Americans in Uniform Act of 2005 - Requires the Department of Defense (DOD), in awarding any contract for the procurement of goods and services, to use as an evaluation factor whether entities intend to carry out the contract using employees or individual subcontractors who are members of the Selected Reserve. Requires entities claiming the intention to use such employees or subcontractors to document to DOD the number that the entity will employ, or contract with, for the contract in question. Authorizes the Secretary of the military department concerned to waive such requirement for national security purposes.
Increases by specified amounts the following special pays and allowances for reserve personnel: (1) hardship duty pay; (2) reenlistment bonuses; and (3) the family separation allowance.
Makes eligible for burial in Arlington National Cemetery: (1) a member or former member of the reserves who was under age 60 at the time of death and who, but for such age, would have been eligible for military retired pay; and (2) his or her dependents.
Makes eligible for space-available travel on DOD aircraft: (1) a member or former member of the reserves under 60 years of age who, but for such age, would be eligible for military retired pay; and (2) his or her spouse.
Requires a report from the Comptroller General to Congress on difficulties faced by members of the National Guard and reserves with respect to employment as a result of being ordered to full-time National Guard duty or active-duty service, respectively.
[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2484 Introduced in House (IH)]
109th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2484
To improve benefits for members of the National Guard and Reserve to
recognize their service to the United States and to encourage the
recruitment and retention of National Guard and Reserve personnel, and
for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 19, 2005
Mr. Blunt (for himself, Mr. Kirk, Mr. Simmons, Mr. Hayes, Mr. Cantor,
Mr. Gerlach, Mr. Graves, Mr. Larsen of Washington, Mr. Miller of
Florida, Mr. Brady of Texas, Mr. Sodrel, and Mr. Reichert) 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 improve benefits for members of the National Guard and Reserve to
recognize their service to the United States and to encourage the
recruitment and retention of National Guard and Reserve personnel, and
for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE AND TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Americans in
Uniform Act of 2005''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as
follows:
Sec. 1. Short title and table of contents.
Sec. 2. Findings.
Sec. 3. Establishment of evaluation factor for defense contractors
employing or subcontracting with members of
the Selected Reserve of the reserve
components of the Armed Forces.
Sec. 4. Increase in various special pays and allowances for reserve
component personnel.
Sec. 5. Eligibility of certain persons for burial in Arlington National
Cemetery.
Sec. 6. Eligibility of certain persons for space-available travel on
military aircraft.
Sec. 7. Report on employment matters for members of the National Guard
and Reserve.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Since September 11, 2001, almost 424,000 members of the
National Guard or Reserve, comprising approximately 36 percent
of the total membership, have been called or ordered to active
duty.
(2) Of the 1,718 members of the United States Armed Forces
who have been killed or have died in the Global War on
Terrorism, as of April 9, 2005, 357 were members of the
National Guard or Reserve, which represents 21 percent of the
total casualties.
(3) Elements of all 15 Army National Guard ``enhanced
readiness brigades'' have been mobilized and deployed within
the Continental United States Field Command, Iraq, or
Afghanistan, or are undergoing training to be deployed, in
support of United States operations in the Global War on
Terrorism.
(4) During recent cycles of deployments in connection with
Operation Iraqi Freedom, six of the 17 Army and Marine Ground
Combat brigades serving in Iraq, which is equivalent to two
combat divisions, are National Guard brigades.
(5) Approximately 34 percent of the United States troops
now serving in Iraq and Kuwait are members of the National
Guard or Reserve.
(6) Not since the Korean War have so many members of the
National Guard and Reserve been mobilized for service in a
theater of war.
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF EVALUATION FACTOR FOR DEFENSE CONTRACTORS
EMPLOYING OR SUBCONTRACTING WITH MEMBERS OF THE SELECTED
RESERVE OF THE RESERVE COMPONENTS OF THE ARMED FORCES.
(a) Defense Contracts.--In awarding any contract for the
procurement of goods or services, the Department of Defense, when
considering source selection criteria, shall use as an evaluation
factor whether entities intend to carry out the contract using
employees or individual subcontractors for goods and services who are
members of the Selected Reserve of the reserve components of the Armed
Forces.
(b) Documentation of Selected Reserve-Related Evaluation Factor.--
Any entity claiming intent to carry out a contract using employees or
individual subcontractors for goods and services who are members of the
Selected Reserve of the reserve components of the Armed Forces shall be
required to document to the Department of Defense the number (and
names, if requested) of such members of the Selected Reserve that the
entity will employ, or execute personal services contracts with, for
the contract in question.
(c) National Security Waiver.--The Secretary of the military
department concerned, or, in the case of contracts which are not
negotiated by a military department, the Secretary of Defense, may
waive the requirement in subsection (a) with respect to a contract if
the Secretary concerned determines that the waiver is necessary for
reasons of national security.
(d) Regulations.--The Federal Acquisition Regulation shall be
revised as necessary to implement this section.
SEC. 4. INCREASE IN VARIOUS SPECIAL PAYS AND ALLOWANCES FOR RESERVE
COMPONENT PERSONNEL.
(a) Hardship Duty Pay.--Section 305(a) of title 37, United States
Code, is amended by striking ``$300'' and inserting ``$750''.
(b) Reenlistment Bonus.--Section 308b(b)(1) of such title is
amended--
(1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``$15,000'' and
inserting ``$25,000'';
(2) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``$7,500'' and
inserting ``$12,500''; and
(3) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``$6,000'' and
inserting ``$11,000''.
(c) Family Separation Allowance.--Section 427 of such title is
amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
``(f) Special Rate for Reserve Component Members.--If a member
described in subsection (a) is a member of a reserve component, the
amount of the monthly allowance for the member under this section shall
be increased to $500.''.
SEC. 5. ELIGIBILITY OF CERTAIN PERSONS FOR BURIAL IN ARLINGTON NATIONAL
CEMETERY.
(a) In General.--(1) Chapter 24 of title 38, United States Code, is
amended--
(A) by redesignating section 2412 as section 2413; and
(B) by inserting after section 2411 the following new
section:
``Sec. 2412. Arlington National Cemetery: eligibility of certain
persons for burial
``(a)(1) The remains of a member or former member of a reserve
component of the Armed Forces who at the time of death was under 60
years of age and who, but for age, would have been eligible at the time
of death for retired pay under chapter 1223 of title 10 may be buried
in Arlington National Cemetery on the same basis as the remains of
members of the Armed Forces entitled to retired pay under that chapter.
``(2) The remains of the dependents of a member whose remains are
permitted under paragraph (1) to be buried in Arlington National
Cemetery may be buried in that cemetery on the same basis as dependents
of members of the Armed Forces entitled to retired pay under such
chapter 1223.
``(b)(1) The remains of a member of a reserve component of the
Armed Forces who dies in the line of duty while performing active duty
for training or inactive duty training may be buried in Arlington
National Cemetery on the same basis as the remains of a member of the
Armed Forces who dies while on active duty.
``(2) The remains of the dependents of a member whose remains are
permitted under paragraph (1) to be buried in Arlington National
Cemetery may be buried in that cemetery on the same basis as dependents
of members on active duty.''.
(2) The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 24 of title
38, United States Code, is amended by striking the item relating to
section 2412 and inserting after the item relating to section 2411 the
following new items:
``2412. Arlington National Cemetery: eligibility of certain persons for
burial.
``2413. Lease of land and buildings.''.
(b) Effective Date.--Section 2412 of title 38, United States Code,
as added by subsection (a), shall apply with respect to interments
occurring on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.
SEC. 6. ELIGIBILITY OF CERTAIN PERSONS FOR SPACE-AVAILABLE TRAVEL ON
MILITARY AIRCRAFT.
(a) Eligibility of ``Gray Area'' Retirees and Spouses.--Chapter 157
of title 10, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section
2641a the following new section:
``Sec. 2641b. Space-available travel on Department of Defense aircraft:
Reserve members eligible for retired pay but for age;
spouses
``(a) Reserve Retirees Under Age 60.--A member or former member of
a reserve component under 60 years of age who, but for age, would be
eligible for retired pay under chapter 1223 of this title shall be
provided transportation on Department of Defense aircraft, on a space-
available basis, on the same basis as members of the armed forces
entitled to retired pay under any other provision of law.
``(b) Spouses.--The spouse of a member or former member under 60
years of age who, but for age, would be eligible for retired pay under
chapter 1223 of this title, shall be provided transportation on
Department of Defense aircraft, on a space-available basis, on the same
basis as spouses of members of the armed forces entitled to retired pay
under any other provision of law.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of
such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section
2641a the following new item:
``2641b. Space-available travel on Department of Defense aircraft:
Reserve members eligible for retired pay
but for age; spouses.''.
SEC. 7. REPORT ON EMPLOYMENT MATTERS FOR MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL GUARD
AND RESERVE.
(a) Requirement for Report.--Not later than 270 days after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United
States shall submit to Congress a report on difficulties faced by
members of the National Guard and Reserve with respect to employment as
a result of being ordered to perform full time National Guard duty or
being ordered to active duty service, respectively.
(b) Specific Matters.--In preparing the report required under
subsection (a), the Comptroller General shall include information on
the following matters
(1) Type of employers.--An estimate of the number of
employers of members of the National Guard and Reserve who are
private sector employers and those who are public sector
employers.
(2) Size of employers.--An estimate of the number of
employers of members of the National Guard and Reserve who
employ fewer than 50 full-time employees.
(3) Self-employed.--An estimate of the number of members of
the National Guard and Reserve who are self-employed.
(4) Nature of business.--A description of the nature of the
business of employers of members of the National Guard and
Reserve.
(5) Reemployment difficulties.--A description of
difficulties faced by members of the National Guard and Reserve
in gaining reemployment after having performed full time
National Guard duty or active duty service, including
difficulties faced by members who are disabled and who are
Veterans of the Vietnam Era.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
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.
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.
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.
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H4022-4023)
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line