S.Amdt. 3029

SA 3029. Mr. BROWN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by
him to the bill S. 4638, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year
2025 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, insert the following:

Sec. ___. Flexibilities for Federal employees who are spouses
of a member of the Armed Forces or the Foreign Service

(a) In General.--Subchapter II of chapter 63 of title 5,
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the
following:

``Sec. 6329e. Permanent change of station leave

``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Agency.--The term `agency'--
``(A) means each agency, office, or other establishment in
the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of the Federal
Government; and
``(B) includes--
``(i) each nonappropriated fund instrumentality of the
United States, including each instrumentality described in
section 2105(c) of title 5, United States Code;
``(ii) the United States Postal Service; and
``(iii) the Postal Regulatory Commission.
``(2) Armed forces.--The term `Armed Forces' has the
meaning given the term `armed forces' in section 2101.
``(3) Covered individual.--The term `covered individual'
means an individual who--
``(A) is the spouse of--
``(i) a member of the Armed Forces; or
``(ii) a member of the Foreign Service;
``(B) is an employee; and
``(C) relocates because the spouse of the individual, as
described in subparagraph (A), is subject to a permanent
change of station.
``(4) Employee.--The term `employee' includes--
``(A) an individual employed on a temporary or term basis;
and
``(B) an employee of the United States Postal Service or
the Postal Regulatory Commission.
``(5) Member of the foreign service.--The term `member of
the Foreign Service'--
``(A) means an individual described in section 103 of the
Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 3903); and
``(B) includes an individual serving in an agency other
than the Department of State that is utilizing the Foreign
Service personnel system in accordance with section 202 of
the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 3922).
``(6) Paid leave.--The term `paid leave' means, with
respect to an employee, leave without loss of or reduction
in--
``(A) pay;
``(B) leave to which the employee is otherwise entitled
under law; or
``(C) credit for time or service.
``(7) Permanent change of station.--The term `permanent
change of station' means, with respect to a member of the
Armed Forces or a member of the Foreign Service--
``(A) a permanent change of duty station; or
``(B) a change in homeport of a vessel, ship-based squadron
or staff, or mobile unit.
``(b) Permanent Change of Station Leave.--
``(1) Entitlement to leave.--
``(A) In general.--A covered individual shall be entitled
to 40 hours of paid leave because of the permanent change of
station of the spouse of the covered individual.
``(B) Discretion to grant additional leave.--In accordance
with agency policy, the head of the agency employing a
covered individual may grant leave to the covered individual
that is--
``(i) in addition to the leave to which the covered
individual is entitled under subparagraph (A); and
``(ii) for the purpose described in subparagraph (A).
``(2) Schedule.--A covered individual may take leave under
paragraph (1) intermittently or on a reduced leave schedule.
``(3) Notice.--A covered individual taking leave under
paragraph (1) shall provide the agency employing the covered
individual with such notice regarding the taking of that
leave as is reasonable and practicable.''.
(b) Technical and Conforming Amendment.--The table of
sections for subchapter II of chapter 63 of title 5, United
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

``6329e. Permanent change of station leave.''.
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