I 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 6279 

To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for the retention of 

members of the reserve components on active duty for a period of 

45 days following an extended deployment in contingency operations 

or homeland defense missions to support their reintegration into civilian 

life, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 29, 2010 

Ms. GIFFORDS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Armed Services 

A BILL 

To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for the 

retention of members of the reserve components on active 

duty for a period of 45 days following an extended deployment in contingency operations or homeland defense 

missions to support their reintegration into civilian life, 

and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Guard and 

5 Reserve Soft Landing Reintegration Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. TEMPORARY RETENTION ON ACTIVE DUTY AFTER 

2 DEMOBILIZATION OF RESERVES FOLLOWING 

3 EXTENDED DEPLOYMENTS IN CONTINGENCY 

4 OPERATIONS OR HOMELAND DEFENSE MIS5 SIONS. 

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 1209 of title 10, United 

7 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol8 lowing new section: 

9 ‘‘§ 12323. Reserves: temporary retention on active 

10 duty after demobilization following ex11 tended deployments in contingency oper12 ations or homeland defense missions 

13 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subsection (d), a 

14 member of a reserve component of the Armed Forces de15 scribed in subsection (b) shall be retained on active duty 

16 in the Armed Forces for a period of 45 days following 

17 the conclusion of the member’s demobilization from a de18 ployment as described in that subsection, and shall be au19 thorized the use of any accrued leave. 

20 ‘‘(b) COVERED MEMBERS.—A member of a reserve 

21 component of the Armed Forces described in this sub22 section is any member of a reserve component of the 

23 Armed Forces who was deployed for more than 179 days 

24 under the following: 

25 ‘‘(1) A contingency operation. 


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1 ‘‘(2) A homeland defense mission (as specified 

2 by the Secretary of Defense for purposes of this sec3 tion). 

4 ‘‘(c) PAY AND ALLOWANCES.—Notwithstanding any 

5 other provision of law, while a member is retained on ac6 tive duty under subsection (a), the member shall receive— 

7 ‘‘(1) the basic pay payable to a member of the 

8 Armed Forces under section 204 of title 37 in the 

9 same pay grade as the member; 

10 ‘‘(2) the basic allowance for subsistence payable 

11 under section 402 of title 37; and 

12 ‘‘(3) the basic allowance for housing payable 

13 under section 403 of title 37 for a member in the 

14 same pay grade, geographic location, and number of 

15 dependents as the member. 

16 ‘‘(d) EARLY RELEASE FROM ACTIVE DUTY.—(1) 

17 Subject to paragraph (2), at the written request of a mem18 ber retained on active duty under subsection (a), the mem19 ber shall be released from active duty not later than the 

20 end of the 14-day period commencing on the date the re21 quest was received. If such 14-day period would end after 

22 the end of the 45-day period specified in subsection (a), 

23 the member shall be released from active duty not later 

24 than the end of such 45-day period. 


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1 ‘‘(2) The request of a member for early release from 

2 active duty under paragraph (1) may be denied only for 

3 medical or personal safety reasons. The denial of the re4 quest shall require the affirmative action of an officer in 

5 a grade above O–5 who is in the chain of command of 

6 the member. If the request is not denied before the end 

7 of the 14-day period applicable under paragraph (1), the 

8 request shall be deemed to be approved, and the member 

9 shall be released from active duty as requested. 

10 ‘‘(e) REINTEGRATION COUNSELING AND SERV11 ICES.—(1) The Secretary of the military department con12 cerned shall provide each member retained on active duty 

13 under subsection (a), while the member is so retained on 

14 active duty, counseling and services to assist the member 

15 in reintegrating into civilian life. 

16 ‘‘(2) The counseling and services provided members 

17 under this subsection shall include the following: 

18 ‘‘(A) Physical and mental health evaluations. 

19 ‘‘(B) Employment counseling and assistance. 

20 ‘‘(C) Marriage and family counseling and as21 sistance. 

22 ‘‘(D) Financial management counseling. 

23 ‘‘(E) Education counseling. 


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1 ‘‘(F) Counseling and assistance on benefits 

2 available to the member through the Department of 

3 Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

4 ‘‘(3) The Secretary of the military department con5 cerned shall provide, to the extent practicable, for the par6 ticipation of appropriate family members of members re7 tained on active duty under subsection (a) in the coun8 seling and services provided such members under this sub9 section. 

10 ‘‘(4) The counseling and services provided to mem11 bers under this subsection shall, to the extent practicable, 

12 be provided at National Guard armories and similar facili13 ties close the residences of such members. 

14 ‘‘(5) Counseling and services provided a member 

15 under this subsection shall, to the extent practicable, be 

16 provided in coordination with the Yellow Ribbon Re17 integration Program of the State concerned under section 

18 582 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 

19 Year 2008 (10 U.S.C. 10101 note).’’. 

20 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

21 at the beginning of chapter 1209 of such title is amended 

22 by adding at the end the following new item: 

‘‘12323. Reserves: temporary retention on active duty after demobilization following extended deployments in contingency operations or 

homeland defense missions.’’. 

Æ 


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