[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5149 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 5149

  To direct the Secretary of Defense to carry out a pilot program to 
 provide stipends to certain members separating from the Armed Forces.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             August 4, 2023

  Mr. Neguse introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To direct the Secretary of Defense to carry out a pilot program to 
 provide stipends to certain members separating from the Armed Forces.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. PILOT PROGRAM TO PROVIDE A MONTHLY STIPEND TO CERTAIN 
              RECENTLY SEPARATED MEMBERS.

    (a) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with 
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, shall carry out a pilot program to 
provide a stipend to a covered individual.
    (b) Amount.--A stipend paid under this section to a covered 
individual shall be in an amount that the Secretary determines will pay 
for one month of food and housing for the household of such covered 
individual in the location where such household resides.
    (c) Payments.--A covered individual shall receive a stipend under 
this section once a month for the first four months following the 
separation of the covered individual from the Armed Forces.
    (d) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on 
Armed Services of the Senate and House of Representatives regarding the 
pilot program. Such report shall include the following:
            (1) The number of covered individuals paid a stipend under 
        this section.
            (2) The average amount of such a stipend.
            (3) The effectiveness of the program in mitigating 
        financial hardships of covered individuals.
            (4) A plan to make the pilot program permanent.
            (5) The recommendation of the Secretary whether to make the 
        pilot program permanent.
    (e) Termination.--The pilot program shall terminate after operating 
for four months.
    (f) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) The term ``covered individual'' means an individual--
                    (A) who separates from the Armed Forces under 
                honorable conditions after at least four years of 
                service on active duty; and
                    (B) whom the Secretary of Defense determines will 
                experience financial hardship during the first 120 days 
                following such separation.
            (2) The term ``dependent'' means a dependent registered 
        under the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System.
            (3) The term ``household'' means a covered individual and 
        all dependents of such covered individual who share a 
        residence.
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