Our service members should be able to raise a family while building a financially secure future even when duty calls them away at home or overseas. Sadly, shockingly and shamefully, that is too often not possible. And that unfortunate reality is threatening the health and well-being of children and families while having a devastating impact on morale and readiness.
Government Executive
email Bipartisan Bill Would Extend Feds’ Paid Parental Leave to Military Troops
Legislation would provide service members with 12 weeks of paid parental leave per year and would extend the benefit to scenarios involving miscarriages and stillbirths.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers this week introduced a bill that would extend to military service members the recently implemented paid parental leave program available to federal employees.
On Tuesday, Reps. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., Stephanie Bice, R-Okla., Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., and David Joyce, R-Ohio, introduced the Servicemember Parental Leave Equity Act, which would grant members of the armed services 12 weeks per year of paid leave in the event of the birth, adoption or foster placement of a child. The program mirrors a similar benefit provided to civilian federal workers as part of the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., has sponsored similar legislat
Bill Would Expand Paid Parental Leave for All New Military Parents
The Servicemember Parental Leave Equity Act would give both the designated primary caregiver and secondary caregiver up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave. (U.S. Navy)
12 May 2021
House and Senate lawmakers have introduced legislation that would give military parents 12 weeks of family leave after the birth or adoption of a child a move that would provide flexibility and standardize benefits across the services.
The proposed Servicemember Parental Leave Equity Act, introduced Tuesday by Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., and Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., would give both the designated primary caregiver and secondary caregiver up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave.
Military parents would get 12 weeks of leave to care for new children under congressional proposal May 11 Hospitalman Juliana Dejesus conducts a newborn screening exam in Naval Hospital Jacksonville’s maternal infant unit on Aug. 17, 2017. (Jacob Sippel/Navy) All military parents would get 12 weeks of family leave to care for a new child and would see increased flexibility
in how they use that time off under a new legislative proposal introduced on Tuesday. The Servicemember Parental Leave Equity Act, backed by bipartisan group 31 House members, would cover both primary and secondary caregivers, significantly boosting the unpaid leave available to each under current military rules.