Commission on Equity and Reconciliation in the Uniformed Services Act
Senator Blumenthal Proposes Commission to Study Decades of LGBTQ+ Discrimination in the Military
Legislative Progress
Key Points
- This bill creates a 15-member group to investigate how the military has treated LGBTQ+ service members from World War II to the present. The group will look at past rules that led to people being kicked out of the service because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
- The commission will hold public meetings across the country to hear directly from veterans and current service members. They want to understand how past policies caused long-term problems like homelessness, mental health struggles, and lost job opportunities for those who were discharged.
- Within one year, the group must give Congress a report with ideas on how to fix past wrongs. These suggestions could include official government apologies, backpay for lost wages, and making it easier for veterans to fix their military records so they can get the benefits they earned.
- The study will also look at how these policies affected military families and how much it cost the government to replace and retrain people who were forced out. It aims to find ways to improve healthcare and support for LGBTQ+ veterans in the future.
Impact Analysis
Personal Impact
How this policy affects specific groups of people
Milestones
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in Senate
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
Related News
3 articles
Top Democrats reintroduce bill to investigate discrimination against LGBTQ military members
Multiple high-ranking members of Congress reintroduced the Commission on Equity and Reconciliation in the Uniformed Services Act, aiming to establish a commission to investigate discriminatory policies targeting LGBTQ military members from WWII to the present.
Dems reintroduce bill to study & apologize for anti-LGBTQ+ military policies
The Commission on Equity and Reconciliation in the Uniformed Services Act would create a 15-person commission to study past DOD actions policing sexual orientation and gender identity. The report would include suggestions on how the government may offer an official apology.
Gay Rep. Mark Takano wants U.S. to apologize to soldiers booted under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
Rep. Mark Takano proposed the Commission on Equity and Reconciliation in the Uniformed Services Act to study the impacts of discriminatory policies on queer and non-queer military members. The commission would hold hearings on the physical, mental, and financial toll of these policies.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Commission on Equity and Reconciliation in the Uniformed Services Act
Data Sources
Sponsor
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