A shorter version of ROA’s “A Century of Service to America” for use in advocacy for strong reserve components.

NEW: The ROA Story: Power through partnership

ARCHIVE: June 13 Advocacy Day Resources

It's not too late to become involved in ROA's advocacy to support the U.S. Public Health Service Ready Reserve. If you haven't engaged with the resources from ROA's June 13 Advocacy Day, please do so as soon as possible.

• Government Affairs Readiness Resource Guide.
• Event agenda.
  
• Congressional staff listing.

Contact ROA's legislation and military policy director at mschwartzman@roa.org with any questions.

118th Congress Public Policy Portfolios

Transitioning American military readiness into the decisive decade

2nd Session (Jan. 3, 2023 to Jan. 3, 2024)

ROA's public policy portfolio for the second session of the 118th Congress will transition American military superiority into the decisive decade by:

1. Ensuring the transition from a Strategic Reserve to an operational reserve is reinforced by modernized law, policy, and practice.
2. Ensuring seamless transitions for component interoperability.
3. Ensuring seamless transitions for capability interoperability.
4. Eliminating discontinuities in transitions between health care plans for Reserve and National Guard service members, their survivors, and "gray area" retirees.
5. Improving transitions between military and civilian life for Reserve and National Guard service members, military families, and Americans.

Whether it be enacting duty status reform or fully funding the National Guard and Reserve Equipment Account, this portfolio was crafted with the service member and mission in mind.

ROA's official statement on priorities for the second session of the 118th Congress coming soon.

Joining Forces: Reserve and National Guard recognition

Joining Forces is a White House initiative to support the families of service members and veterans, caregivers, and survivors.

In 2023, ROA identified the following policy priorities for Reserve and National Guard recognition in Joining Forces focus areas:

Employment and entrepreneurship

• Expand the Work Opportunity Tax Credit to employers of military spouses to reduce military spouse unemployment.
• Increase the differential wage payment tax credit for employers of reserve component members.
• Explore and support permanent programs that increase access to childcare for Reserve and National Guard service members and families.
• Expand access to the Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account for all reserve component service members.

Military child education

• Include the ROA STARs program in the Month of the Military Child Toolkit for Schools.
• Encourage the Department of Defense Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program to include on their "Deployment To-Do List" a section on 'Notify Children's School'.

Health and wellbeing

• Provide parental leave parity between components [Enacted in FY 24 NDAA]
• Establish a reserve component curriculum in the Transition Assistance Program.

Read more here.

Patriotic preparedness promotes peace

1st Session (Jan. 3, 2022, to Jan. 3, 2023)

Patriotic preparedness promotes peace is the byproduct of months of internal deliberation and collaboration with mission partners and honors ROA's century of service to America. The goal of this portfolio? Readiness.

ROA believes military readiness requires reserve component personnel and equipment capabilities that achieve interoperability with the active component and permeability with America's allies and partners.

ROA's public policy portfolio for the first session of the 118th Congress establishes a readiness infrastructure that:

1. Enables the National Defense Strategy.
2. Positions the reserve force to fulfill its dual role as a Strategic and operational reserve.
3. Eliminates disparities in the provision of service-earned benefits between components.
4. Fortifies a value centric dual career path for citizen-warriors and their employers. 

Read ROA's official statement on priorities for the first session of the 118th Congress here.

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118th Congress Interactive Position Papers

ROA's Interactive Position Paper is a premier government affairs readiness resource for advocates at all levels.

Embedded with ROA's video Up to the Minute Man Updates, the IPP allows users to keep track with ROA's advocacy in Washington D.C.

For assistance on how best to use ROA's IPP, contact mschwartzman@roa.org.

• H.R.3943, Servicemember Employment Protection Act.
• HR3668/S1670, TRICARE Fairness for National Guard and Reserve Retirees Act .

118th Congress Position Papers

Position papers are an effective readiness resource for grassroots and grasstops advocates to achieve desired outcomes.

For assistance on how best to use ROA's position papers, contact mschwartzman@roa.org.

• Ensuring children of Reserve and National Guard service members are included in the Military Student Identifier.
• Implement Duty Status Reform.
• Support the TriService Nursing Research Program in the FY 2025 NDAA.
• Adequately fund and equip the Air Force Reserve.
• H.R.7953/S.4116, Servicemember Healthcare Freedom Act.
• H.R.5844, Savings for Servicemembers Act.
• H.R.4244/S.2076, Servicemember Enrollment and Readmission for Valuable Education (SERVE) Act.
• S.2297, Parity for Public Health Service Ready Reserve Act.
• Providing 100 percent back pay to certain reinstated service members: ROA's Replenishing the Ranks Act.
• Improving service-earned benefits and support programs for reserve component service members: ROA's Delivering Reservist Integration and Veterans Education Act.
• Section by Section Summary: ROA's Delivering Reservist Integration and Veterans Education Act.
• Expanding Post 9/11 GI Bill eligibility for reserve component service members.

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ROA Draft Legislation

ROA's legislative director will selectively draft legislation to streamline the congressional consideration process. 

For assistance on how best to use ROA's draft legislation, contact mschwartzman@roa.org.

• ROA's Replenishing the Ranks Act.
• ROA's Delivering Reservist Integration and Veterans Education (DRIVE) Act.

ROA Legal Opinions

ROA's advocacy spans across all branches of government, including the judiciary. ROA submits briefs to the courts, including the Supreme Court, to ensure law and policy are enforced in favor of reserve component members and their families.

• Brief of the Reserve Organization of America supporting petitioners in Feliciana v. Department of Transportation / Charles Flynn v. Department of State.

Archived Legislative Priorities and Position Papers

• ROA 117th Congress Legislative Pamphlet
• AUSA/EANGUS/NGAUS/ROA Legislative Goals
• GI Bill Parity: Expand Eligibility for Post-9/11 Educational Assistance
• Gray Area Retirement Health Care
• Tax Laws and Policies
• ROA Legislative Priority Letter to President
• Post 9-11 Veteran Business Acceleration Act
  
• Veteran Status: Federal Hiring Preference for Reserve Component Members
• DD Form 214: Issue upon Retirement/Separation from the Reserve Component
• Toxic Exposure: Recognition of Illnesses Caused by Hazardous Warfare Agents
• Continuity of Care: Establish Continuous Health Care Coverage
• Taxes: Update Tax Laws and Policies to Reflect Changes in the Military

Archived Legal Opinions

• Gerard Travers v. Federal Express Corporation, No. 20-2703
• David Babcock v. Commissioner of Social Security, No. 20-480
• Eric White v. United Airlines, Inc. No. 19-2546
• Torres v. Texas Amicus Brief
• National Coalition For Men v. Selective Service, No. 20-928