Cramer: House Passes H.r. 313 - Wounded Warriors Federal Leave Act of 2015

Press Release

Congressman Kevin Cramer joined a bi-partisan majority of the U.S. House of Representatives in passing H.R. 313, the Wounded Warriors Federal Leave Act of 2015. The bill provides sick leave immediately to any new federal employee who is a veteran with a service-connected disability rated at 30 percent or more for the purposes of undergoing medical treatment. Congressman Cramer is a co-sponsor of the legislation.

"Disabled veterans face many obstacles when entering the work force after serving their country," said Cramer. "This legislation provides these veterans who become federal employees one year of accrued leave right away to continue with their ongoing medical treatments without being penalized in the workplace."

Currently, full-time federal workers accrue four hours of sick leave each full biweekly pay period, totaling 13 days of sick leave per year and begin with a zero sick leave balance. Under H.R. 313 the leave could not exceed 13 days, must be used within the first 12 months of employment, and may not be carried forward. To verify that the credited leave would be used for treating a service-connected disability, the employee would be required to submit to the head of the employing agency certification under Officer of Personnel Management (OPM) guidelines that the employee used the leave for the purposes of being furnished treatment for the disability by a health care provider.

Source