S.Amdt. 1815

SA 1815. Mr. BROWN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to
amendment SA 1463 proposed by Mr. McCain to the bill H.R. 1735, to
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2016 for military activities
of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for
defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military
personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which
was ordered to lie on the table, as follows:

At the appropriate place in division A, insert the
following:

SEC. __. GUIDANCE ON PROCESSING OF REQUESTS FOR EARLY
SEPARATION FROM THE ARMED FORCES FOR MEMBERS
PARTICIPATING IN PROGRAMS OF PUBLIC AND
COMMUNITY SERVICE AFTER SEPARATION.

(a) In General.--The Secretary of Defense shall issue
guidance, consistent with the goals specified under section
1143a of title 10, United States Code, to the Secretaries of
the military departments regarding discharge or release from
active duty in the Armed Forces by eligible members who have
been accepted into a public and community service program.
(b) Eligibility for Early Separation.--For purposes of this
section, a member of the Armed Forces is eligible for an
early separation from the Armed Forces to participate in a
program of public and community service if the member--
(1) is not essential to the performance of the mission of
the command to which assigned (as determined by the commander
of that command);
(2) demonstrates that the date on which the member is
expected to be discharged or released from active duty in the
Armed Forces is within 90 days after the date of commencement
of participation in such a program (including participation
in training for such program);
(3) clearly establishes that the specific public and
community service program for which the member seeks early
separation meets the requirements of the definition specified
in subsection (c);
(4) clearly establishes that a delay of program enrollment
would cause undue hardship; and
(5) provides a statement from an appropriate program
official indicating acceptance into the program and
reflecting that the latest acceptable date for commencement
of participation in the program (including participation in
training for such program) falls within the 90-day period
preceding the date described in paragraph (2).
(c) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Active duty.--The term ``active duty'' has the meaning
given the term in section 101 of title 38, United States
Code.
(2) Public and community service.--The term ``public and
community service'' means such service, within the meaning of
section 1143a of title 10, United States Code.
______