H.R. 6967House116th Congress (2019-2021)In Committee

To require the Secretary of Defense to provide to certain members of the National Guard serving on active service in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) the transitional health benefits provided to members of the reserve components separating from active duty.

AI-Generated Summary

Updated April 14, 2026 at 12:36 PM UTC

The bill directs the Secretary of Defense to give certain National Guard members who served on full‑time active duty for the COVID‑19 response the same transitional health benefits that reserve‑component service members receive when they separate from active duty. It applies to Guard members who are leaving active service after serving under the specific authority for the whole‑government COVID‑19 effort.

Key Provisions

Requires the Secretary of Defense to provide the transitional health benefits outlined in 10 U.S.C. §1145 to National Guard members separating after full‑time duty under 32 U.S.C. §502(f) when that duty was in support of the COVID‑19 response.
Applies only to Guard members whose active service was part of the whole‑government response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Uses existing definitions of “active duty,” “active service,” and “full‑time National Guard duty” from the U.S. Code.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action

HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.

Armed Services Committee

May 22, 2020

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

May 22, 2020

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.

Armed Services Committee

May 22, 2020

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued May 22, 2020

116th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 6967

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

May 22, 2020

Mr. Cunningham (for himself, Mr. Palazzo, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. DeFazio, Mr. Ryan, Mr. King of New York, Mr. Kim, and Mr. Cohen) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services

A BILL

To require the Secretary of Defense to provide to certain members of the National Guard serving on active service in response to the coronavirus (COVID–19) the transitional health benefits provided to members of the reserve components separating from active duty.

Transitional health benefits for certain members of the National Guard serving under orders in response to the coronavirus (COVID–19)

(a)

In general

The Secretary of Defense shall provide to a member of the National Guard separating from active service after serving on full-time National Guard duty pursuant to section 502(f) of title 32, United States Code, the health benefits authorized under section 1145 of title 10, United States Code, for a member of a reserve component separating from active duty, as referred to in subsection (a)(2)(B) of such section 1145, if the active service from which the member of the National Guard is separating was in support of the whole of government response to the coronavirus (COVID–19).

(b)

Definitions

In this section, the terms active duty, active service, and full-time National Guard duty have the meanings given those terms in section 101(d) of title 10, United States Code.