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
Gender-neutral access to military specialties. This bill would bar the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Space Force from excluding members from an occupational specialty, career field, or assignment on the basis of gender.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Gender-neutral military job rules
If enacted, the bill would ban excluding Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Space Force members from any occupational specialty, career field, or assignment because of gender. That ban would take effect on September 30, 2026, and the bill would also repeal section 8225 of title 10 effective that same date. The bill would require the Department of Defense to use gender-neutral, science-based "occupational performance standards" that consider technical, tactical, cognitive, and physical abilities (including muscular strength), include input from DoD health care providers and researchers, and set the reasonable period at not shorter than 18 months. The bill would change career-designator procedures (allowing the Secretary to submit proposals to the congressional defense committees with more detailed justification and extending review from 60 to 180 days), require annual DoD reports on standards changes and involuntary reclassifications or separations, and require an immediate Institute for Defense Analyses review and a Comptroller General report (the IDA review to Congress within 7 days after enactment and the GAO report within 180 days). The first DoD report under the new rule would be due September 30, 2027.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Houlahan, Chrissy [D-PA-6]
PA • D
Cosponsors
Rep. Goodlander, Maggie [D-NH-2]
NH • D
Sponsored 4/2/2026
Thompson (CA)
CA • D
Sponsored 4/2/2026
Rep. Tran, Derek [D-CA-45]
CA • D
Sponsored 4/2/2026
Crow
CO • D
Sponsored 4/2/2026
Rep. Ryan, Patrick [D-NY-18]
NY • D
Sponsored 4/2/2026
Cisneros
CA • D
Sponsored 4/2/2026
Rep. Courtney, Joe [D-CT-2]
CT • D
Sponsored 4/2/2026
Elfreth
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
Pelosi
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
Smith (WA)
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
Keating
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
Escobar
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
Kennedy (NY)
NY • D
Sponsored 4/2/2026
Rep. Menefee, Christian D. [D-TX-18]
TX • D
Sponsored 4/2/2026
Khanna
CA • D
Sponsored 4/2/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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