Federal RuleAug 21
62
DOL Rewrites Disability Rules for 'Merit-Based Opportunity' Push
RuleLabor DepartmentFederal Contract Compliance Programs OfficeSignificant Wallet
119-hr-8175119th CongressWALLET
To amend title 10, United States Code, and the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1994, to codify and clarify gender neutral standards for members of certain Armed Forces, and for other purposes.
Sponsored By: Representative Houlahan, Chrissy [D-PA-6]
Introduced
Summary
This bill would require gender-neutral occupational standards across the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Space Force and add new reporting and independent reviews to track effects on assignments and readiness.
Show full summary
- Service members: It bars excluding someone from a specialty, career field, or assignment based on gender and sets the changes to take effect on September 30, 2026, with the first required report due by September 30, 2027.
- Standards and personnel decisions: It modernizes how career standards are set by requiring a scientifically rigorous process that can include technical, tactical, cognitive, and physical abilities and mandates an evaluation period of at least 18 months.
- Oversight and readiness reviews: It requires an Institute for Defense Analyses operational review of Army and Marine ground combat units, the Department of Defense must send the full unredacted review to Congress within 7 days of enactment, and the Government Accountability Office must report back within 180 days.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Gender-neutral military job standards
If enacted, the bill would prohibit excluding a member of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, or Space Force from any occupational specialty, career field, or assignment because of their gender. It would modernize job standards to be gender-neutral and require a scientifically rigorous process that can consider technical, tactical, cognitive, or physical abilities (including muscular strength). The Secretary would have to give the congressional defense committees the proposed change, estimated costs, relevant research and data, and the rationale; evaluations would run at least 18 months and the committee review period would be 180 days. The bill would repeal 10 U.S.C. 8225 and require an annual report on standard changes and involuntary reclassifications or separations; the changes would take effect September 30, 2026, and the first annual report would be due September 30, 2027.
Independent review of combat units
If enacted, the bill would require the Secretary of Defense to give Congress the full, unredacted Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) review of Army and Marine Corps ground combat units no later than seven days after enactment. The Comptroller General would have 180 days after enactment to submit to the congressional defense committees a report reviewing the IDA review and any actions the Secretary took in response. These steps would increase independent oversight and transparency of operational-effectiveness findings.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Houlahan, Chrissy [D-PA-6]
PA • D
Cosponsors
Rep. Bonamici, Suzanne [D-OR-1]
OR • D
Sponsored 10/29/2026
Rep. Goodlander, Maggie [D-NH-2]
NH • D
Sponsored 4/2/2026
Rep. Thompson, Mike [D-CA-4]
CA • D
Sponsored 4/2/2026
Rep. Tran, Derek [D-CA-45]
CA • D
Sponsored 4/2/2026
Rep. Crow, Jason [D-CO-6]
CO • D
Sponsored 4/2/2026
Rep. Ryan, Patrick [D-NY-18]
NY • D
Sponsored 4/2/2026
Rep. Cisneros, Gilbert Ray [D-CA-31]
CA • D
Sponsored 4/2/2026
Rep. Courtney, Joe [D-CT-2]
CT • D
Sponsored 4/2/2026
Rep. Elfreth, Sarah [D-MD-3]
MD • D
Sponsored 4/2/2026
Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]
DC • D
Sponsored 4/2/2026
Rep. Jacobs, Sara [D-CA-51]
CA • D
Sponsored 4/2/2026
Rep. Pelosi, Nancy [D-CA-12]
CA • D
Sponsored 4/2/2026
Rep. Frankel, Lois [D-FL-22]
FL • D
Sponsored 4/2/2026
Rep. Latimer, George [D-NY-16]
NY • D
Sponsored 4/2/2026
Rep. Carbajal, Salud O. [D-CA-24]
CA • D
Sponsored 4/2/2026
Rep. Smith, Adam [D-WA-9]
WA • D
Sponsored 4/2/2026
Rep. Bell, Wesley [D-MO-1]
MO • D
Sponsored 4/2/2026
Rep. Strickland, Marilyn [D-WA-10]
WA • D
Sponsored 4/2/2026
Rep. Deluzio, Christopher R. [D-PA-17]
PA • D
Sponsored 4/2/2026
Rep. Garcia, Sylvia R. [D-TX-29]
TX • D
Sponsored 4/2/2026
Rep. Tokuda, Jill N. [D-HI-2]
HI • D
Sponsored 4/2/2026
Rep. Goldman, Daniel S. [D-NY-10]
NY • D
Sponsored 4/2/2026
Rep. Keating, William R. [D-MA-9]
MA • D
Sponsored 4/2/2026
Rep. Sorensen, Eric [D-IL-17]
IL • D
Sponsored 4/2/2026
Rep. Dean, Madeleine [D-PA-4]
PA • D
Sponsored 4/2/2026
Rep. Vasquez, Gabe [D-NM-2]
NM • D
Sponsored 4/2/2026
Rep. Garamendi, John [D-CA-8]
CA • D
Sponsored 4/2/2026
Rep. Lieu, Ted [D-CA-36]
CA • D
Sponsored 4/2/2026
Rep. Whitesides, George [D-CA-27]
CA • D
Sponsored 4/2/2026
Rep. Escobar, Veronica [D-TX-16]
TX • D
Sponsored 4/2/2026
Rep. Quigley, Mike [D-IL-5]
IL • D
Sponsored 4/2/2026
Rep. Castor, Kathy [D-FL-14]
FL • D
Sponsored 4/2/2026
Rep. Kennedy, Timothy M. [D-NY-26]
NY • D
Sponsored 4/2/2026
Rep. Menefee, Christian D. [D-TX-18]
TX • D
Sponsored 4/2/2026
Rep. Khanna, Ro [D-CA-17]
CA • D
Sponsored 4/2/2026
Rep. Larsen, Rick [D-WA-2]
WA • D
Sponsored 4/6/2026
Rep. Moulton, Seth [D-MA-6]
MA • D
Sponsored 4/6/2026
Rep. Conaway, Herbert C. [D-NJ-3]
NJ • D
Sponsored 5/21/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov