I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3278 
To limit the use of military personnel for certain purposes, to direct the 
Secretary of Defense to appoint a Director of COVID Policy of the 
Department of Defense, and to limit environmental projects of such 
Department. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 11, 2023 
Mr. WALTZ introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and 
Accountability, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speak-
er, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the ju-
risdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To limit the use of military personnel for certain purposes, 
to direct the Secretary of Defense to appoint a Director 
of COVID Policy of the Department of Defense, and 
to limit environmental projects of such Department. 
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 ‘‘Working to Address 
Recruiting and Retention to Improve Our Readiness Act’’ 
or the ‘‘WARRIOR Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) throughout history, men and women of all 
colors, creeds, races, and religions have helped build, 
defend, and define our great Nation; 
(2) the rich diversity we see in American society 
today has been greatly influenced by the Constitu-
tion and the merit-based structure of our Armed 
Forces; 
(3) recent, perhaps well-intentioned, diversity, 
equity, and inclusion programs within the Depart-
ment have caused greater division within the Armed 
Forces; 
(4) some of these programs are diverting focus 
and resources away from force readiness against our 
potential adversaries; 
(5) the Armed Forces should provide equal op-
portunity for all members; 
(6) advancement and selection in the Armed 
Forces should be based solely on merit; 
(7) photos of members should not considered by 
promotion and selection boards; and 
(8) the needs of the Armed Forces should al-
ways take precedence over meeting artificially de-
rived quotas for diversity. 
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SEC. 3. LIMITATIONS ON USE OF MILITARY PERSONNEL 
FOR CERTAIN PURPOSES. 
(a) PROHIBITIONS ON USES OF FEDERAL FUNDS.— 
No Federal funds may be used to— 
(1) take into consideration the race, ethnicity, 
color, national origin, or gender of an individual 
when making a determination regarding a military 
accession, assignment, selection, or promotion; 
(2) promote critical race theory at a Service 
Academy, in military training, or in professional 
military education; or 
(3) investigate extremism in the Armed Forces 
or Department of Defense. 
(b) GENDER-NEUTRAL PHYSICAL STANDARDS.—Not 
later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of 
this Act, the Secretaries of the military departments shall 
establish gender-neutral physical readiness standards that 
ensure members can perform the duties of their respective 
military occupational specialties. 
(c) DEI HIRING FREEZE.—Effective on the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall 
freeze the number of civilian employees of the Department 
of Defense who perform tasks related to DEI. Thereafter, 
the Secretary may hire only one such employee for every 
2,000 members who join the Armed Forces. 
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(d) DEI REPORT.—Not later than December 1, 
2023, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Com-
mittees on Armed Services of the Senate and House of 
Representatives a report on programs of the Department 
of Defense related to DEI. Such report shall include the 
following: 
(1) The number of such programs. 
(2) The number of personnel assigned to carry 
out such programs. 
(3) The number of personnel hours spent on 
each such program. 
(4) The total costs to the Federal Government 
for such programs. 
(e) INSTRUCTORS AT SERVICE ACADEMIES.—The Su-
perintendent of a Service Academy may not employ as an 
instructor at such Service Academy an individual who is 
not a member of the Armed Forces or a civilian employee 
of the Department of Defense unless the Superintendent 
determines no such member or employee may be ade-
quately trained for such purpose. 
(f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘critical race theory’’ means the 
theory that individuals, by virtue of race, ethnicity, 
color, or national origin, bear collective guilt and are 
inherently responsible for actions committed in the 
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past by other individuals of such race, ethnicity, 
color, or national origin. 
(2) The term ‘‘DEI’’ means diversity, equity, 
and inclusion. 
(3) The term ‘‘Service Academy’’ has the mean-
ing given such term in section 347 of title 10, 
United States Code. 
SEC. 4. APPOINTMENT OF DIRECTOR OF COVID POLICY OF 
THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE. 
The Secretary of Defense shall appoint a Director of 
COVID Policy to determine and take any action the Direc-
tor determines appropriate regarding a member of the 
Armed Forces involuntarily separated solely on the basis 
of refusing to receive a vaccination against COVID-19. 
Such actions may include reinstatement and payment of 
back pay. 
SEC. 5. LIMITATION ON ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTS OF 
THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE. 
No Federal funds may be used for any environmental 
project of the Department of Defense unless the Secretary 
of Defense submits to the Committees on Armed Services 
of the Senate and House of Representatives a report in 
which the Secretary that contains— 
(1) a cost-benefit analysis of such project; and 
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(2) the certification of the Secretary that such 
project— 
(A) improves readiness; and 
(B) is the least costly option. 
Æ 
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