I 
108TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4954
To amend the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to authorize leave 
for the immediate family members of a member of the uniformed services 
who dies in the line of duty to facilitate the attendance of immediate 
family members at the burial ceremony of the member, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 22, 2004
Mr. HONDA introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on 
Government Reform and House Administration, for a period to be subse-
quently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to 
authorize leave for the immediate family members of 
a member of the uniformed services who dies in the 
line of duty to facilitate the attendance of immediate 
family members at the burial ceremony of the member, 
and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Military Families Be-
reavement Leave Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) As the 21st century begins, the United 
States faces new and unprecedented challenges in 
defending itself, including the need to combat and 
prevent global terrorism. 
(2) The men and women serving as members of 
the Armed Forces have made and continue to make 
prodigious sacrifices to protect and defend the 
United States. 
(3) In addition to the sacrifices made by mem-
bers of the Armed Forces, their loved ones must live 
without the aid and support of family members serv-
ing the United States overseas. 
(4) More than 830 members of the Armed 
Forces have lost their lives in military operations in 
Iraq, with over 600 of these members killed in ac-
tion, and more than 100 members have lost their 
lives in military operations in Afghanistan, bringing 
extraordinary hardship to their families in the 
United States. 
(5) The immense grief felt by the families of 
these members who have made the ultimate sacrifice
on behalf of the United States is compounded by the 
need of family members to miss work and other re-
sponsibilities in order to attend to burial duties, fu-
neral services, and related family concerns, causing 
additional economic and personal hardship. 
(6) Just as those people in the United States 
who face the challenges of growing families or unex-
pected medical emergencies have benefited from the 
Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, so too will 
military families, who continue to make brave sac-
rifices on behalf of the United States, gain as a re-
sult of access to the benefits of this Act. 
(7) More than 60 percent of public and private 
sector employees working in the United States work 
for covered employers and meet the eligibility cri-
teria of the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993. 
(8) While 140,000 members of the Armed 
Forces remain in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other dan-
gerous places throughout the world, their families 
continue to face the possible danger of meeting their 
economic needs without the support of a full family 
and with limited assistance from outside sources.
SEC. 3. FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE IN CONNECTION 
WITH DEATH OF MEMBER OF THE UNI-
FORMED SERVICES. 
Section 102(a) of the Family and Medical Leave Act 
of 1993 (29 U.S.C. 2612(a)) is amended by adding after 
paragraph (2) the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(3) DEATH OF MEMBER OF UNIFORMED SERV-
ICES IN LINE OF DUTY.—
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—An eligible employee 
shall be entitled to a total of seven days of leave 
because of the death of a parent, spouse, son, 
daughter, or person for whom the employee 
serves as designated representative under sec-
tion 1482(c) of title 10, United States Code, if 
the deceased died in the line of duty as a mem-
ber of the uniformed services. Such leave is in-
tended to permit the employee to prepare for or 
attend the burial ceremony of the deceased 
member of the uniformed services and may be 
paid or unpaid leave. 
‘‘(B) TREATMENT OF FEDERAL OFFICERS 
AND EMPLOYEES AS ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEES.—
For purposes of this paragraph, the exclusion 
under section 101(2)(B)(i) of a Federal officer