Duty Status Reform Act
Sponsored By: Representative Cisneros
Introduced
Summary
The Duty Status Reform Act would consolidate reserve and National Guard duty authorities into four clear categories and realign rules across the code. It would also harmonize benefits so full‑time National Guard duty supporting contingency operations is treated like active duty for many programs.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
10 provisions identified: 7 benefits, 0 costs, 3 mixed.
Loan and credit protections for Guards
If enacted, the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act would explicitly cover full-time National Guard duty supporting contingency operations. The Fair Credit Reporting Act protections would extend to servicemembers on active duty or FTNGD for contingency operations. Bankruptcy means-testing rules would treat FTNGD like active duty for debt tests and timing.
VA and TRICARE eligibility fixes
If enacted, the bill would treat full-time National Guard duty for contingency operations as qualifying active service for many VA benefits and death benefits. TRICARE eligibility could start on the order issue date and be backdated up to 180 days before duty starts. The bill would add a category of persons to DoD dental plan eligibility and make a VA home loan eligibility change apply to service before enactment as well. It would also update VA definitions about what counts as reserve component duty and allow Guard members alleging sexual assault while on FTNGD to be ordered or retained on FTNGD while line-of-duty decisions proceed.
Federal job and family leave updates
If enacted, the Family and Medical Leave Act deployment rules would cover full-time National Guard duty supporting contingency operations. The bill would update Title 5 cross-references so certain Ready Reserve training and FTNGD count for federal employee leave and protections. These changes would apply to the listed federal employment provisions on or after enactment or the title's effective date as specified.
Student loan protections for service members
If enacted, orders to active duty or full-time National Guard duty for a contingency operation would count as 'active service' for student loan benefits and deferments under the Higher Education Act. The bill would also extend HEA protections to the 180-day period after release from active duty during a war or national emergency.
Broader benefit parity across laws
If enacted, the bill would insert 'full-time National Guard duty' and 'reserve component duty' into many federal laws so equivalent service gets equivalent treatment across pay, retirement, housing, student aid, survivor benefits, and immigration naturalization. These are definitional cross-references, not new appropriation rules, and most such changes would take effect under the title's effective-date rules.
Training, remote work, and pay options
If enacted, Ready Reserve annual training rules would require 14 days of active-duty training or 48 training periods per year, and National Guard units would normally assemble at least 15 days a year. The bill would allow pre-approved remote assignments and courses to earn retirement points and limited pay or stipends. Ready Reserve members doing funeral honors could get pay or an allowance and travel reimbursement when duty is 50 miles or more from home. DoD would run a Youth Challenge Program of at least 22 weeks plus 12 months of mentoring, with DoD funding up to 75% of operating costs. Members who already get a pension or disability could elect to waive those payments to receive duty pay instead while serving.
Who can be ordered and for how long
If enacted, the bill would define Active Guard and Reserve functions for 180+ day duties and set a 5-year cap for definite active-duty agreements. National Guard members could be ordered to full-time homeland duty without consent for up to 180 days, with one 90-day extension if the Secretary of Defense agrees. The President could suspend promotion or separation rules for essential members while serving on active duty. The bill would limit ROTC reserve assignments to 275 members and let Space Force members be ordered to active duty with their consent.
Start date and transition rules
If enacted, the title would take effect 10 years after enactment unless DoD, DHS, and VA jointly certify readiness and Congress passes a law to start earlier. The bill would preserve benefits already earned before the effective date and say service before that date is decided under old rules. Orders would have to cite legal authority, purpose, and funding. A break of 24 hours or less between release and a new order would count as continuous service for pay and benefits.
More SBA veteran status for Guard
If enacted, full-time National Guard duty in support of a contingency operation would count like active duty for Small Business Administration veteran and reservist status. That change would apply to SBA programs that use veteran or reservist definitions.
Social Security duty-rule alignment
If enacted, Social Security would use the bill's new Title 10 and Title 32 duty-order rules when deciding whether service counts for Social Security purposes. This updates cross-references so reserve and Guard orders map to the consolidated framework.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Cisneros
CA • D
Cosponsors
Bergman
MI • R
Sponsored 1/8/2026
Lieu
CA • D
Sponsored 1/8/2026
Graves
MO • R
Sponsored 1/8/2026
Strickland
WA • D
Sponsored 1/20/2026
Khanna
CA • D
Sponsored 1/20/2026
Harrigan
NC • R
Sponsored 1/22/2026
Sorensen
IL • D
Sponsored 1/22/2026
Bacon
NE • R
Sponsored 2/2/2026
Van Epps
TN • R
Sponsored 2/2/2026
McGuire
VA • R
Sponsored 2/4/2026
Pfluger
TX • R
Sponsored 2/4/2026
Finstad
MN • R
Sponsored 2/12/2026
Scott, Austin
GA • R
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Moore (WI)
WI • D
Sponsored 3/4/2026
DeLauro
CT • D
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Rogers (KY)
KY • R
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Neguse
CO • D
Sponsored 3/18/2026
Kiggans (VA)
VA • R
Sponsored 3/18/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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