H.R. 9046

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9046 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 9046

To require the Secretary of Defense to conduct a study on members of 
the Armed Forces who separated from the Armed Forces due to the mandate 
to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and the transfer of education benefits 
by such members, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

May 29, 2026

Mr. Barrett introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To require the Secretary of Defense to conduct a study on members of 
the Armed Forces who separated from the Armed Forces due to the mandate 
to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and the transfer of education benefits 
by such members, 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.

This Act may be cited as the ``COVID-19 Military Mandate 
Transparency Act''.

SEC. 2. STUDY ON SEPARATION OF MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES DUE TO THE 
MANDATE TO RECEIVE THE COVID-19 VACCINE AND THE TRANSFER 
OF EDUCATION BENEFITS BY SUCH MEMBERS.

(a) Study.--The Secretary of Defense shall conduct a study on 
covered individuals and the transfer of education benefits by covered 
individuals to covered dependents.
(b) Report.--
(1) Requirement.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall 
submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the House of 
Representatives and the Senate a report containing the results 
of the study required by subsection (a). Such report shall 
include--
(A) the number of covered individuals;
(B) the number of covered individuals who initiated 
a transfer of education benefits to a dependent in 
accordance with section 3319 of title 38, United States 
Code, before separation;
(C) the number of covered individuals who initiated 
such a transfer and did not complete the years of 
service in the Armed Forces necessary for such 
dependent to commence use of such education benefits in 
accordance with such section before separation;
(D) the number of members of the Armed Forces who 
were denied a religious exemption from the mandate to 
receive the COVID-19 vaccine during the period 
beginning on August 24, 2021, and ending on January 10, 
2023;
(E) the number of covered individuals who were 
denied such a religious exemption;
(F) the number of covered individuals who returned 
to service in accordance with the terms of Executive 
Order 14184 (relating to reinstating service members 
discharged under the military's COVID-19 vaccination 
mandate);
(G) the number of covered individuals who returned 
to service in accordance with the terms of Executive 
Order 14184 (relating to reinstating service members 
discharged under the military's COVID-19 vaccination 
mandate) who initiated a transfer of education benefits 
to a dependent in accordance with section 3319 of title 
38, United States Code, before separation and return to 
service;
(H) the number of covered individuals who returned 
to service in accordance with the terms of Executive 
Order 14184 (relating to reinstating service members 
discharged under the military's COVID-19 vaccination 
mandate) who initiated a transfer of education benefits 
to a dependent in accordance with section 3319 of title 
38, United States Code, before separation and return to 
service and completed the years of service in the Armed 
Forces necessary for such dependent to commence use of 
such education benefits;
(I) the number of covered dependents;
(J) an analysis of the budgetary impact of allowing 
each covered dependent to commence use of education 
benefits that were transferred to such covered 
dependent in accordance with section 3319 of title 38, 
United States Code, without regard to whether the 
covered individual who transferred such education 
benefits to such covered dependent completed the years 
of service in the Armed Forces necessary for such 
covered dependent to commence such use; and
(K) any recommendations of the Secretary to address 
the separation of covered individuals and to ensure 
covered individuals receive appropriate benefits as 
veterans of the Armed Forces.
(2) Disaggregation.--The Secretary of Defense shall 
disaggregate the elements of the report required by paragraph 
(1) that are described in subparagraphs (A) through (J) of such 
paragraph by--
(A) Armed Force in which the covered individual 
served;
(B) whether the covered individual served in an 
active component or a reserve component;
(C) the grade of the covered individual;
(D) the years of service in the Armed Forces of the 
covered individual at the time of separation; and
(E) the characterization of the discharge of the 
covered individual.
(c) Public Availability.--Not later than 60 days after the 
Secretary of Defense submits the report required by subsection (b), the 
Secretary shall make such report publicly available on the internet 
website of the Department of Defense.
(d) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Covered dependent.--The term ``covered dependent'' 
means a dependent of an individual who--
(A) is a covered individual;
(B) initiated a transfer of education benefits to 
such dependent in accordance with section 3319 of title 
38, United States Code; and
(C) did not complete the years of service in the 
Armed Forces necessary for such dependent to commence 
use of such benefits in accordance with such section.
(2) Covered individual.--The term ``covered individual'' 
means an individual who, during the period beginning on August 
24, 2021, and ending on January 10, 2023, was involuntarily or 
voluntarily separated from an Armed Force solely on the basis 
of the refusal of such individual to receive a vaccination 
against COVID-19.
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