Equal Pay for Servicewomen Act

To direct the Secretaries concerned to take certain actions to reduce gender-related inequities in costs of uniforms to members of the Armed Forces. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Equal Pay for Servicewomen Act 2. Reduction of gender-related inequities in costs of uniforms to members of the Armed Forces (a) Implementation of GAO recommendations Not later than September 30, 2022, the Secretary of Defense shall implement the four recommendations of the Government Accountability Office in the report titled Military Service Uniforms DOD Could Better Identify and Address Out-of-Pocket Cost Inequities (b) Regulations Not later than September 30, 2022, each Secretary concerned (as that term is defined in section 101 of title 10, United States Code) shall prescribe regulations that ensure the following: (1) The out-of-pocket cost to an officer or enlisted member of an Armed Force for a uniform (or part of such uniform) may not exceed such cost to another officer or enlisted member of that Armed Force for such uniform (or part, or equivalent part, of such uniform) solely based on gender. (2) If a change to a uniform of an Armed Force affects only officers or enlisted members of one gender, an officer or enlisted member of such gender in such Armed Force shall be entitled to an allowance equal to the out-of-pocket cost to the officer or enlisted member relating to such change. (c) One-Time allowance Not later than September 30, 2022, each Secretary concerned shall provide a one-time allowance to each female officer and female enlisted member under the jurisdiction of the Secretary concerned. The amount of such an allowance shall be— (1) based on gender disparities in out-of-pocket costs relating to uniforms (including the costs of changes to uniforms that affected only one gender) during the 10 years preceding the date of the enactment of this Act; and (2) proportional to the length of service of the officer or enlisted member in the Armed Forces.

Summary: Equal Pay for Servicewomen Act This bill requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to address out-of-pocket cost inequities for military service uniforms. Specifically, the bill requires DOD to implement the four recommendations made by the Government Accountability Office in its report titled Military Service Uniforms DOD Could Better Identify and Address Out-of-Pocket Cost Inequities (GAO-21-120). The recommendations made in the report are related to reducing differences in out-of-pocket costs incurred by enlisted service members across the services and by gender. The bill requires DOD to prescribe regulations to ensure that out-of-pocket uniform costs to officers or enlisted members may not exceed costs to other officers or members in their branch solely based on gender; and if a change to a uniform affects only officers or enlisted members of one gender, the officers or members must be entitled to an allowance equal to the out-of-pocket cost related to the change. DOD must provide a one-time allowance to female officers and enlisted members in an amount based on gender disparities in out-of-pocket uniform costs during the past 10 years and proportional to the length of service of the officer or member.