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Originally published in: wjla

On Capitol Hill, a bipartisan group of lawmakers pushed to expand access to paid family and medical leave for veterans in the federal workforce.

Virginia Democratic Congressman Don Beyer was one of the lawmakers who worked to include this amendment in the National Defense Authorization Act.

Beyer said this bill passed last week and is now heading to President Joe Biden for his signature.

“It’s fair to consider this is a Christmas present for veterans,” Beyer told 7News. “Especially for those who are going back into service in the federal government. I represent Northern Virginia which has one of the largest concentrations of veterans in the country. And of course one of the largest concentration of federal employees. This made great sense for us to lead on this issue.”

This bill would allow service members to count their years of service in the military for medical and family benefits if they choose to transition to the federal government workforce --- which is currently not allowed.