Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 100 Part 1.djvu/449

 PUBLIC LAW 99-290—MAY 2, 1986

100 STAT. 413

Public Law 99-290 99th Congress Joint Resolution To reaffirm Congress' recognition of the vital role played by members of the National Guard and Reserve in the national defense, and for other purposes.

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

May 2, 1986 [H.J. Res. 220]

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SECTION 1. RECOGNITION OF NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVE.

(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress reaffirms its findings set out in section 1130(a) of Public Law 97-252 that— 38 USC 2021 (1) the National Guard and Reserve forces of the United note. States are an integral part of the total force policy of the United States for national defense and need to be ready to respond, on short notice, to augment the active military forces in time of national emergency; (2) attracting and retaining sufficient numbers of qualified persons to serve in the Guard and Reserve is a difficult challenge during a period in which there is a decreasing number of young people from which to recruit; and (3) the support of employers and supervisors in granting employees a leave of absence from their jobs to participate in military training without detriment to earned vacation time, promotions, and job benefits is essential to the maintenance of a strong Guard and Reserve force. (b) RECOGNITION OF MEMBERS OF GUARD AND RESERVE.—It continues to be the sense of Congress that the citizen-military volunteers who serve the Nation as members of the National Guard and Reserve require and deserve public recognition of the essential role they play in the national defense, and particularly require and deserve the support and cooperation of their civilian employers, in order to be fully ready to respond to national emergencies. (c) EMPLOYER SUPPORT FOR GUARD AND RESERVE.—The Congress

reaffirms its statements expressed in section 1130(c) of Public Law 97-252 that it— (1) recognizes, and requests all citizens to recognize, the vital need for a trained, ready National Guard and Reserve in the national defense posture of the United States; and (2) urges and requests employers and supervisors of employees who are members of the National Guard or Reserve to abide by the provisions of chapter 43 of title 38, United States Code, by—

38 USC 2021 et

(A) granting a leave of absence for military training, s«9exclusive of earned vacation, to employees who are members of the Guard and Reserve; and (B) providing such employees equal consideration for job benefits and promotions as all other employees.

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