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HR 8041
Introduced Re-checks Congress.gov for new actions and updates the bill's status, and fills in any sponsors, committees, or related bills that are missing. It does not re-pull sponsors/cosponsors/committees/related — those rarely change — and it skips all work if nothing has changed upstream, so it's cheap to click.

Supporting VA Families Act

To establish an entitlement to a supplemental period of unpaid parental leave for employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Introduced Mar 24, 2026

Latest action (Apr 15, 2026) Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote.

Referred to
Veterans' Affairs Committee
Policy area
Armed Forces and National Security
Issues
Defense
Legislative subjects (3)
Family planning and birth controlFamily relationshipsGovernment employee pay, benefits, personnel management

Summary
  • Entitles Department of Veterans Affairs employees to four weeks of unpaid parental leave per 12-month period following the birth of a child or placement of a child for adoption or foster care.
  • The unpaid leave must be used within the 12-month period beginning on the date of birth or placement and expires at the end of that period.
  • This leave is in addition to any other parental leave entitlements that VA employees already receive under federal law.
  • Applies to all VA employees, including those appointed to positions in the Veterans Health Administration.

AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.

Sponsor (1)
63 cosponsors

Money behind the sponsor

Top reported contributors to Janelle S. Bynum’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.

  • GOOGLE $25,251
  • STATE OF OREGON $17,357
  • MASS GENERAL HOSPITAL $13,200
  • MOTLEY RICE LLC $12,750
  • OHSU $12,113

Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for Janelle S. Bynum → · Outside spending →

Actions (5)
  1. Apr 15, 2026 Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote. · house
  2. Apr 15, 2026 Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held · house
  3. Apr 14, 2026 Referred to the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. · house
  4. Mar 24, 2026 Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs. · house
  5. Mar 24, 2026 Introduced in House

More bills on these subjects (8)

Other bills that carry the most legislative subjects in common with this one (topical discovery — distinct from the procedural related bills above).

  • HR 9770 — Continuing Appropriations Act, 2027 (shares 3 subjects)
  • HR 7148 — Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 (shares 3 subjects)
  • HR 7006 — Financial Services and General Government and National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2026 (shares 3 subjects)
  • HR 5371 — Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Extensions Act, 2026 (shares 3 subjects)
  • S 2296 — National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 (shares 3 subjects)
  • S 2882 — Continuing Appropriations and Extensions and Other Matters Act, 2026 (shares 3 subjects)
  • HR 5450 — Continuing Appropriations and Extensions and Other Matters Act, 2026 (shares 3 subjects)
  • HR 1968 — Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 (shares 3 subjects)

Similar bills (6)

Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.

  • HR 6026 — To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of Education to submit a report on the availability, accessibility, and affordability of childcare for veteran families. · Introduced Nov 17, 2025 · Cong. 119 72%
  • HR 7908 — 20-Year Promise Act · Introduced Mar 12, 2026 · Cong. 119 66%
  • HR 585 — Supporting Veteran Families in Need Act · Introduced Feb 25, 2025 · Cong. 119 65%
  • HR 8421 — SERVE Act · Introduced Apr 21, 2026 · Cong. 119 65%
  • S 4694 — Maternal Health for Veterans Act · Introduced Jun 4, 2026 · Cong. 119 65%
  • HR 656 — Protecting Military Parental Leave Evaluations Act · Introduced Jan 23, 2025 · Cong. 119 64%

Text versions (1)
  • Introduced in House · Mar 24, 2026

Only one text version is on file, so there’s no earlier version to compare against yet.

Full text

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

March 24, 2026

Ms. Bynum (for herself and Mr. Ciscomani) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs

A BILL

To establish an entitlement to a supplemental period of unpaid parental leave for employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the “Supporting VA Families Act”.

SEC. 2. SUPPLEMENTAL PERIOD OF UNPAID PARENTAL LEAVE FOR DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS EMPLOYEES.

(a) Unpaid Parental Leave.—

(1) In general.—Notwithstanding section 7421 of title 38, United States Code, or any other provision of law, an employee of the Department of Veterans Affairs (including an employee who is appointed in the Veterans Health Administration under any provision of chapter 74 of such title on a full-time basis in a position listed in section 7421(b) of such title) shall be entitled to four administrative weeks of leave without pay during any 12-month period due to—

(A) the birth of a son or daughter of the employee and to care for such son or daughter; or

(B) the placement of a son or daughter with the employee for adoption or foster care.

(2) Expiration.—The entitlement to leave under paragraph

(1) shall expire at the end of the 12-month period beginning on the date of such birth or placement.

(b) Supplement, Not Supplant.—The entitlement to leave under subsection (a) shall be in addition to any entitlement to leave under subchapter V of chapter 63 of title 5, United States Code, or, as applicable, section 7425(c) of title 38, United States Code.

(c) Definitions.—In this section, the terms “employee” and “son or daughter” have the meanings given such terms in section 6831 of title 5, United States Code. <all>

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