Disaster Assistance Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 2006

H.R. 4998, the Disaster Assistance Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 2006, seeks to provide job protection for workers who serve as intermittent disaster response personnel for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The bill would prohibit employers from firing, demoting, or discriminating against these "reservist" employees when they are called away from their regular jobs to assist with federal disaster relief efforts.

Under this legislation, protected employees could be absent for up to 90 days per year for disaster service, provided they make a reasonable effort to notify their employers. While employers would not be required to pay the workers for the time they are away, they would be required to allow the employees to return to their positions after their service is complete. If an employer violates these protections, the bill grants the affected worker the right to file a civil lawsuit in federal court.