During the 12-month period beginning on the first day of employment, any employee who is a veteran with a service-connected disability rated at 30 percent or more is entitled to leave, without loss or reduction in pay, for purposes of undergoing medical treatment for such disability for which sick leave could regularly be used.

The leave credited to an employee under subsection (a) may not exceed 104 hours.

(1) The leave credited to an employee under subsection (a) may not exceed 104 hours.

(2) Any leave credited to an employee pursuant to subsection (a) that is not used during the 12-month period described in such subsection may not be carried over and shall be forfeited.

In the case of an employee of an office of the legislative branch, the certification described in paragraph (1) shall be prescribed—

(1) In order to verify that leave credited to an employee pursuant to subsection (a) is used for treating a service-connected disability, such employee shall submit to the head of the employing agency certification, in such form and manner as the Director of the Office of Personnel Management may prescribe, that such employee used such leave for purposes of being furnished treatment for such disability by a health care provider.

In the case of an employee of an office of the legislative branch, the certification described in paragraph (1) shall be prescribed—

(A) in the case of an employee of the House of Representatives, by the Committee on House Administration of the House of Representatives;

(B) in the case of an employee of the Senate, by the Committee on Rules and Administration of the Senate; or

(C) in the case of an employee of any other office of the legislative branch, by the head of the office.

In this section—

the term “employee” has the meaning given such term in section 2105, and includes—

(A) an officer or employee of the United States Postal Service or the Postal Regulatory Commission; and

(B) notwithstanding subsection (a) of section 7421 of title 38, an individual occupying a position listed in subsection (b) of such section;

(2) the term “service-connected” has the meaning given such term in section 101(16) of title 38; and

(3) the term “veteran” has the meaning given such term in section 101(2) of such title.

(Added Pub. L. 114–75, § 2(a), Nov. 5, 2015, 129 Stat. 640; amended Pub. L. 115–238, § 2(a), Sept. 7, 2018, 132 Stat. 2450; Pub. L. 115–364, § 1(a), Dec. 21, 2018, 132 Stat. 5088.)