I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7674 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish the Advisory Committee 

on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Veterans. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 13, 2024 

Mr. PAPPAS (for himself and Ms. DELBENE) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish the 

Advisory Committee on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, 

Transgender, and Queer Veterans. 

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

3 SECTION 1. ESTABLISHMENT OF ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON 

4 LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER, 

5 AND QUEER VETERANS. 

6 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Subchapter III of chapter 5 

7 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at 

8 the end the following new section: 


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1 ‘‘§ 549. Advisory Committee on Lesbian, Gay, Bisex2 ual, Transgender, and Queer Veterans 

3 ‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is in the Department 

4 the Advisory Committee on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, 

5 Transgender, and Queer Veterans (in this section referred 

6 to as ‘the Committee’). 

7 ‘‘(b) MEMBERSHIP.—(1) The Committee shall consist 

8 of members appointed by the Secretary from the general 

9 public, including— 

10 ‘‘(A) representatives of LGBTQ veterans; 

11 ‘‘(B) individuals who are recognized authorities 

12 in fields pertinent to the needs of LGBTQ veterans, 

13 including the specific health-care needs of LGBTQ 

14 veterans; 

15 ‘‘(C) representatives of LGBTQ veterans with 

16 service-connected disabilities, including at least one 

17 lesbian, gay, or bisexual veteran with a service-con18 nected disability, and at least one transgender vet19 eran with a service-connected disability; 

20 ‘‘(D) Veterans who are minority group mem21 bers, as defined in section 544 of this title; and 

22 ‘‘(E) LGBTQ veterans who are recently sepa23 rated from service in the Armed Forces, including 

24 veterans who were involuntarily separated from the 

25 Armed Forces due to being LGBTQ. 


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1 ‘‘(2) The Committee shall include, as ex officio mem2 bers— 

3 ‘‘(A) the Secretary of Labor (or the designee of 

4 the Secretary of Labor after consultation with the 

5 Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans’ Employ6 ment); 

7 ‘‘(B) the Secretary of Defense (or the designee 

8 of the Secretary of Defense); 

9 ‘‘(C) the Under Secretary for Health (or the 

10 designee of such Under Secretary); and 

11 ‘‘(D) the Under Secretary for Benefits (or the 

12 designee of such Under Secretary). 

13 ‘‘(3) The Secretary may invite representatives of 

14 other Federal departments and agencies to participate in 

15 the meetings and other activities of the Committee. 

16 ‘‘(4) The Secretary shall determine the number, 

17 terms of service, and pay and allowances of members of 

18 the Committee appointed by the Secretary, except that a 

19 term of service of any such member may not exceed three 

20 years. The Secretary may reappoint any such member for 

21 additional terms of service. 

22 ‘‘(5) The Committee shall meet as often as the Sec23 retary determines necessary or appropriate, but not less 

24 often than twice each fiscal year. 


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1 ‘‘(c) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary shall consult 

2 regularly with and seek the advice of the Committee with 

3 respect to the administration of benefits by the Secretary 

4 for LGBTQ veterans, reports and studies pertaining to 

5 LGBTQ veterans and the needs of LGBTQ veterans with 

6 respect to compensation, health care, rehabilitation, out7 reach, and other benefits and programs administered by 

8 the Secretary, including the Center for Women Veterans 

9 and Center for Minority Veterans. 

10 ‘‘(d) REPORTING.—(1) Not later than July 1 of each 

11 even-numbered year, the Committee shall submit to the 

12 Secretary a report on the programs and activities of the 

13 Department that pertain to LGBTQ veterans. Each such 

14 report shall include— 

15 ‘‘(A) an assessment of the needs of LGBTQ 

16 veterans with respect to compensation, health care, 

17 rehabilitation, outreach, and other benefits and pro18 grams administered by the Secretary; 

19 ‘‘(B) a review of the programs and activities of 

20 the Department designed to meet such needs; and 

21 ‘‘(C) such recommendations (including rec22 ommendations for administrative and legislative ac23 tion) as the Committee determines appropriate. 

24 ‘‘(2) The Secretary shall, not later than 60 days after 

25 receiving each report under paragraph (1), submit to the 


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1 Congress a copy of the report, together with any com2 ments concerning the report that the Secretary determines 

3 appropriate. 

4 ‘‘(3) The Committee may also submit to the Sec5 retary such other reports and recommendations the Com6 mittee determines appropriate. 

7 ‘‘(4) The Secretary shall submit, with each annual 

8 report submitted to Congress pursuant to section 529 of 

9 this title, a summary of all reports and recommendations 

10 of the Committee received by the Secretary since the pre11 vious such annual report. 

12 ‘‘(e) LGBTQ DEFINED.—In this section, the term 

13 ‘LGBTQ’ means lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or 

14 queer.’’. 

15 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

16 at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding 

17 after the item relating to section 548 the following new 

18 item: 

‘‘549. Advisory Committee on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer 

Veterans.’’. 

Æ 


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