. Lastly, I want to thank and
recognize Senator Hirono, who has introduced companion legislation in
the Senate, and I look forward to continue working to move this
important bill past the finish line.
Last week, this bipartisan bill was unanimously reported out of the
committee, and today I ask for this Chamber's support as well. Let's
not keep these veterans waiting.
Mr. CARSON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my
time.
Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support H.R. 5957.
I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from New York (Mr. Zeldin) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 5957.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________