[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9725 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9725

   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.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 20, 2024

 Ms. Brownley 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.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Women Involuntarily Separated 
Earning Remittance Act of 2024'' or the ``WISER Act of 2024''.

SEC. 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.
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