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119-s-3691119th Congress

Commission on Equity and Reconciliation in the Uniformed Services Act

Sponsored By: Senator Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]

Introduced

Summary

Would create a Commission to document and remedy discrimination against LGBTQ+ servicemembers and veterans. It would collect testimony from World War II onward, review policies and separations tied to sexual orientation and gender identity, and recommend apologies, compensation, restored care, and records fixes.

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  • Veterans and discharged servicemembers would see focused review of how discharges affected eligibility for Veterans Affairs benefits and access to employment. The Commission would recommend backpay, reinstatement, benefits restoration, and streamlined discharge upgrades and records amendments.
  • Current servicemembers and force planners would get data on readiness and costs from separations tied to orientation or gender identity. The Commission would quantify retraining and replacement costs and suggest revisions to diversity and inclusion policies and restoration of gender-affirming services.
  • Families, mental health care providers, and marginalized groups would get attention on lasting harms. The Commission would gather testimony on psychological, financial, and professional impacts, suicidality, homelessness, effects on dependents, and disparate impacts on racial minorities and women.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

Commission Powers, Funding, Staffing

If enacted, the bill would let the Commission ask executive agencies for records and go to federal court to require witnesses or documents. It would authorize Congress to appropriate such sums as necessary and allow the Commission to hire contractors and buy services as funded. The bill would create a 15-member Commission with specified appointing officials and require appointments within 30 days of enactment. The Commission could hire staff outside some federal hiring rules, but pay for Commission employees would be capped at Executive Schedule level V and member pay would be limited to the daily equivalent of level IV.

Study of LGBTQ+ Military Discharges

If enacted, the bill would create a Commission to study military policies on sexual orientation and gender identity from World War II to today. The Commission would collect records, hold public hearings, and take named and anonymous testimony from servicemembers and veterans. It would examine how discharges for real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity affected access to VA benefits, denied medical care, and harms like homelessness and suicidality. The Commission would deliver a written report to Congress within one year of its first meeting and would end 90 days after filing the final report. The President would call the first meeting within 30 days after enactment or after a law that provides money to run the Commission, whichever is later.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]

CT • D

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Hickenlooper, John W. [D-CO]

    CO • D

    Sponsored 7/20/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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