H.R. 660 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the House, sent 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, Jan 23, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryHelp for women involuntarily separated from military
Between 1951 and 1976, the military involuntarily discharged women from service if they became pregnant, gave birth, adopted a child, or gained custody of one. This bill creates two programs to help those women: the Department of Veterans Affairs can upgrade their discharge status to better reflect their service, and the Department of Defense will provide a one-time payment of $25,000 to eligible veterans. Women veterans need to apply to take part in these programs.
How it affects you
If you're a woman veteran who was involuntarily separated from military service during that time period because of pregnancy or gaining custody of a child, you could apply for a discharge upgrade and receive $25,000. If you've passed away, your surviving spouse may be eligible for the compensation payment. This doesn't affect most Americans, but it addresses a specific group of women whose military careers ended due to policies that no longer exist.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Jan 23, 2025)
Women Involuntarily Separated Earning Remittance Act of 2025 or the WISER Act of 2025
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.
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.
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.
If a veteran dies after the enactment of this bill, a surviving spouse is eligible to participate in the DOD compensation program.
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.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionH. R. 660
A BILL
WISER Act of 2025
Sponsor: Rep. Julia Brownley (D-CA-26) · Introduced Jan 23, 2025 · Armed Forces and National Security · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Mar 4, 2025: “Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.”