A Look At Military Families Amendments In House FY15 Defense Authorization Bill

A Look At Military Families Amendments In House FY15 Defense Authorization Bill
A Look At Military Families Amendments In House FY15 Defense Authorization Bill
Posted by on May 28, 2014 in Congress, Department of Defense

Military families are getting a lift in the House of Representatives’ version of the fiscal year 2015 Defense authorization bill, which was passed on May 22.

Among the amendments in the bill, as reported by GovExec:

  • Expanded maternity leave for active-duty service members by giving them an additional six weeks of unpaid leave, for a total of 12 weeks. This amendment allows commanders to call service members back to active duty at any point in accordance with unit readiness.
  • Make available breastfeeding support, supplies and counseling under the TRICARE program.
  • Direct the Defense secretary to do a report evaluating the progress of the Military Spouse Employment Program in reducing military spouse unemployment, reducing the pay gap between military spouses and their civilian counterparts and addressing the underemployment of military spouses.
  • Ensure access to behavioral health treatment, including applied behavior analysis, under TRICARE for children with developmental disabilities, when prescribed by a physician or psychologist.
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