Duckworth Secures Bipartisan MOM Act as Part of NDAA

Press Release

Last night, the Military Opportunities for Mothers (MOM) Act passed as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, which passed the House of Representatives today. 79 members of Congress on both sides of the aisle cosponsored the MOM Act which was introduced by Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Kristi Noem (R-SD) on May 9th. The legislation extends maternity leave for women serving in the military from 6 weeks to 12 weeks. It will align access to maternity leave for female Service Members with the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) guidelines available to federal employees.

"I am truly inspired by the bipartisanship displayed by my colleagues in moving forward this crucial legislation for women in our military," said Duckworth. "Women are an irreplaceable piece of the strongest and most capable military in the world. This critical piece of legislation will vastly improve the retention of female talent in our Armed Forces, the mental and physical health of the mother, and cognitive development of their children. Mothers in the military inevitably face separation from their children when they are deployed and serving our nation around the globe. Extending maternity leave for these women is the least we can do for those who sacrifice so much for our country."

Source