S. 1632Senate119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

Defense Workforce Integration Act of 2025

Introduced May 7, 2025

AI-Generated Summary

Updated November 24, 2025 at 12:44 AM UTC

The Defense Workforce Integration Act of 2025 seeks to help service members who are medically disqualified transition into civilian jobs within the Defense Department and related industries. It creates a fast‑track hiring pathway, expands career‑information programs for those individuals, and requires the Navy to inform its personnel about opportunities with Military Sealift Command. A progress report to Congress is required within a year.

Key Provisions

  • Within one year, the Defense Secretary must set up a pathway for medically disqualified entry‑level service members to move into qualified civilian jobs within the Department of Defense, using the Air Force’s DRIVE program as a possible model.
  • The bill defines “entry‑level service member” as anyone in basic training, technical school, a service academy, ROTC, or an officer accession program who is medically disqualified.
  • A new program is created to give medically disqualified individuals information about jobs in the defense industrial base, cybersecurity, intelligence support, R&D, disaster preparedness, and other non‑military roles, with referrals to apprenticeships and training.
  • The Navy must add information about career opportunities at Military Sealift Command and shipbuilder training programs to its Transition Assistance Program for all Navy personnel.
  • The Defense Secretary must report to the Armed Services committees within a year on how the integration pathways and information programs have been implemented.

Legislative Activity

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SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

May 7, 2025

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

May 7, 2025

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

May 7, 2025

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued May 7, 2025

II

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 1632

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

May 7, 2025

Mrs. Shaheen (for herself, Mr. Rounds, Mr. Cramer, Mr. Kaine, and Mr. King) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services

A BILL

To provide for greater defense workforce integration, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Defense Workforce Integration Act of 2025.

2.

Integration of military and civilian hiring processes

(a)

In general

Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Secretaries concerned shall establish a pathway for medically disqualified entry-level service members to enter civilian positions for which they are qualified in the Department of Defense or any of its components.

(b)

Air Force DRIVE program

The Air Force’s Develop, Redistribute, Improve, Vault, Expose (DRIVE) program shall be considered sufficient to meet the requirements of subsection (a) and may, but need not, serve as a baseline from which the other military departments design their programs.

(c)

Entry-Level service member defined

In this section, the term entry-level service member means a regular or reserve member of the Armed Forces who is currently attending or has military orders to attend within 90 days—

(1)

basic training;

(2)

a technical school of the Armed Forces;

(3)

a service academy;

(4)

the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC); or

(5)

an officer accession program, including officer candidate school, officer training school, officer development school, or equivalent program.

3.

Provision of information on career opportunities in the defense industrial base to persons ineligible for military service

Chapter 50 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

996.

Provision of information on career opportunities in the defense industrial base to persons medically disqualified for military service

(a)

Establishment

The Secretary of Defense shall establish and implement a program to provide individuals who are not medically qualified for military service with information on employment opportunities in the defense industrial base or other employment opportunities in support of the national interests of the United States.

(b)

Program

The program established under subsection (a) shall inform and refer persons described in subsection (a) to employment, apprenticeship, and training opportunities in—

(1)

the defense industrial base;

(2)

cybersecurity or intelligence support roles;

(3)

research and development in defense technologies;

(4)

national emergency and disaster preparedness; or

(5)

any other non-military opportunity the Secretary considers in the national interests of the United States.

(c)

Collaboration

The Secretary of Defense shall consult with entities in the defense industrial base, other Federal agencies, and academic institutions to carry out this section.

.

4.

Provision to Navy personnel of information on career opportunities at Military Sealift Command

The Secretary of the Navy shall provide information about career opportunities at Military Sealift Command and workforce training programs for shipbuilders to all Navy personnel as part of the Transition Assistance Program process.

5.

Report

Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report describing implementation of the requirements under sections 2 and 4 of this Act and section 996 of title 10, United States Code, as added by section 3 of this Act.