I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 9734 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to extend to former members of 

the Armed Forces, discharged on the basis of sexual orientation or 

gender identity, certain benefits furnished by the Secretary of Veterans 

Affairs, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 20, 2024 

Mr. PAPPAS (for himself, Mr. LEVIN, Ms. JACOBS, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, 

Mr. TORRES of New York, Ms. WILLIAMS of Georgia, Mr. COSTA, Mr. 

MCGOVERN, Ms. BROWNLEY, Mr. CARTER of Louisiana, Ms. UNDERWOOD, Mr. ROBERT GARCIA of California, and Mr. POCAN) introduced 

the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to extend to former 

members of the Armed Forces, discharged on the basis 

of sexual orientation or gender identity, certain benefits 

furnished by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for 

other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Securing the Rights 

5 our Veterans Earned Act’’ or the ‘‘SERVE Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. EXTENSION TO FORMER MEMBERS OF THE ARMED 

2 FORCES, DISCHARGED ON THE BASIS OF SEX3 UAL ORIENTATION OR GENDER IDENTITY, OF 

4 CERTAIN BENEFITS FURNISHED BY THE SEC5 RETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 

6 (a) HOSPITAL CARE AND MEDICAL SERVICES.—Sec7 tion 1710(a)(2) of title 38, United States Code, is amend8 ed— 

9 (1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), 

10 by striking ‘‘any veteran’’; 

11 (2) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ‘‘any vet12 eran’’ before ‘‘who has’’; 

13 (3) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ‘‘any vet14 eran’’ before ‘‘whose’’; 

15 (4) in subparagraphs (C), (D), and (E), by in16 serting ‘‘any veteran’’ before ‘‘who is’’; 

17 (5) in subparagraph (F)— 

18 (A) by inserting ‘‘any veteran’’ before 

19 ‘‘who is’’; and 

20 (B) by striking ‘‘; or’’ and inserting a 

21 semicolon; 

22 (6) in subparagraph (G)— 

23 (A) by inserting ‘‘any veteran’’ before 

24 ‘‘who is’’; and 

25 (B) by striking the period at the end and 

26 inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 


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•HR 9734 IH

1 (7) by adding at the end the following new sub2 paragraph: 

3 ‘‘(H) a former member of the Armed Forces 

4 who, by reason of sexual orientation or gender iden5 tity (including a diagnosis of gender dysphoria), re6 ceived— 

7 ‘‘(i) an entry-level separation; 

8 ‘‘(ii) a discharge under honorable condi9 tions; or 

10 ‘‘(iii) a discharge under conditions other 

11 than honorable.’’. 

12 (b) VET CENTER READJUSTMENT COUNSELING AND

13 RELATED MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.—Section 1712A 

14 of such title is amended— 

15 (1) by striking ‘‘clauses (i) through (vii)’’ both 

16 places it appears and inserting ‘‘clauses (i) through 

17 (ix)’’; 

18 (2) by striking ‘‘in clause (viii)’’ both places it 

19 appears and inserting ‘‘in clause (ix)’’; and 

20 (3) in subsection (a)(1)(C)— 

21 (A) by redesignating clause (viii) as clause 

22 (ix); and 

23 (B) by inserting after clause (vii) the fol24 lowing new clause (viii): 


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1 ‘‘(viii) An individual described in section 

2 1710(a)(2)(H) of this title.’’. 

3 (c) INTERMENT IN NATIONAL CEMETERIES.—Sec4 tion 2402(a) of such title is amended by adding at the 

5 end the following new paragraph: 

6 ‘‘(11) An individual described in section 

7 1710(a)(2)(H) of this title.’’. 

8 (d) POST-9/11 EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE.—Section 

9 3311(b) of such title is amended by adding at the end 

10 the following new paragraph: 

11 ‘‘(12) An individual described in section 

12 1710(a)(2)(H) of this title.’’. 

13 (e) HOUSING LOANS.—Section 3702(a)(2) of such 

14 title is amended by adding at the end the following new 

15 subparagraph: 

16 ‘‘(H) Each individual described in section 

17 1710(a)(2)(H) of this title.’’. 

18 (f) OUTREACH.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 

19 shall conduct outreach to notify individuals described in 

20 section 1710(a)(2)(H) of such title, as added by sub21 section (a), and entities including veterans service organi22 zations and military service organizations, of benefits 

23 available to such individuals under the amendments made 

24 by this section. 


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1 (g) REPORT.—Not later than 15 months after the 

2 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall sub3 mit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate 

4 and House of Representatives a report on benefits pro5 vided individuals pursuant to amendments made by this 

6 Act during the year after such date. Such report shall in7 clude the number of such individuals who received such 

8 benefits, disaggregated by demographic categories. 

Æ 


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