East Idaho Times

U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nevada) have introduced the Supporting Employees in the Guard and Reserve Act, a bipartisan bill aimed at ensuring reserve servicemembers can attend essential military training sessions without losing pay. This legislation seeks to increase the number of paid military leave days available to federal employees who serve as reservists, including those in the National Guard, Army Reserve, and Air Force Reserve.

"As global threats against the United States increase, it is critical we maintain a strong and resilient military," said Crapo. "Further supporting National Guard and Reserves recruitment within the civilian workforce will better equip our nation’s military to protect our country at home and abroad."

"Reserve servicemembers in Nevada make countless sacrifices to serve our nation, and they deserve easy access to support, resources, and training," said Cortez Masto. "This legislation will update military leave policies to help ensure employees aren’t punished for their service to our country, and I’ll keep working across the aisle to strengthen our national security."

Currently, reservists are required to attend 12 weekends of training plus 14 days of annual training at a minimum. However, federal leave policies typically provide only about two weeks of military leave annually. The proposed legislation would increase this allowance from 15 days to 20 days per year, with additional days rolling over into the following year. This change aims to improve recruitment and retention of reserve servicemembers while providing them with greater economic stability.

U.S. Representative Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pennsylvania) has introduced similar companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Supporting Employees in the Guard and Reserve Act has also been presented as an amendment to the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).