S. 3713Senate116th Congress (2019-2021)In Committee

Support our National Guard Act

Introduced May 13, 2020

AI-Generated Summary

Updated April 14, 2026 at 12:20 PM UTC

The Support our National Guard Act directs the Secretary of Defense to give certain National Guard members who are leaving active duty after serving full‑time in the COVID‑19 response the same transitional health benefits that reserve‑component service members receive when they separate. The bill applies to Guard members who served under the specific full‑time duty authority used for the pandemic response.

Key Provisions

  • Requires the Secretary of Defense to provide the 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 part of the government’s COVID‑19 response.
  • Defines “active duty,” “active service,” and “full‑time National Guard duty” by reference to existing statutory definitions.

Legislative Activity

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SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

May 13, 2020

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

May 13, 2020

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

May 13, 2020

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued May 13, 2020

II

116th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. 3713

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

May 13, 2020

Mr. Manchin (for himself and Ms. Ernst) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

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.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Support our National Guard Act.

2.

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.