← Back to Bills
H.R. 975House118th Congress (2023-2025)In Committee

Rachael Booth Act

Sponsored by Vern BuchananRep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL)
Introduced February 10, 2023

AI-Generated Summary

Updated January 20, 2026 at 3:30 AM UTC

The Rachael Booth Act expands the Department of Defense’s transitional compensation program so that dependents of service members who are convicted of dependent‑abuse offenses, as well as dependents of members who are merely accused but have forfeited all pay and allowances for a separate offense, can receive benefits. The changes affect the families of those service members and the officials who administer the compensation.

Key Provisions

  • Adds a new category of eligible dependents: those whose service member was convicted of a dependent‑abuse crime in federal or state court.
  • Extends eligibility to dependents of members accused of dependent abuse when a commander, based on a preponderance of evidence, finds probable cause and the member has forfeited all pay for an unrelated offense.
  • Sets the start date for payments to the earlier of the member’s pre‑trial confinement date or the commander’s determination of probable cause.
  • Allows the Secretary of Defense to delegate authority to the senior officer in the member’s chain of command to approve eligibility for these benefits.

Legislative Activity

Stay on top of the latest movement without scrolling through every action

1 earlier action
HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.

Armed Services Committee

February 10, 2023

View full timeline
HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

February 10, 2023

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.

Armed Services Committee

February 10, 2023

Bill Text

Latest available legislative text

Reading Mode
Latest
Raw Text PDF XML
Introduced in HouseIssued February 10, 2023

I

118th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 975

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 10, 2023

Mr. Buchanan (for himself and Mr. Horsford) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services

A BILL

To make transitional compensation available to dependents of members of the Armed Forces convicted of dependent abuse in Federal or State court and dependents of members accused of dependent abuse who have forfeited all pay and allowances for an unrelated offense.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Rachael Booth Act.

2.

Modifications to transitional compensation for dependents of members separated for dependent abuse

(a)

Covered punitive actions

Subsection (b) of section 1059 of title 10, United States Code, is amended—

(1)

in paragraph (1)(B), by striking ; or and inserting a semicolon;

(2)

in paragraph (2), by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon; and

(3)

by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

(3)

who is—

(A)

convicted of a dependent-abuse offense in a district court of the United States or a State court; and

(B)

separated from active duty pursuant to a sentence of a court-martial, or administratively separated, voluntarily or involuntarily, from active duty, for an offense other than the dependent-abuse offense; or

(4)

who is—

(A)

accused but not convicted of a dependent-abuse offense;

(B)

determined, as a result of a review by the commander of the member and based on a preponderance of evidence, to have committed the dependent-abuse offense; and

(C)

required to forfeit all pay and allowances pursuant to a sentence of a court-martial for an offense other than the dependent-abuse offense.

.

(b)

Recipients of payments

Subsection (d) of such section is amended—

(1)

in paragraph (1), by striking resulting in the separation and inserting referred to in subsection (b); and

(2)

in paragraph (4)—

(A)

by striking determined as of the date and inserting the following: “determined—

(A)

as of the date

;

(B)

by striking offense or, in a case and inserting the following: “offense;

(B)

in a case

;

(C)

by striking the period at the end and inserting ; or; and

(D)

by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:

(C)

in a case described in subsection (b)(4), as of, as applicable—

(i)

the first date on which the individual is held in pretrial confinement relating to the dependent-abuse offense of which the individual is accused after the 7-day review of pretrial confinement required by Rule 305(i)(2) of the Rules for Courts-Martial; or

(ii)

the date on which a review by a commander of the individual determines there is probable cause that the individual has committed that offense.

.

(c)

Commencement of payment

Subsection (e)(1) of such section is amended—

(1)

in subparagraph (A)—

(A)

in the matter preceding clause (i), by inserting after offense the following: or an offense described in subsection (b)(3)(B); and

(B)

in clause (ii), by striking ; and and inserting a semicolon;

(2)

in subparagraph (B)—

(A)

by striking (if the basis and all that follows through offense); and

(B)

by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon; and

(3)

by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:

(C)

in the case of a member described in subsection (b)(4), shall commence as of, as applicable—

(i)

the first date on which the member is held in pretrial confinement relating to the dependent-abuse offense of which the member is accused after the 7-day review of pretrial confinement required by Rule 305(i)(2) of the Rules for Courts-Martial; or

(ii)

the date on which a review by a commander of the member determines there is probable cause that the member has committed that offense.

.

(d)

Definition of dependent child

Subsection (l) of such section is amended, in the matter preceding paragraph (1)—

(1)

by striking resulting in the separation of the former member or and inserting referred to in subsection (b) or; and

(2)

by striking resulting in the separation of the former member and and inserting and.

(e)

Delegation of determinations relating to exceptional eligibility

Subsection (m)(4) of such section is amended to read as follows:

(4)

The Secretary concerned may delegate the authority under paragraph (1) to authorize eligibility for benefits under this section for dependents and former dependents of a member or former member to the first general or flag officer (or civilian equivalent) in the chain of command of the member.

.