I 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4516 

To expedite and oversee the implementation of the women in service 

implementation plan, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 29, 2014 

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California introduced the following bill; which was 

referred to the Committee on Armed Services 

A BILL 

To expedite and oversee the implementation of the women 

in service implementation plan, 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 ‘‘She Is Ready Act’’. 

5 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

6 Congress makes the following findings: 

7 (1) On January 24, 2013, Secretary of Defense 

8 Leon Panetta and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of 

9 Staff Martin Dempsey rescinded the 1994 Direct 

10 Ground Combat Definition and Assignment Rule 


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1 and directed the Armed Forces to open closed occu2 pations, positions, and units to female members of 

3 the Armed Forces no later than January 1, 2016. 

4 (2) The rescission of the 1994 policy was based 

5 on the knowledge that success in the Armed Forces 

6 results solely from a member’s ability, qualifications, 

7 and performance, and the decision to rescind the 

8 policy is consistent with America’s values and en9 hances military readiness. 

10 (3) The change in policy is reflective of the ‘‘on 

11 the ground’’ reality that female members of the 

12 Armed Forces, particularly in Iraq and Afghanistan, 

13 have been serving in combat. 

14 (4) A directive from the Chairman of the Joint 

15 Chiefs of Staff requires the development, review, and 

16 validation of gender-neutral occupational standards 

17 ‘‘reflecting the knowledge, skills and abilities nec18 essary for each occupation’’ to be used to assess and 

19 assign members not later than September 2015. 

20 (5) There are concerns in regards to the lack 

21 of transparency and the type of research the Armed 

22 Forces are planning and pursuing in opening closed 

23 occupations, positions, and units to female members 

24 of the Armed Forces. 


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1 (6) The largest number of closed occupations, 

2 positions, and units are in the Army and Marine 

3 Corps. The Department of Defense announced its 

4 intention, pursuant to the January 2013 Directives, 

5 to open for assignment of female members of the 

6 Armed Forces thousands of previously closed posi7 tions and units, but thousands of positions and units 

8 remain closed female members of the Armed Forces. 

9 SEC. 3. REMOVAL OF ARTIFICIAL BARRIERS TO THE SERV10 ICE OF WOMEN IN THE ARMED FORCES. 

11 (a) PROMPT ASSIGNMENT.— 

12 (1) CADRE OR CRITICAL MASS NOT RE13 QUIRED.—The Secretaries of the military depart14 ments shall not unduly delay the assignment of fe15 male members of the Armed Forces to military occu16 pational specialties, positions, and units because of 

17 the absence of a cadre or critical mass of female 

18 members available for such assignment. 

19 (2) OPEN OCCUPATION PRECEDENCE.—As soon 

20 as possible after the date of the enactment of this 

21 Act, the Secretary of Defense shall direct the Secre22 taries of the military departments to open for as23 signment of women to all positions in occupations 

24 that, on or after the date of the enactment of this 


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1 Act, are open to female members of the Armed 

2 Forces in any unit of the Armed Forces. 

3 (b) VALIDATION AND OVERSIGHT OF GENDER-NEU4 TRAL OCCUPATIONAL STANDARDS.— 

5 (1) VALIDATION; PURPOSE.—As soon as pos6 sible after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 

7 Secretary of Defense shall direct the Secretary of 

8 each military department to validate the gender-neu9 tral occupational standards used by the Armed 

10 Forces under the jurisdiction of that Secretary for 

11 the purpose of ensuring that the standards— 

12 (A) are consistent with section 543 of the 

13 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 

14 Year 1994 (Public Law 103–160; 10 U.S.C. 

15 113 note), as amended by section 523 of the 

16 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 

17 Year 2014 (Public Law 113–66; 127 Stat. 

18 756), which requires gender-neutral occupa19 tional standards, requiring performance out20 come-based standards for the successful accom21 plishment of the necessary and required specific 

22 tasks associated with the qualifications and du23 ties performed; 


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1 (B) accurately predict performance of ac2 tual, regular, and recurring duties of a military 

3 occupation; and 

4 (C) are applied equitably to measure indi5 vidual capabilities. 

6 (2) ROLE OF INDEPENDENT RESEARCH ENTI7 TY.—The Secretaries of the military departments 

8 shall work with an independent research entity to 

9 comply with paragraph (1). 

10 SEC. 4. IMPROVED LEADERSHIP AND RESPONSIVENESS IN 

11 IMPLEMENTATION OF THE WOMEN IN SERV12 ICE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN. 

13 (a) TRANSPARENCY AND GOALS.—The Secretary of 

14 Defense shall direct the Secretaries of the military depart15 ments to provide greater transparency of its women in 

16 service implementation plan, ensure that a statement of 

17 administration policy is created to reflect the mission of 

18 the implementation plan and its intent on responsibly 

19 opening all jobs, positions and units to female members 

20 of the Armed Forces. 

21 (b) RESPONSE AND NOTICE OF OPENINGS.—The Of22 fice of the Secretary of Defense shall promptly respond 

23 whenever the Secretary of a military department submits 

24 a notice of newly opened jobs, positions, of units to female 


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1 members of the Armed Forces and avoid any delays in 

2 transmitting such notices to Congress. 

3 (c) FINAL DEADLINE.—The Secretary of Defense 

4 shall ensure all closed positions and units are open to fe5 male members of the Armed Forces no later than January 

6 1, 2016, consistent with the Joint Memorandum issued 

7 on January 24, 2013, regarding the elimination of the 

8 1994 Direct Ground Combat Definition and Assignment 

9 Rule. 

10 SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE EVALUATION OF PHYSICAL STANDARDS 

11 AND OVERSIGHT OF ARMED FORCES IMPLE12 MENTATION PLANS. 

13 (a) NAVY AND MARINE CORPS.— 

14 (1) VALIDATION OF PHYSICAL STANDARDS.—As 

15 soon as possible after the date of the enactment of 

16 this Act, the Secretary of the Navy shall provide 

17 Congress with information on what process and 

18 metrics were used to validate the physical standards 

19 applicable to members of the Navy and the Marine 

20 Corps. 

21 (2) INFANTRY TRAINING COURSES.—Not later 

22 than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this 

23 Act, the Secretary of the Navy shall provide Con24 gress with information in regards to the Marine 

25 Corps research involving female members of the MaVerDate Mar 15 2010 03:31 Apr 30, 2014 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4516.IH H4516

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1 rine Corps who volunteer for the Infantry Officers 

2 Course (IOC), the enlisted infantry training course 

3 (ITB), and the Ground Combat Element Experi4 mental Task Force (GCEXTF) for the purpose of— 

5 (A) determining what metrics the Marine 

6 Corps used to develop the research require7 ments and elements for the Marine Corps Ex8 panded Entry-Level Training Research; 

9 (B) indicating what is being evaluated dur10 ing these research studies, along with how long 

11 both research studies will last; 

12 (C) identifying how data gathered during 

13 the research studies will be used to open infan14 try and other closed occupations; and 

15 (D) assuring that infantry and other closed 

16 occupations will not remain closed based on 

17 physical tests that have not been validated or 

18 any other improper evaluation mechanisms. 

19 (3) ENLISTED INFANTRY COURSE GRAD20 UATES.—Effective upon the enactment of this Act, 

21 any female member of the Marine Corps who grad22 uates from the enlisted infantry course shall be eligi23 ble for assignment to an infantry occupational spe24 cialty. 


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1 (b) ARMY.—Effective upon the enactment of this Act, 

2 the Secretary of the Army shall permit female members 

3 of the Army to apply to Army Ranger School as Ranger 

4 School is not solely intended for members of the Army 

5 who plan to join the Ranger Regiment, but is also in6 tended to provide leadership training opportunities that 

7 members can utilize in all jobs, positions, and units. 

8 (c) SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND.—The Sec9 retary of Defense shall direct the Special Operations Com10 mand to submit to Congress, not later than 90 days after 

11 the date of the enactment of this Act, the type of approach 

12 and methodology it will be using for the integration of 

13 women into the Special Operations Forces. 

14 SEC. 6. FEMALE PERSONAL PROTECTION GEAR. 

15 The Secretary of Defense shall direct each Secretary 

16 of a military department to take immediate steps to ensure 

17 that properly designed and fitted combat equipment is 

18 available and distributed to female members of the Armed 

19 Forces under the jurisdiction of that Secretary. 

20 SEC. 7. REVIEW OF OUTREACH AND RECRUITMENT EF21 FORTS FOCUSED ON OFFICERS. 

22 (a) REVIEW REQUIRED.—The Comptroller General 

23 of the United States shall conduct a review of Services’ 

24 Outreach and Recruitment Efforts gauged toward women 

25 representation in the officer corps. 


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1 (b) ELEMENTS OF REVIEW.—In conducting the re2 view under subsection (a), the Secretary of Defense 

3 shall— 

4 (1) identify and evaluate current initiatives the 

5 Armed Forces are using to increase accession of 

6 women into the officer corps; 

7 (2) identify new recruiting efforts to increase 

8 accessions of women into the officer corps specifi9 cally at the military service academies, Officer Can10 didate Schools, Officer Training Schools, the Acad11 emy of Military Science, and Reserve Officer Train12 ing Corps; and 

13 (3) identify efforts, resources, and funding re14 quired to increase military service academy accession 

15 by an additional 20 percent by the end of the four16 year period beginning on the date of the enactment 

17 of this Act. 

18 (c) SUBMISSION OF RESULTS.—Not later than 90 

19 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 

20 Comptroller General shall submit to Congress a report 

21 containing the results of the review under subsection (a). 

Æ 


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