SERVE Act

Key Points

• The bill would extend full VA benefits to former service members who were discharged because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. This includes people who received entry-level separations, honorable discharges, or discharges under conditions other than honorable for these reasons.
• Eligible individuals would gain access to VA hospital care, medical services, and Vet Center readjustment counseling and mental health services. These are benefits that many were denied for years after being forced out of the military.
• The bill also opens up major financial benefits, including Post-9/11 GI Bill educational assistance and VA housing loans, giving these veterans access to college funding and homeownership support.
• Eligible individuals would be allowed burial in national cemeteries, restoring a key honor that was previously unavailable to those discharged under less-than-honorable conditions due to their identity.
• The VA would be required to conduct outreach to notify affected veterans and veterans service organizations about newly available benefits. A report to Congress is due 15 months after enactment detailing how many people used the benefits, broken down by demographics.