Equal Pay for Servicewomen Act
Bill: H.R.2502 | Sponsor: Rep. Brownley, Julia (D-CA)
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

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
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.

To direct the Secretaries concerned to take certain actions to reduce 
gender-related inequities in costs of uniforms to members of the Armed 
                                Forces.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Equal Pay for Servicewomen Act''.

SEC. 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'' (GAO-21-120).
    (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.
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