119-hr660

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 660 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

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119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 660

 To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of 
 Defense to carry out programs to provide to certain veterans who are 
women a compensation benefit and an upgrade to the discharge status of 
 such veterans, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 January 23, 2025

Ms. Brownley (for herself, Ms. Houlahan, Mr. Gottheimer, and Ms. Omar) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, 
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 direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of 
 Defense to carry out programs to provide to certain veterans who are 
women a compensation benefit and an upgrade to the discharge status of 
 such veterans, and for other purposes.

 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 ``Women Involuntarily Separated 
Earning Remittance Act of 2025'' or the ``WISER Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. PROGRAMS TO PROVIDE COMPENSATION BENEFIT AND DISCHARGE STATUS 
 UPGRADES FOR CERTAIN VETERANS WHO ARE WOMEN DISCHARGED 
 PURSUANT TO EXECUTIVE ORDER 10240.

    (a) Discharge Status Upgrade Program.--

    (1) In general.--Subject to the availability of amounts 
 made available in advance in appropriations Acts, the Secretary 
 of Veterans Affairs, in coordination with the Secretary of 
 Defense, shall establish and carry out a program to, subject to 
 the eligibility criteria under subsection
            (c) and conditions to 
 be prescribed by the Secretary of Defense, upgrade the 
 discharge status of covered veterans.

    (2) Applications.--A covered veteran desiring to 
 participate in such program shall submit to the Secretary of 
 Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of Defense an application in 
 such form, at such time, and containing such information and 
 assurances as such Secretaries determine appropriate.

    (3) Treatment of certain covered veterans.--With respect to 
 the provision of benefits under the laws administered by the 
 Secretary of Veterans Affairs, such Secretary shall treat a 
 covered veteran who receives a discharge status upgrade 
 pursuant to such program as if such covered veteran completed 
 the duty to which such covered veteran was assigned at the time 
 such covered veteran was separated from active military, naval, 
 air, or space service.

    (b) Compensation Benefit Program.--

    (1) In general.--The Secretary of Defense shall establish 
 and carry out a program to provide to covered veterans, subject 
 to the eligibility criteria under subsection
            (c) and paragraph

    (2) , a one-time compensation benefit in the amount of $25,000.

    (2) Surviving spouse eligibility.--If a covered veteran who 
 satisfies the eligibility criteria under subsection
            (c) dies 
 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the surviving 
 spouse of such covered veteran shall be eligible for 
 participation in the program under paragraph

    (1) .

    (3) Applications.--A covered veteran, or the surviving 
 spouse of a covered veteran, desiring to participate in such 
 program shall submit to the Secretary of Defense an application 
 in such form, at such time, and containing such information and 
 assurances as the Secretary determines appropriate.

    (4) Authorization of appropriations.--There are authorized 
 to be appropriated to the Secretary of Defense such sums as may 
 be necessary to carry out this subsection.
            (c) Eligibility Criteria.--

    (1) Irrebuttable presumption.--There is an irrebuttable 
 presumption of eligibility for participation in the programs 
 under subsections

    (a) and

    (b) for a covered veteran who was 
 involuntarily separated from active military, naval, air, or 
 space service pursuant to Executive Order 10240.

    (2) Rebuttable presumptions.--There is a rebuttable 
 presumption for eligibility for participation in such programs 
 for a covered veteran who--
        (A) gave birth to a child, obtained legal or 
 physical custody of a child, or adopted a child during 
 the 10-month period beginning after the date the 
 veteran was separated from active military, naval, air, 
 or space service; or
        (B) experienced an incomplete pregnancy (including 
 due to an abortion or miscarriage) during such 10-month 
 period.
            (d) === Definitions. ===
-In this section:

    (1) The term ``active military, naval, air, or space 
 service'' has the meaning given such term in 

section 101 of 
 title 10, United States Code.

    (2) The term ``covered veteran'' means a veteran who--
        (A) is a woman; and
        (B) performed active military, naval, air, or space 
 service during the period beginning on April 27, 1951 
 and ending on February 23, 1976.
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