Murkowski, Duckworth Bipartisan Legislation to Expand Leave Benefits for Public Health Commissioned Officers Passes Senate

Murkowski, Duckworth Bipartisan Legislation to Expand Leave Benefits for Public Health Commissioned Officers Passes Senate

Washington, D.C. - Bipartisan legislation led by U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) to help expand leave benefits for the devoted health professionals serving in the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) Commissioned Corps passed the Senate last week by unanimous consent. Despite being responsible for leading our nation's emergency response to dangerous public health crises and natural disasters, PHS officers are still the only federal entity-civilian or uniformed-without access to essential leave benefits, including extended parental leave, emergency leave, court appearance leave and rest and recuperation leave. The Senators' Uniformed Services Leave Parity Act would rectify this issue by ensuring PHS officers have access to the same authorized leave that is available to members of the Armed Services.

"I was proud to help lead the effort to advance the Uniformed Services Leave Parity Act, first in the HELP Committee and then on the Senate floor, bringing us one step closer to fixing this longstanding inequity," said Murkowski. "Our Public Health Service officers stand on the front lines during national crises-from public health emergencies to natural disasters-and deserve the same benefits afforded to their fellow uniformed service members."

"When disease or disaster threatens our public safety, PHS officers are on the front lines helping keep the American people healthy and out of harm's way-there's no reason they shouldn't have the same leave benefits that officers of the Army, Navy or any of our other uniformed services do," said Duckworth. "This bipartisan legislation would help ensure these devoted health professionals have equal access to the benefits they deserve, and I'm proud it passed the Senate by unanimous consent."

When it comes to leave benefits, the inequity that persists between PHS and the other uniformed services undermines PHS's ability to recruit and retain qualified professionals that help our nation tackle public health crises like natural disasters, COVID-19 or Ebola. Not only does this inequity compromise the wellbeing of PHS officers, but it also ultimately threatens our nation's public health emergency preparedness.