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DOL Rewrites Disability Rules for 'Merit-Based Opportunity' Push
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119-s-5300119th Congress
Honoring the Sacrifice of Troops in War Act of 2026
Sponsored By: Senator Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL]
Introduced
Summary
Preserve accurate casualty records and benefits during contingency operations. This bill would require the military to count every service member who dies or is wounded in hostilities by name and to bar redesignations or reclassifications that obscure the human cost of war.
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- Families: Casualty records must be tied to the specific designated operation their loved one served in. Primary next of kin must receive notice when records are restored.
- Service members and beneficiaries: The bill would stop deployment-related benefit cuts that are based only on renaming or reclassifying an ongoing contingency. Benefits are treated as if the original operation designation remained in effect unless conditions materially change.
- Reporting and accountability: It adds a new statute, 10 U.S.C. 1472, that requires public attribution of casualties, bans manipulative reclassifications except narrow corrections, and preserves casualty statistics for historical and congressional oversight.
- Operation Epic Fury restorations: The bill would restore casualty records and covered benefits altered since Feb. 28, 2026 within 30 days of enactment and notify affected personnel.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Protect Deployment Benefits for Service Members
This bill would prohibit DoD from stripping deployment-related pay, leave, awards, or veterans' preference just because officials rename or reclassify an ongoing contingency operation when the facts on the ground remain the same. Benefit eligibility would be calculated as if the original operation designation remained in effect, except where a new statute, a substantive change in operational conditions (for example a new enemy), or a Secretary-approved exception applies. For U.S. military activities against Iran from February 28, 2026 until enactment, the bill would require DoD to restore any covered benefits changed during that period and to notify affected members and civilian personnel in writing within 30 days. Covered benefits include DoD awards and decorations, veterans' preference accrual, contingency military leave, special pay and leave authorities, and tax or OPM/State Department treatment tied to deployment.
Restore and Protect Casualty Records
This bill would require the Department of Defense to publish casualty statistics and tie each death or injury to the specific military operation in which the person served. It would stop DoD from relabeling or reclassifying ongoing contingency operations just to change casualty attributions, allowing only written corrections for clear factual errors. If a casualty record was changed after February 28, 2026, the bill would require DoD to restore that record and send a written notice to the primary next of kin within 30 days after enactment.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL]
IL • D
Cosponsors
Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH]
NH • D
Sponsored 8/6/2026
Sen. Peters, Gary C. [D-MI]
MI • D
Sponsored 8/6/2026
Sen. Hickenlooper, John W. [D-CO]
CO • D
Sponsored 8/6/2026
Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI]
HI • D
Sponsored 8/6/2026
Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD]
MD • D
Sponsored 8/6/2026
Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]
OR • D
Sponsored 8/6/2026
Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO]
CO • D
Sponsored 8/6/2026
Sen. Gallego, Ruben [D-AZ]
AZ • D
Sponsored 8/6/2026
Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI]
WI • D
Sponsored 8/6/2026
Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]
CT • D
Sponsored 8/6/2026
Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA]
MA • D
Sponsored 8/6/2026
Sen. Kelly, Mark [D-AZ]
AZ • D
Sponsored 8/6/2026
Sen. Kim, Andy [D-NJ]
NJ • D
Sponsored 8/6/2026
Sen. Alsobrooks, Angela D. [D-MD]
MD • D
Sponsored 8/6/2026
Sen. Fetterman, John [D-PA]
PA • D
Sponsored 8/6/2026
Sen. Schatz, Brian [D-HI]
HI • D
Sponsored 8/6/2026
Sen. Rosen, Jacky [D-NV]
NV • D
Sponsored 8/6/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov