text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
  
      (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Strengthening the 
  Transition and Reintegration Of the National Guard and Reserves Act'' 
  or the ``STRONGR Act''.
      (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as 
  follows:
  
  Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
  Sec. 2. Extension of transitional health care coverage to one year for 
                              members of reserve components for mental 
                              health care.
  Sec. 3. Increase in amount of basic educational assistance for members 
                              of the Selected Reserve and members of 
                              reserve components supporting contingency 
                              operations.
  Sec. 4. Nonreduction in pay while Federal employee is serving on active 
                              duty in a reserve component of the 
                              uniformed services.
  Sec. 5. Assistance for State and local governments that continue to pay 
                              employees who serve on active duty in a 
                              reserve component of the uniformed 
                              services.
  Sec. 6. Active-duty reserve component employee credit added to general 
                              business credit.
  
  SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF TRANSITIONAL HEALTH CARE COVERAGE TO ONE YEAR FOR 
                MEMBERS OF RESERVE COMPONENTS FOR MENTAL HEALTH CARE.
  
      Section 1145(a) of title 10, United States Code, is amended in 
  paragraph (3)--
              (1) by inserting ``(A)'' after ``(3)''; and
              (2) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
              ``(B) In addition to the period described in subparagraph 
          (A), transitional health care shall be available for an 
          additional 180 days, for mental health care only, to a member 
          of a reserve component described in paragraph (2)(B). The 
          additional 180 days shall begin at the end of the period 
          described in subparagraph (A).''.
  
  SEC. 3. INCREASE IN AMOUNT OF BASIC EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE FOR MEMBERS 
                OF THE SELECTED RESERVE AND MEMBERS OF RESERVE COMPONENTS 
                SUPPORTING CONTINGENCY OPERATIONS.
  
      (a) Members of Selected Reserve.--
              (1) Increase in amount of assistance.--Section 16131(b) of 
          title 10, United States Code, is amended--
                      (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``at the 
                  following rates'' and all that follows through the end 
                  and inserting ``at the rate provided under paragraph 
                  (2).''; and
                      (B) in paragraph (2), by striking all and inserting 
                  the following:
      ``(2)(A) Educational assistance provided under this chapter shall 
  be paid at a rate equal the applicable percentage under subparagraph 
  (B) of the rate provided under section 3015(a) of title 38 for an 
  approved program of education pursued on a full-time basis.
      ``(B) The applicable percentage under this subparagraph is--
              ``(i) 50 percent for each month in which the individual 
          pursues an approved program of education on a full time basis;
              ``(ii) 37.5 percent for each month in which the individual 
          pursues an approved program of education on a three-quarter-
          time basis;
              ``(iii) 25 percent for each month in which the individual 
          pursues an approved program of education on a half-time basis; 
          and
              ``(iv) an appropriately reduced percent, as determined 
          under regulations which the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
          prescribe, for each month in which the individual pursues an 
          approved program of education on less than a half-time basis, 
          except that no payment may be made to an individual for a month 
          in which the individual pursues such a program on less than a 
          half-time basis if tuition assistance is otherwise available to 
          the individual for such pursuit from the military department 
          concerned.''.
              (2) Effective date.--The amendments made by paragraph (1) 
          shall apply with respect to an educational assistance allowance 
          under section 16131(b) of such title paid for months beginning 
          after the date of the enactment of this Act.
      (b) Reserve Components Supporting Contingency Operations.--
              (1) Increase in amount.--Section 16162(c)(4) of title 10, 
          United States Code, is amended--
                      (A) in subparagraph (A) by striking ``40 percent'' 
                  and inserting ``60 percent''; and
                      (B) in subparagraph (B) by striking ``60 percent'' 
                  and inserting ``70 percent''.
              (2) Effective date.--The amendments made by paragraph (1) 
          shall apply with respect to an educational assistance allowance 
          under section 16162(c)(4) of such title paid for months 
          beginning after the date of the enactment of this Act.
  
  SEC. 4. NONREDUCTION IN PAY WHILE FEDERAL EMPLOYEE IS SERVING ON ACTIVE 
                DUTY IN A RESERVE COMPONENT OF THE UNIFORMED SERVICES.
  
      (a) In General.--Subchapter IV of chapter 55 of title 5, United 
  States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
  ``Sec. 5538. Nonreduction in pay while serving on active duty in a 
                reserve component
      ``(a) An employee who is also a member of a reserve component and 
  is absent from a position of employment with the Federal Government 
  under a call or order to serve on active duty for a period of more than 
  30 days shall be entitled to receive, for each pay period described in 
  subsection (b), an amount equal to the amount by which--
              ``(1) the amount of civilian basic pay that would otherwise 
          have been payable to the employee for such pay period if the 
          employee's civilian employment with the Government had not been 
          interrupted by the service on active duty, exceeds (if at all)
              ``(2) the amount of military compensation that is payable 
          to the employee for the service on active duty and is allocable 
          to such pay period.
      ``(b)(1) Amounts under this section shall be payable with respect 
  to each pay period (which would otherwise apply if the employee's 
  civilian employment had not been interrupted) that occurs--
              ``(A) while the employee serves on active duty for a period 
          of more than 30 days;
              ``(B) while the employee is hospitalized for, or 
          convalescing from, an illness or injury incurred in, or 
          aggravated during, the performance of such active duty; or
              ``(C) during the 14-day period beginning at the end of such 
          active duty or the end of the period referred to in 
          subparagraph (B).
      ``(2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply with respect to a pay period 
  for which the employee receives civilian basic pay (including by taking 
  any annual, military, or other paid leave) to which the employee is 
  entitled by virtue of the employee's civilian employment with the 
  Government.
      ``(c) Any amount payable under this section to an employee shall be 
  paid--
              ``(1) by the employing agency of the employee;
              ``(2) from the appropriation or fund that would be used to 
          pay the employee if the employee were in a pay status; and
              ``(3) to the extent practicable, at the same time and in 
          the same manner as would civilian basic pay if the employee's 
          civilian employment had not been interrupted.
      ``(d) In consultation with Secretary of Defense, the Office of 
  Personnel Management shall prescribe such regulations as may be 
  necessary to carry out this section.
      ``(e)(1) In consultation with the Office, the head of each agency 
  referred to in section 2302(a)(2)(C)(ii) shall prescribe procedures to 
  ensure that the rights under this section apply to the employees of 
  such agency.
      ``(2) The Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration 
  shall, in consultation with the Office, prescribe procedures to ensure 
  that the rights under this section apply to the employees of that 
  agency.
      ``(f) For the purpose of this section--
              ``(1) the terms `active duty for a period of more than 30 
          days', `member', and `reserve component' have the meanings 
          given such terms in section 101 of title 37;
              ``(2) the term `civilian basic pay' includes any amount 
          payable under section 5304;
              ``(3) the term `employing agency', as used with respect to 
          an employee entitled to any payments under this section, means 
          the agency or other entity of the Government (including an 
          agency referred to in section 2302(a)(2)(C)(ii)) with respect 
          to which the employee has reemployment rights under chapter 43 
          of title 38; and
              ``(4) the term `military compensation' has the meaning 
          given the term `pay' in section 101(21) of title 37.''.
      (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
  chapter 55 of title 5, United States Code, is amended by inserting 
  after the item relating to section 5537 the following new item:
  
  ``5538. Nonreduction in pay while serving on active duty in a reserve 
                              component.''.
      (c) Application of Amendment.--Section 5538 of title 5, United 
  States Code, as added by subsection (a), shall apply with respect to 
  pay periods (as described in subsection (b) of such section) beginning 
  on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.
  
  SEC. 5. ASSISTANCE FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS THAT CONTINUE TO PAY 
                EMPLOYEES WHO SERVE ON ACTIVE DUTY IN A RESERVE COMPONENT 
                OF THE UNIFORMED SERVICES.
  
      (a) In General.--Chapter 17 of title 37, United States Code, is 
  amended by adding at the end the following new section:
  ``Sec. 911. Assistance for State and local governments that continue to 
                pay employees who serve on active duty
      ``(a) Continuation of Civilian Basic Pay.--It is the purpose of 
  this section to encourage States and local governments to continue to 
  pay a portion of the civilian compensation of those employees who are 
  also members of a reserve component and are absent from a position of 
  employment with the State or local government under a call or order to 
  serve on active duty for a period of more than 30 days so that the 
  employees receive compensation in an amount that, when taken together 
  with their military pay, is at least equal to their civilian 
  compensation.
      ``(b) Reimbursement Offered.--(1) At the request of a State or 
  local government that continues to pay all or a portion of the civilian 
  compensation of an employee described in subsection (a), the Secretary 
  concerned shall reimburse the State or local government for 50 percent 
  of the civilian compensation paid by the State or local government for 
  each pay period described in subsection (c), but not to exceed 50 
  percent of the difference (if any) between--
              ``(A) the amount of civilian compensation that would 
          otherwise have been payable to the employee for such pay period 
          if the employee's civilian employment with the State or local 
          government had not been interrupted by the service on active 
          duty; and
              ``(B) the amount of military pay that is payable to the 
          employee for the service on active duty and is allocable to 
          such pay period.
      ``(2) If the pay periods described in subsection (c) extend more 
  than nine consecutive months after the first day of the first month 
  during which the employee began to serve on active duty for a period of 
  more than 30 days, the reimbursement rate shall become 100 percent for 
  the subsequent payments. However, as is the case under paragraph (1), 
  reimbursement shall be provided only for the difference (if any) 
  between--
              ``(A) the amount of civilian compensation that would 
          otherwise have been payable to the employee for such pay period 
          if the employee's civilian employment with the State or local 
          government had not been interrupted by the service on active 
          duty; and
              ``(B) the amount of military pay that is payable to the 
          employee for the service on active duty and is allocable to 
          such pay period.
      ``(c) Pay Periods.--Reimbursement shall be provided under this 
  section with respect to each pay period (which would otherwise apply if 
  the employee's civilian employment had not been interrupted) that 
  occurs--
              ``(1) while the employee serves on active duty for a period 
          of more than 30 days;
              ``(2) while the employee is hospitalized for, or 
          convalescing from, an illness or injury incurred in, or 
          aggravated during, the performance of such active duty; or
              ``(3) during the 14-day period beginning at the end of such 
          active duty or the end of the period referred to in 
          subparagraph (B).
      ``(d) Effect of Failure To Return to Employment.--(1) If an 
  employee described in subsection (a), with respect to whom 
  reimbursement is provided to a State or local government under this 
  section, fails to report or apply for employment or reemployment with 
  the State or local government by the end of the period referred to in 
  subsection (c)(3), the employee shall refund to the Secretary concerned 
  the total amount of the reimbursement provided with respect to the 
  employee.
      ``(2) Subject to paragraph (3), an obligation to refund moneys to 
  the United States imposed under paragraph (1) is for all purposes a 
  debt owed to the United States.
      ``(3) The Secretary concerned may waive, in whole or in part, a 
  refund required under paragraph (1) if the Secretary concerned 
  determines that recovery would be against equity and good conscience or 
  would be contrary to the best interests of the United States.
      ``(4) A discharge in bankruptcy under title 11 that is entered less 
  than five years after the end of the period referred to in subsection 
  (c)(3) does not discharge the employee from a debt arising under 
  paragraph (1). This paragraph applies to any case commenced under title 
  11 after the date of the enactment of this section.
      ``(e) Regulations.--The Secretaries concerned shall prescribe 
  regulations to carry out this section.
      ``(f) Definitions.--In this section:
              ``(1) The term `civilian compensation' means the wages or 
          salary that an employee of a State or local government normally 
          receives from the employee's employment by the State or local 
          government.
              ``(2) The term `local government' means an agency or 
          political subdivision of a State.
              ``(3) The term `military pay' has the meaning given the 
          term `pay' in section 101(21) of this title.
              ``(4) The term `State' means each of the several States of 
          the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth 
          of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, and other territories 
          or possessions of the United States.''.
      (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
  chapter 17 of title 37, is amended by inserting after the item relating 
  to section 909 the following new item:
  
  ``911. Assistance for State and local governments that continue to pay 
                              employees who serve on active duty.''.
      (c) Application of Amendment.--Section 911 of title 37, United 
  States Code, as added by subsection (a), shall apply with respect to 
  pay periods (as described in subsection (b) of such section) beginning 
  on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.
  
  SEC. 6. ACTIVE-DUTY RESERVE COMPONENT EMPLOYEE CREDIT ADDED TO GENERAL 
                BUSINESS CREDIT.
  
      (a) Addition of Credit.--Subpart D of part IV of subchapter A of 
  chapter 1 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to business-
  related credits) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
  section:
  
  ``SEC. 45N. ACTIVE-DUTY RESERVE COMPONENT EMPLOYEE CREDIT.
  
      ``(a) General Rule.--For purposes of section 38, in the case of an 
  employer, the active-duty reserve component employee credit determined 
  under this section for the taxable year is an amount equal to 50 
  percent of the compensation paid by the employer to an employee who is 
  also a member of a reserve component during the taxable year when the 
  employee was absent from employment for a reason described in 
  subsection (b).
      ``(b) Limitation.--The amount allowed as a credit under subsection 
  (a) shall not exceed 50 percent of the difference (if any) between--
              ``(1) the amount of compensation that would otherwise have 
          been payable to the employee during such absence if the 
          employee's employment with the employer had not been 
          interrupted by the employee's absence; and
              ``(2) the amount of military pay that is payable to the 
          employee during the absence.
      ``(c) Covered Pay Periods.--Subsection (a) shall apply with respect 
  to an employee who is also a member of a reserve component--
              ``(1) while the employee serves on active duty for a period 
          of more than 30 days;
              ``(2) while the employee is hospitalized for, or 
          convalescing from, an illness or injury incurred in, or 
          aggravated during, the performance of such active duty; or
              ``(3) during the 14-day period beginning at the end of such 
          active duty or the end of the period referred to in paragraph 
          (2).
      ``(d) Days Not Taken Into Account.--No credit shall be allowed 
  under subsection (a) with respect to an employee on any day on which 
  the employee was not scheduled to work (for a reason other than such 
  service on active duty) and ordinarily would not have worked.
      ``(e) Definitions.--For purposes of this section--
              ``(1) The terms `active duty for a period of more than 30 
          days', `member', and `reserve component' have the meanings 
          given such terms in section 101 of title 37, United States 
          Code.
              ``(2) The term `compensation' means any remuneration for 
          employment, whether in cash or in kind, which is paid or 
          incurred by a taxpayer and which is deductible from the 
          taxpayer's gross income under section 162(a)(1).''.
      (b) Credit To Be Part of General Business Credit.--Subsection (b) 
  of section 38 of such Code (relating to general business credit) is 
  amended by striking ``plus'' at the end of paragraph (30), by striking 
  the period at the end of paragraph (31) and inserting ``, plus'', and 
  by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
              ``(32) the active-duty reserve component employee credit 
          determined under section 45N(a).''.
      (c) Conforming Amendment.--The table of sections for subpart D of 
  part IV of subchapter A of chapter 1 of such Code is amended by 
  inserting after the item relating to section 45M the following new 
  item:
  
  ``Sec. 45N. Active-duty reserve component employee credit.''.
      (d) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
  apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2007.
target: Strengthening the Transition and Reintegration of the National Guard and Reserves Act or STRONGR Act - Provides an additional 180-day period of military mental health care coverage for members of the reserves separated from service following active duty of more than 30 days in support of a contingency operation.
  
  Increases the amount of basic educational assistance under the Montgomery GI Bill for members of the Selected Reserve and reserve personnel supporting contingency operations.
  
  Entitles a federal employee who is a member of a reserve component to receive the difference in pay between military compensation and civilian compensation during periods of active duty exceeding 30 days.
  
  Directs the Secretary of the military department concerned to reimburse states or local governments for 50% of the civilian compensation paid by such governments to equalize military and civilian pay. Increases the reimbursement rate to 100% if active duty extends beyond nine months.
  
  Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish an active-duty reserve component employee credit for employers who provide compensation to employees on active duty.
feat_title: To improve certain compensation, health care, and education benefits for individuals who serve in a reserve component of the uniformed services, and for other purposes.