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Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994

Public Law 103-353 · H.R. 995 · 103rd Congress · began in the House

Signed by Bill Clinton (D) on Oct 13, 1994 · Armed Forces and National Security

Sponsor: Rep. Sonny Montgomery (D-MS-3)

Cosponsors (15): Rep. Robert Stump,

Passage votes

  • HouseUnanimous consent
  • SenateVoice vote
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 - Amends Federal veterans' benefits provisions to revise generally provisions relating to the employment and reemployment rights of members of the uniformed services.

States that a person's entitlement to rights and benefits under this Act will be terminated in cases of a dishonorable or bad conduct discharge or a separation, release, or dismissal under conditions other than honorable.

Prohibits the denial of initial employment, reemployment, retention in employment, promotion, or any benefit of employment by an employer against a person who is a member of, applies for membership in, or performs, has performed, applies to perform, or has an obligation to perform service in a uniformed service on the basis of such service or obligation. Prohibits an employer from discriminating in employment or taking any adverse employment action against any person who has acted to enforce a protection afforded by this Act. Excuses an employer from such reemployment requirements if changed circumstances make reemployment impossible or unreasonable or if reemployment would impose an undue hardship on such employer (with the burden of proof of such circumstances on the employer in such cases).

Entitles any person absent from employment by reason of the performance of military service to the rights and benefits of this Act if: (1) the person has given advance notice of such service to the employer; (2) the cumulative length of such absence and any previous absences from employment by reason of military service does not exceed five years; and (3) the person reports or applies to such employer upon completion of such service in accordance with requirements enumerated under this Act. Excuses employer notice when precluded by military necessity or when otherwise impossible or unreasonable. Outlines certain conditions under which a person shall remain entitled to such employment and reemployment rights even though the cumulative length of military service exceeds five years.

Outlines provisions concerning: (1) employee reporting requirements upon completion of military service, including the presentation of documentation of such military service to the employer; (2) the positions (same or substantially similar) to which the returning employee shall be entitled; (3) reemployment rights of persons disabled during such military service (requiring the employer to make reasonable efforts to accommodate the disability); and (4) reemployment rights of a person employed by the Federal Government before such military service.

Requires the heads of certain Federal intelligence and investigative agencies to prescribe procedures to ensure that rights provided under this Act apply to their employees. Requires the head of each such agency to report to specified congressional committees on the number of persons whose reemployment with the agency was determined to be impossible or unreasonable during the preceding year. Entitles a person reemployed after military service to all seniority and other rights and benefits (including pension benefits and coverage under the appropriate health plan) that such person would have attained if the employment had not been interrupted by military service.

Directs the Secretary of Labor to report annually to the Congress from 1996 through 2000 concerning actions taken during such year with regard to reemployment actions, violations, compliants and recommendations.

Directs the Secretary of Labor to assist all eligible persons with respect to employment and reemployment rights and benefits. Outlines procedures for assistance, investigation of complaints, and enforcement of such rights and benefits against Federal, State, or private employers. Directs the Secretaries of Labor, Defense, and Veterans Affairs to provide those persons performing qualifying military service, as well as their employers, with information relating to their reemployment and other rights, benefits, and obligations.

(Sec. 3) Excludes reemployment rights and benefits from any military minimum service requirements.

(Sec. 4) Provides for the continuation of contributions to the Thrift Savings Plan for enrolled persons performing such military service.

(Sec. 5) Amends Federal pay provisions concerning the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) to include as creditable Federal service under both systems full-time National Guard duty followed by reemployment occurring on or after August 1, 1990. Provides for appropriate CSRS and FERS pay deductions during such periods of duty.

(Sec. 7) Increases from $46,000 to $50,750 the maximum loan amount that will be guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs to veterans when used for the purchase or construction of a home.

Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

  • Post Office and Civil Service Committee · House · referred toSubcommittee: Compensation and Employee Benefits Subcommittee; Civil Service Subcommittee
  • Veterans' Affairs Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Education, Training and Employment Subcommittee
  • Veterans' Affairs Committee · Senate · discharged from, referred to
Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 23 actions.

  1. Oct 13, 1994Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 103-353.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Oct 4, 1994PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Sep 28, 1994Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to the House amendment to the Senate amendment by Voice Vote.
  5. Sep 13, 1994Resolving differencesResolving differences · On motion that the House agree with an amendment to the Senate amendment Agreed to without objection.
  6. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Mr. Montgomery asked unanimous consent that the House agree with an amendment to the Senate amendment.
  7. Nov 9, 1993CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee
  8. Nov 8, 1993FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
  9. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  10. May 5, 1993CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee
  11. May 4, 1993FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  12. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
  13. FloorFloor · Mr. Montgomery moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
  14. Apr 28, 1993CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Veterans' Affairs Committee
  15. Apr 1, 1993CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Veterans' Affairs Committee
  16. Mar 25, 1993CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Education, Training and Employment Subcommittee of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee
  17. CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Education, Training and Employment Subcommittee of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee
  18. Feb 25, 1993CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Compensation and Employee Benefits Subcommittee of the House Post Office and Civil Service Committee
  19. CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Civil Service Subcommittee of the House Post Office and Civil Service Committee
  20. CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Education, Training and Employment Subcommittee of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee
  21. Feb 18, 1993CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Post Office and Civil Service Committee
  22. CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Veterans' Affairs Committee
  23. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
Data notes

Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.

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Official record

The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.