119-hr4536

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4536 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 4536

 To recognize and reward exceptional physical fitness among members of 
 the Armed Forces serving on active duty and to promote physical 
 readiness and overall health in the Armed Forces.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 July 17, 2025

 Mr. Timmons introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Ways 
 and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 
 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the 
 jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To recognize and reward exceptional physical fitness among members of 
 the Armed Forces serving on active duty and to promote physical 
 readiness and overall health in the Armed Forces.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Fit for Duty Act''.

SEC. 2. MILITARY FITNESS BONUS PAY.

    (a) Findings; Sense of Congress.--

    (1) === Findings ===
-Congress finds the following:
        (A) Physical fitness is a critical component of 
 military readiness, ensuring that members of the Armed 
 Forces can meet the physical demands of their duties in 
 both training and combat environments.
        (B) According to the Department of Defense, 
 musculoskeletal injuries related to poor physical 
 fitness are among the leading causes of non-
 deployability and medical discharge in the Armed 
 Forces, costing the military billions in healthcare 
 expenses annually.
            (C) A 2022 Department of Defense report found that 
 approximately 77 percent of young Americans are 
 ineligible for military service, with obesity being one 
 of the primary disqualifying factors.
            (D) Data from the Army Public Health Center 
 indicates that excess body fat and poor cardiovascular 
 fitness are linked to lower performance in physically 
 demanding tasks, increased risk of injury, and higher 
 attrition rates in basic training and beyond.
        (E) According to the Centers for Disease Control 
 and Prevention, the prevalence of obesity among active-
 duty members of the Armed Forces increased from 10.4 
 percent in 2012 to 17.4 percent in 2022, negatively 
 affecting overall force readiness and deployability.
        (F) The United States Armed Forces lose an 
 estimated $1,500,000,000 annually due to obesity-
 related health issues, including lost workdays, medical 
 costs, and early separations from service.
        (G) The implementation of incentive-based fitness 
 programs have been shown to enhance motivation and 
 readiness and reduce long-term healthcare expenditures 
 within military populations.

    (2) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 
 fostering a culture of physical excellence among members of the 
 Armed Forces strengthens individual and unit readiness and 
 reinforces the ability of the United States to project power 
 and defend freedom across the globe as the premier military 
 force in the world.

    (b) Establishment of Bonus.--Subchapter II of chapter 5 of title 
37, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following 
new section:
``

Sec. 358. Military fitness bonus pay
 ``

    (a) Availability of Bonus.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--The Secretary concerned shall pay a 
 fitness bonus to each member of the Armed Forces who--
 ``
        (A) is entitled to basic pay under 

section 204 of 
 this title; and
 ``
        (B) achieves a score of 90 percent or higher on a 
 physical fitness test, as determined by the Secretary 
 concerned.
 ``

    (2) Recurring availability.--A bonus under this section 
 shall be available for each physical fitness test the Secretary 
 concerned requires a member of the Armed Forces to complete.
 ``

    (b) Amount of Bonus.--The amount of a bonus paid under this 
section shall be--
 ``

    (1) $1,000 with respect to a member of the Armed Forces 
 who achieves a perfect score on a physical fitness test; and
 ``

    (2) $500 with respect to a member of the Armed Forces 
 who--
 ``
        (A) does not achieve a perfect score on a 
 physical fitness test; and
 ``
        (B) achieves a score of 90 percent or higher on 
 such physical fitness test.
 ``
            (c) Annual Report.--Not later than December 31 of each year, each 
Secretary concerned shall submit to the congressional defense 
committees a report that includes, with respect to the preceding fiscal 
year--
 ``

    (1) the total number of bonuses awarded under this 
 section by the Secretary concerned;
 ``

    (2) the number of bonuses awarded under this section by 
 the Secretary concerned for a perfect score on a physical 
 fitness test;
 ``

    (3) the number of bonuses awarded under this section by 
 the Secretary concerned for a non-perfect score of 90 percent 
 or higher on a physical fitness test;
 ``

    (4) the number of members of the Armed Forces to whom the 
 Secretary concerned awarded a bonus under this section;
 ``

    (5) the total cost of carrying out this section for 
 members of the Armed Forces under the jurisdiction of the 
 Secretary concerned; and
 ``

    (6) a description of the impact of this section, if any, 
 on the military readiness of the members of the Armed Forces 
 under the jurisdiction of the Secretary concerned.''.
            (c) Exclusion From Income Tax.--

    (1) In general.--

Section 134

    (b) of the Internal Revenue 
 Code of 1986 is amended by adding at the end the following new 
 paragraph:
 ``

    (7) Certain bonus payments for military fitness.--The 
 term `qualified military benefit' includes any bonus awarded 
 under 

section 358 of title 37, United States Code.''.

    (2) Effective date.--The amendment made by paragraph

    (1) shall apply to taxable years ending after the date of the 
 enactment of this Act.
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