Bill to require the Secretary of the Air Force to establish a permanent program to provide tuition assistance to members of the Air National Guard. The Air Guard Standardizing Tuition Assistance to Unify the Services (STATUS) Act requires the Secretary of the Air Force to provide tuition assistance to drill-status members of the Air National Guard, consistent with the program available to the Army National Guard. Sponsor Senator John Hoeven (ND)

Bill to amend title 32, United States Code, to clarify certain limitations on full-time National Guard duty performed in a State, Territory, or the District of Columbia. It would require the consent of the chief executives of both the sending state and the receiving state should the president request National Guard units under Title 32. Additionally, the bill would clarify that the Posse Comitatus Act applies to all troops under federal command and control — no matter their status. Sponsor Representative Mickie Sherrill (NJ)

Bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to expand eligibility for Post-9/11 Educational Assistance to members of the National Guard who perform certain full-time duty. The bill ensures that Guard and Reservist members receive credit for every day they spend in uniform in a federal duty status under Titles 10 or 32 for GI Bill purposes. This means every day conducting operations, training, attending military schools, conducting weekend drill and annual training requirements, or responding to national disasters would count towards earning the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Sponsors Representative Mike Levin (CA) and Senator Jerry Moran (KS)

Bill to provide for the crediting of funds received by the National Guard Bureau as reimbursement from States. Under current law, when states use National Guard equipment like helicopters and trucks for State Active Duty (SAD) missions, they are required to reimburse the federal government. However, an outdated provision in the Miscellaneous Receipts Act (MRA) redirects these funds to the U.S. Treasury instead of back to the National Guard. As a result, units are left without the resources to repair or replace critical equipment, putting future readiness at risk. The Guarding Readiness Resources Act fixes this by exempting SAD reimbursements from the MRA so the National Guard can reinvest those funds into maintenance and operational readiness. Sponsors Representative Pat Harrigan (NC) and Senator Mike Lee (UT)

Bill to amend titles 10 and 38, United States Code, to extend certain benefits to members of the National Guard who incur disabilities while performing State active duty. This bill ensures that National Guardsmen who are catastrophically injured while serving on State Active Duty are able to access medical care and disability benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Department of Defense (DoD). Currently, Guardsmen who are injured while serving on SAD are unable to access medical care through the Department of Veterans Affairs for their injuries and are ineligible for a Department of Defense disability pension when they can no longer work due to their injuries. Rather these servicemembers generally must rely on state workers’ compensation plans which are often woefully inferior to traditional military health and disability benefits. Sponsor Representative Stephanie Bice (OK)

Bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to preserve and recapitalize the fighter aircraft capabilities of the Air Force and its reserve components. The bill preserves U.S. Air Force (USAF) fighter force structure and prioritizes the recapitalization of the 39 service-retained, combat-coded fighter squadrons available to the Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) to respond globally to world events across the Active Duty, National Guard, and Reserve fighter fleets. It establishes requirements for future fighter procurement to restore and modernize our aging fighter fleet and directs robust reporting requirements to ensure close congressional oversight of USAF fighter modernization. It also prioritizes recapitalization of USAF Active Duty, Guard and Reserve units that are based in the homeland to improve the readiness of our Total Force fighter formations. Sponsors Representative Don Bacon (NE) and Senator Mike Crapo (ID)

Bill makes continuing appropriations for military pay in the event of a Government shutdown. This bill will protect paychecks for members of the military, including the Coast Guard, as well as certain U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) civilian employees and contractors in the event of a lapse in federal appropriations. Sponsors Representative Jen Kiggans (VA) and Senator Dan Sullivan (AK)

Bill will amend title 10, United States Code, to eliminate certain healthcare charges for members of the Selected Reserve eligible for TRICARE Reserve Select. The bill would ensure that every member of the Reserves and National Guard, including the roughly 130,000 members who don’t have private health insurance, can access TRICARE Reserve Select at no cost. Sponsor Andy Kim (NJ)

Amendment would have invested in the TRICARE program such that young adult dependents of military families may remain      on a TRICARE healthcare policy until they reach 26 years of age, similar to what is already available for civilian healthcare policies, or eliminate the separate premium for TRICARE Young Adult Select and separate premium for TRICARE Young Adult Prime. Amendment 985 to S Con Res 7 Budget Reconciliation failed on voice vote. Sponsor Senator Mark Kelly (AZ)

Bill would establish the Space National Guard. While Space Force was created in 2019, it currently lacks a reserve component. The legislation would correct this by designating these existing units currently within the U.S. National Guard as a reserve component of the Space Force. The Space National Guard Establishment Act would require no additional personnel, units, or facilities, and would improve communication, reduce costs, and allow these dedicated space warfighters to continue supporting the Space Force’s missions. Under this bill, there would be 14 Space National Guard units across seven states, including Colorado, Alaska, California, Florida, Hawaii, New York, and Ohio. Sponsored by Representative Jason Crow (CO) and Senator Mike Crapo (ID)

Bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for concurrent receipt of veterans’ disability compensation and retired pay for disability retirees with combat-related disabilities. Currently, only veterans with disability ratings above 50 percent and more than 20 years of service are eligible to receive the full amount of their Department of Defense (DOD) retirement and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) disability payments—leaving behind more than 50,000 combat-injured military retirees. The Major Richard Star Act will fix this unjust policy for retired combat veterans—providing them their full VA disability and DOD retirement payments. This bipartisan legislation is named in honor of Major Richard A. Star, a decorated war veteran who was forced to medically retire due to his combat-related injuries. Major Star sadly lost his battle with cancer on February 13, 2021. Sponsors Representative Gus Bilirakis (FL) and Senator Blumenthal (CT)

Bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to make employers of spouses of military personnel eligible for the work opportunity credit. The Military Spouse Hiring Act would amend the tax code to incentivize businesses to hire military spouses. According to a survey by Blue Star Families, military spouse employment is the top issue impacting active-duty families, and the top contributor to financial stress among military families. Military spouses consistently experience unemployment rates substantially higher than the national rate, and two thirds of employed active duty military spouses report underemployment. Frequent moves often stall military spouses’ upward career progression and force them to find new jobs. This hurts military families and military readiness. This legislation would address the issue by expanding the Work Opportunity Tax Credit program—which incentivizes employers to hire individuals who experience unique employment barriers—to include military spouses. This legislation would apply to all military spouses and not just those on active duty. Sponsors Representative Don Beyer (VA) and Senator Tim Kaine (VA)