I 
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 Com-
mittee 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 jurisdic-
tion 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 Representa-
tives 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’’. 
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SEC. 2. PROGRAMS TO PROVIDE COMPENSATION BENEFIT 
AND DISCHARGE STATUS UPGRADES FOR 
CERTAIN VETERANS WHO ARE WOMEN DIS-
CHARGED 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 coordina-
tion 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
VET-
ERANS.—With respect to the provision of benefits 
under the laws administered by the Secretary of Vet-
erans Affairs, such Secretary shall treat a covered 
veteran who receives a discharge status upgrade pur-
suant to such program as if such covered veteran 
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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 cov-
ered veteran who satisfies the eligibility criteria 
under subsection (c) dies after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the surviving spouse of such cov-
ered 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 Sec-
retary of Defense an application in such form, at 
such time, and containing such information and as-
surances as the Secretary determines appropriate. 
(4) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.— 
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Sec-
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retary 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 partici-
pation in the programs under subsections (a) and 
(b) for a covered veteran who was involuntarily sepa-
rated from active military, naval, air, or space serv-
ice pursuant to Executive Order 10240. 
(2) REBUTTABLE PRESUMPTIONS.—There is a 
rebuttable presumption for eligibility for participa-
tion 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 mili-
tary, 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. 
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(2) The term ‘‘covered veteran’’ means a vet-
eran 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. 
Æ 
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