H.R. 660

119 HR 660 IH: Women Involuntarily Separated Earning Remittance Act of 2025
 U.S. House of Representatives
 2025-01-23
 text/xml
 EN
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 I  119th CONGRESS  1st Session  H. R. 660  IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES   January 23, 2025   Ms. Brownley  (for herself,  Ms. Houlahan ,  Mr. Gottheimer , and  Ms. Omar ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the  Committee on Armed Services , and in addition to the Committee on  Veterans' Affairs , for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned   A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of Defense to carry out programs to provide to certain veterans who are women a compensation benefit and an upgrade to the discharge status of such veterans, and for other purposes.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the   Women Involuntarily Separated Earning Remittance Act of 2025   or the   WISER Act of 2025  .
2.
Programs to provide compensation benefit and discharge status upgrades for certain veterans who are women discharged pursuant to Executive Order 10240
(a)
Discharge status upgrade program
(1)
In general
Subject to the availability of amounts made available in advance in appropriations Acts, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, shall establish and carry out a program to, subject to the eligibility criteria under subsection (c) and conditions to be prescribed by the Secretary of Defense, upgrade the discharge status of covered veterans.
(2)
Applications
A covered veteran desiring to participate in such program shall submit to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of Defense an application in such form, at such time, and containing such information and assurances as such Secretaries determine appropriate.
(3)
Treatment of certain covered veterans
With respect to the provision of benefits under the laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, such Secretary shall treat a covered veteran who receives a discharge status upgrade pursuant to such program as if such covered veteran completed the duty to which such covered veteran was assigned at the time such covered veteran was separated from active military, naval, air, or space service.
(b)
Compensation benefit program
(1)
In general
The Secretary of Defense shall establish and carry out a program to provide to covered veterans, subject to the eligibility criteria under subsection (c) and paragraph (2), a one-time compensation benefit in the amount of $25,000.
(2)
Surviving spouse eligibility
If a covered veteran who satisfies the eligibility criteria under subsection (c) dies after the date of the enactment of this Act, the surviving spouse of such covered veteran shall be eligible for participation in the program under paragraph (1).
(3)
Applications
A covered veteran, or the surviving spouse of a covered veteran, desiring to participate in such program shall submit to the Secretary of Defense an application in such form, at such time, and containing such information and assurances as the Secretary determines appropriate.
(4)
Authorization of appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Defense such sums as may be necessary to carry out this subsection.
(c)
Eligibility criteria
(1)
Irrebuttable presumption
There is an irrebuttable presumption of eligibility for participation in the programs under subsections (a) and (b) for a covered veteran who was involuntarily separated from active military, naval, air, or space service pursuant to Executive Order 10240.
(2)
Rebuttable presumptions
There is a rebuttable presumption for eligibility for participation in such programs for a covered veteran who—
(A)
gave birth to a child, obtained legal or physical custody of a child, or adopted a child during the 10-month period beginning after the date the veteran was separated from active military, naval, air, or space service; or
(B)
experienced an incomplete pregnancy (including due to an abortion or miscarriage) during such 10-month period.
(d)
Definitions
In this section:
(1)
The term  active military, naval, air, or space service  has the meaning given such term in section 101 of title 10, United States Code.
(2)
The term  covered veteran  means a veteran who—
(A)
is a woman; and
(B)
performed active military, naval, air, or space service during the period beginning on April 27, 1951 and ending on February 23, 1976.