Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) and Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) have introduced a bill in both chambers of Congress that would enhance family and medical leave benefits for family members of veterans. The Supporting Military Families Act of 2009 (H.R. 3403, S. 1543) would amend the Family and Medical Leave Act’s (FMLA) military family provisions that were enacted as part of the Fiscal Year 2008 National Defense Authorization Act that entitle family or primary caregivers of military members to take up to 26 weeks of unpaid leave to care for the wounded service member. The new bill would extend the time in which the family member could take such leave, and expand the scope of those who would be covered by these medical exigency leave provisions.

According to a press release issued by Rep. Woolsey’s office, this bill would:

• Extend the twenty-six weeks of leave to family members of veterans for up to five years after a veteran leaves service, if he or she develops a service-related injury or illness that was incurred, or, in the case of an existing injury, was aggravated while on active duty.
• Extend exigency leave to covered active duty members in regular military service. Current Department of Labor (DOL) regulations limit access to exigency leave to Reserve and National Guard members only.
• Extend exigency leave eligibility to those service members deployed to a foreign country. The current law limits availability of exigency leave to those deployed “in support of a contingency operation.”

The House version of this bill has been referred to House Committee on House Administration. The Senate companion bill has been referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.