City Councilmen Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) and I. Daneek Miller (D-St. Albans) last week introduced the NYC Family Military Leave Act, which, if enacted, would provide families of service members with one of the broadest leave policies in the nation.The legislation, according to Ulrich, seeks to expand on existing federal and state leave laws. The NYC Family Military Leave Act will set aside 20 days of unpaid leave, renewed annually, for the immediate family members of those in the United States military who have been called to active duty or are on leave from active duty during a period of military conflict.
This will apply to family members of the armed forces, National Guard or reserves ordered to active duty or notified of an impending call. The scope of coverage of this law will extend to family members including the partner, siblings, children, parents, and grandparents of the service member, as well as step-children and step-parents.
Current federal and state laws only provide coverage to spouses. Federal law is only applicable to government employees and those employed by firms with more than 50 employees. State law lowers that threshold to 20 employees. The NYC Family Military Leave Act will, in effect, close these leave loopholes and, as mentioned, expand the scope of coverage for family members.
Military families often face many strenuous, emotionally draining and difficult challenges prior to deployment, Ulrich and Miller noted, including short and long-term planning for financial, property, medical, legal, and child-care issues that arise prior to and during deployments.
The NYC Family Military Leave Act aims to provide a more equitable source of military leave for families to connect – for all families, traditional and non-traditional alike, regardless of employer.
“This bill provides an opportunity for our military service members and their families to maintain a respectable quality of life while on active duty,” said Miller, chairman of the Committee on Civil Service and Labor. “This is the least we may do for the men and women that serve our great country and make great sacrifices to preserve democracy throughout the world. We are honored to introduce the NYC Family Military Leave Act today.”
Ulrich, chairman of the Veterans Committee and older brother to an active-duty member of the U.S. Marine Corps, added, “Military deployment impacts not only the service members, but their families as well. This bill will provide some of the peace of mind military families need during this challenging and emotionally draining time.”
By Forum Staff
