Senate Introduces Companion to Rep. Cisneros’ Bipartisan Duty Status Reform Act

Washington, DC - Today, Senators Jerry Moran and Jacky Rosen introduced the Senate companion to the bipartisan Duty Status Reform Act, led by Reps. Gil Cisneros (CA-31) and Jack Bergman (MI-01). The bill, which was introduced in the House in January, would reduce the Reserve Component's (RC's) duty statuses from roughly 30 to four. This change would create a coherent structure, ensuring our servicemembers receive equitable benefits and pay when called to service.

With today's overly complex duty status system, servicemembers doing similar jobs often receive different benefits due to the sheer number of duty statuses. This construct has created major disparities for troop pay and benefits like TRICARE and the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Under the new duty statuses established in this bill, servicemembers carrying out assignments within the same category will receive the same pay and benefits package.

"In our ever-changing operational environment, our military leaders need the flexibility to act quickly and effectively. But the duty status system has limited commanders' ability to quickly mobilize guard and reserve units. The broken duty status construct is hurting our readiness and fixing this long-standing issue has remained my number one priority since returning to Congress," said Rep. Cisneros. "The Duty Status Reform Act is a bipartisan, bicameral solution that will bolster our readiness and improve our servicemembers' lives by giving them predictability, pay parity, and hard-earned points towards TRICARE and Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits. I am thankful to Senators Moran and Rosen for leading the Senate's efforts on this complex issue, and I look forward to working with partners in Congress, the administration, and the Department of Defense to get this legislation across the finish line."

"The men and women of the National Guard in Kansas and across the country play a critical role in serving our communities and defending our nation," said Sen. Moran. "As the Guard's mission has evolved, the duty status system has become increasingly complex. This legislation will simplify the structure and strengthen the Guard's ability to carry out its missions by standardizing pay and benefits, bolstering readiness and better supporting those who serve."

"Duty Status Reform is a necessary overhaul to antiquated administrative systems that have negatively impacted our Reserve and National Guard servicemembers' quality of life and readiness," said Sen. Rosen. "That's why I'm proud to help introduce this bipartisan bill to cut through the red tape by simplifying the duty status structure from nearly 30 statuses down to four so the reserve component will receive timely and equitable pay and benefits without preventable delays or disruption. This legislation ensures the reserve component receives fair and equitable treatment when answering the call to service at a moment's notice."

"Michigan's National Guard members are among the most dedicated servicemembers in the country, and they deserve a system that works as hard as they do," said Rep. Bergman. "The current duty status framework - nearly 30 classifications - creates unnecessary confusion, delays pay and benefits, and limits commanders' ability to mobilize quickly when the nation calls. The Duty Status Reform Act fixes that by cutting through the bureaucracy and giving our Guardsmen the clarity, consistency, and equity they've earned. I'm proud to lead this effort in the House alongside Rep. Cisneros, and I thank Senators Moran and Rosen for carrying this forward in the Senate."

Rep. Cisneros is a Navy Veteran and the former Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness. He currently serves on the House Armed Services Committee, Subcommittee on Military Personnel, and Subcommittee on Intelligence and Special Operations. Rep. Cisneros is a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and serves on its leadership team as the Freshman Representative.

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