WISER Act of 2025

Bill: 119-hr-660
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Brownley, Julia [D-CA-26]
Introduced: 2025-01-23
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Veterans' pensions and compensation

Women's employment
Latest action: action_date: 2025-03-04
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

Summaries:
action_date: 2025-01-23
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Women Involuntarily Separated Earning Remittance Act of 2025 or the WISER Act of 2025</strong></p><p>This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense (DOD) to establish and implement certain programs to address the involuntary separation of women veterans who served during the period of April 27, 1951, through February 23, 1976, under Executive Order 10240. Such order provided for the involuntary separation of women from service for (1) being a parent via birth or adoption, (2) gaining custody of a child, (3) being a step-parent who lived with the child more than 30 days per year, (4) being pregnant, or (5) giving birth to a living child while serving.</p><p>The VA must establish and implement a program to upgrade the discharge status of such women veterans, and DOD must establish and implement a program to provide them with a one-time compensation of $25,000. Veterans must apply to participate in such programs.</p><p>For benefits purposes, the VA must treat veterans who receive a discharge status upgrade as if the veteran completed the duty to which the veteran was assigned at the time they were discharged from service.</p><p>If a veteran dies after the enactment of this bill, a surviving spouse is eligible to participate in the DOD compensation program.</p><p>The bill provides a rebuttable presumption of eligibility for the programs for a veteran who gave birth, obtained custody, adopted a child, or experienced an incomplete pregnancy during the 10-month period after the veteran was separated from service.</p>

tv_txt: I 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 660 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 23, 2025 Ms. Brownley (for herself, Ms. Houlahan , Mr. Gottheimer , and Ms. Omar ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 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 jurisdiction 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.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Women Involuntarily Separated Earning Remittance Act of 2025 or the WISER Act of 2025 . 2. Programs to provide compensation benefit and discharge status upgrades for certain veterans who are women discharged 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 coordination 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 veterans With respect to the provision of benefits under the laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, such Secretary shall treat a covered veteran who receives a discharge status upgrade pursuant to such program as if such covered veteran 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 covered veteran who satisfies the eligibility criteria under subsection (c) dies after the date of the enactment of this Act, the surviving spouse of such covered 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 Secretary of Defense an application in such form, at such time, and containing such information and assurances as the Secretary determines appropriate. (4) Authorization of appropriations There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary 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 participation in the programs under subsections (a) and (b) for a covered veteran who was involuntarily separated from active military, naval, air, or space service pursuant to Executive Order 10240. (2) Rebuttable presumptions There is a rebuttable presumption for eligibility for participation 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 military, 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. (2) The term covered veteran means a veteran 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.