SERVE Act

Bill: 118-hr-9734
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Pappas, Chris [D-NH-1]
Introduced: 2024-09-20
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Latest action: action_date: 2024-09-20
text: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Summaries:

tv_txt: I 118th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 9734 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 20, 2024 Mr. Pappas (for himself, Mr. Levin , Ms. Jacobs , Mr. Johnson of Georgia , Mr. Torres of New York , Ms. Williams of Georgia , Mr. Costa , Mr. McGovern , Ms. Brownley , Mr. Carter of Louisiana , Ms. Underwood , Mr. Robert Garcia of California , and Mr. Pocan ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs A BILL To amend title 38, United States Code, to extend to former members of the Armed Forces, discharged on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, certain benefits furnished by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Securing the Rights our Veterans Earned Act or the SERVE Act . 2. Extension to former members of the Armed Forces, discharged on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, of certain benefits furnished by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (a) Hospital care and medical services Section 1710(a)(2) of title 38, United States Code, is amended— (1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking any veteran ; (2) in subparagraph (A), by inserting any veteran before who has ; (3) in subparagraph (B), by inserting any veteran before whose ; (4) in subparagraphs (C), (D), and (E), by inserting any veteran before who is ; (5) in subparagraph (F)— (A) by inserting any veteran before who is ; and (B) by striking ; or and inserting a semicolon; (6) in subparagraph (G)— (A) by inserting any veteran before who is ; and (B) by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and ; and (7) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph: (H) a former member of the Armed Forces who, by reason of sexual orientation or gender identity (including a diagnosis of gender dysphoria), received— (i) an entry-level separation; (ii) a discharge under honorable conditions; or (iii) a discharge under conditions other than honorable. . (b) Vet Center readjustment counseling and related mental health services Section 1712A of such title is amended— (1) by striking clauses (i) through (vii) both places it appears and inserting clauses (i) through (ix) ; (2) by striking in clause (viii) both places it appears and inserting in clause (ix) ; and (3) in subsection (a)(1)(C)— (A) by redesignating clause (viii) as clause (ix); and (B) by inserting after clause (vii) the following new clause (viii): (viii) An individual described in section 1710(a)(2)(H) of this title. . (c) Interment in national cemeteries Section 2402(a) of such title is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph: (11) An individual described in section 1710(a)(2)(H) of this title. . (d) Post-9/11 educational assistance Section 3311(b) of such title is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph: (12) An individual described in section 1710(a)(2)(H) of this title. . (e) Housing loans Section 3702(a)(2) of such title is amended by adding at the end the following new subparagraph: (H) Each individual described in section 1710(a)(2)(H) of this title. . (f) Outreach The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall conduct outreach to notify individuals described in section 1710(a)(2)(H) of such title, as added by subsection (a), and entities including veterans service organizations and military service organizations, of benefits available to such individuals under the amendments made by this section. (g) Report Not later than 15 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a report on benefits provided individuals pursuant to amendments made by this Act during the year after such date. Such report shall include the number of such individuals who received such benefits, disaggregated by demographic categories.