What This Bill Does
This bill ensures that members of the Armed Forces who served in female cultural support teams receive proper recognition for their service. It requires the military to include this service in their official records and allows these veterans to file claims for benefits related to injuries or health problems from that service.
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Who It Affects
- Approximately 310 female members of the Armed Forces who served in female cultural support teams between 2010 and 2021
- Survivors of those individuals
- The Department of Veterans Affairs
- The Department of Defense
- Military secretaries responsible for each branch of the Armed Forces
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Key Provisions
- Military records and retirement pay calculations must include female cultural support team service within one year of the bill becoming law (Sec. 1(c))
- Veterans Affairs must treat female cultural support team service as combat service when deciding if an injury or death qualifies for veterans benefits (Sec. 1(d)(2))
- Previously denied claims can be resubmitted within three years of the bill becoming law if they were rejected because the service was not recognized as official military service (Sec. 1(d)(3)(C))
- The Department of Veterans Affairs must improve training for employees processing these claims (Sec. 1(d)(4))
- The Department of Veterans Affairs must publish notices online and notify veterans organizations about the ability to file new claims (Sec. 1(d)(5))
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What Changes
If this bill becomes law, female cultural support team members will have their service officially counted as military service. This allows them to access veterans health benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs for injuries, including traumatic brain injuries, post-traumatic stress and physical trauma. Veterans who previously had claims denied can resubmit them.
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Important Definitions
- **"Covered service"**: Service as a member of the Armed Forces in a female cultural support team with specific personnel development skill identifiers (R2J or 5DK) between January 1, 2010 and August 31, 2021 (Sec. 1(e)(1))
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Effective Date
Not specified in bill text
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. R. 1753
To ensure that certain members of the Armed Forces who served in female
cultural support teams receive proper credit for such service.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 23, 2023
Mr. ISSA (for himself, Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia, Mr. CROW, and Ms.
HOULAHAN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee 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 jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned
A BILL
To ensure that certain members of the Armed Forces who
served in female cultural support teams receive proper
credit for such service.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. CREDIT FOR CERTAIN MEMBERS OF THE
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ARMED FORCES WHO SERVED IN FEMALE
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CULTURAL SUPPORT TEAMS.
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(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following:
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(1) In 2010, the Commander of United States
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Special Operations Command established the Cul-
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•HR 1753 IH
tural Support Team Program to overcome signifi-
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cant intelligence gaps during the Global War on Ter-
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ror.
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(2) From 2010 through 2021, approximately
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310 female members, from every Armed Force,
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passed and were selected as members of female cul-
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tural support teams, and deployed with special oper-
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ations forces.
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(3) Members of female cultural support teams
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served honorably, demonstrated commendable cour-
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age, overcame such intelligence gaps, engaged in di-
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rect action, and suffered casualties during the Glob-
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al War on Terror.
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(4) The Federal Government has a duty to rec-
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ognize members and veterans of female cultural sup-
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port teams who volunteered join the Armed Forces,
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to undergo arduous training for covered service, and
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to execute dangerous and classified missions in the
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course of such covered service.
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(5) Members who performed covered service
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have sought treatment from the Department of Vet-
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erans Affairs for traumatic brain injuries, post-trau-
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matic stress, and disabling physical trauma incurred
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in the course of such covered service, but have been
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denied such care.
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(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the Sense of Con-
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gress that individuals who performed covered service per-
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formed exceptional service to the United States.
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(c) MILITARY SERVICE: RECORDS; CALCULATION OF
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RETIRED PAY.—Not later than one year after the date
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of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary concerned shall
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ensure that the performance of covered service is included
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in—
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(1) the military service record of each individual
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who performed covered service; and
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(2) the computation of retired pay for each in-
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dividual who performed covered service.
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(d) CLAIMS
FOR VETERANS BENEFITS ARISING
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FROM COVERED SERVICE.—
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(1) DETERMINATION
OF
SERVICE
CONNEC-
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TION.—Upon the filing of a claim by an individual
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described in paragraph (3)(C) for service-connected
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disability or death incurred or aggravated in the
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course of covered service, the Secretary of Veterans
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Affairs shall determine whether such disability or
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death was service-connected.
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(2) TREATMENT OF COVERED SERVICE.—In the
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consideration of a claim under this subsection, the
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Secretary shall treat covered service as engagement
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•HR 1753 IH
in combat with the enemy in the course of active
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military, naval, air, or space service.
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(3) EFFECTIVE DATE OF AWARD.—
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(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided by
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subparagraph (B), the effective date of an
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award under this subsection shall be determined
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in accordance with section 5110 of title 38,
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United States Code.
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(B) EXCEPTION.—Notwithstanding sub-
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section (g) of such section, the Secretary shall
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determine the effective date of an award based
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on a claim under this subsection for an indi-
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vidual described in subparagraph (C) by treat-
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ing the date on which the individual filed the
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initial claim specified in clause (i) of such sub-
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paragraph as the date on which the individual
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filed the claim so awarded under this section.
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(C) ELIGIBLE
INDIVIDUALS.—An indi-
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vidual described in this subparagraph is an in-
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dividual who performed covered service, or a
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survivor of such an individual—
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(i) who, before the date of the enact-
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ment of this Act, submitted a claim for
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service-connected disability or death of
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such individual;
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•HR 1753 IH
(ii) whose such claim was denied by
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reason of the claim not establishing that
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the disability or death was service-con-
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nected;
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(iii) who submits a claim during the
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period of three years beginning on the date
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of the enactment of this Act, for the same
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condition covered by the prior claim under
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clause; and
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(iv) whose such claim is approved pur-
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suant to this subsection.
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(4) PROCESSING OF CLAIMS.—The Secretary of
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Veterans Affairs, in consultation with the Secretary
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of Defense, shall improve training and guidance for
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employees who may process a claim under this sub-
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section.
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(5) OUTREACH.—The Secretary shall conduct
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outreach to inform individuals who performed cov-
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ered service (and survivors of such individuals) that
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they may submit supplemental claims for service-
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connected disability or death incurred or aggravated
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in the course of covered service. Such outreach shall
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include the following:
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(A) The Secretary shall publish on the
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internet website of the Department a notice
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•HR 1753 IH
that such individuals may elect to file a supple-
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mental claim.
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(B) The Secretary shall notify, in writing
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or by electronic means, veterans service organi-
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zations of the ability of such individuals to file
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a supplemental claim.
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(e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
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(1) The term ‘‘covered service’’ means service—
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(A) as a member of the Armed Forces;
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(B) in a female cultural support team;
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(C) with the personnel development skill
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identifier of R2J or 5DK; and
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(D) during the period beginning on Janu-
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ary 1, 2010, and ending on August 31, 2021.
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(2) The terms ‘‘active military, naval, air, or
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space service’’ and ‘‘service-connected’’ have the
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meanings given such terms in section 101 of title 38,
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United States Code.
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(3) The term ‘‘Secretary concerned’’ has the
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meaning given such term in section 101 of title 10,
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United States Code.
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Æ
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