S. 5585Senate119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

BRIDGE Act of 2026

A bill to require a pilot program to support members of the Armed Forces and military families transitioning to civilian life, and for other purposes.

Also known as Building Readiness and Integration for Dependents Going to Civilian Environments Act of 2026

AI-Generated Summary

Updated October 10, 2026 at 5:51 AM UTC

The BRIDGE Act of 2026 would require the Department of Defense to set up a three‑year, community‑based pilot program that helps active‑duty service members and their families as they move to civilian life. The program would run at four diverse locations, including one overseas, and would work with existing transition services to provide personalized wellness, employment, and benefits support for up to a year after separation.

Key Provisions

The Secretary of Defense must launch the pilot within 180 days and run it at four geographically diverse military installations for three years.
Eligibility includes service members within one year of separation and their family members; priority is given to those with accelerated, involuntary, or limited‑time separations.
Participating national organizations will deliver services such as peer support groups, resilience workshops, a digital wellness hub, spouse employment help, skills training, benefits navigation, and dedicated transition coordinators.
The program will track short‑, mid‑ and long‑term outcomes on readiness, employment, financial stability, and family well‑being, and the DoD will report results to Congress with a recommendation on extending the pilot.
The DoD and the Department of Veterans Affairs must coordinate to ensure a smooth handoff of services after separation.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action

SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S5172)

Veterans' Affairs Committee

September 29, 2026

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

September 29, 2026

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S5172)

Veterans' Affairs Committee

September 29, 2026

Floor Debate

1 member

What members said about S. 5585 on the floor

1 Democrat

Sen. Alex PadillaD-CA · Sep 29, 2026

Mr. President, I rise to introduce the Building Readiness and Integration for Dependents Going to Civilian Environments Act of 2026 or the BRIDGE Act of 2026. This legislation seeks to ensure that…

Mr. President, I rise to introduce the Building Readiness and Integration for Dependents Going to Civilian Environments Act of 2026 or the BRIDGE Act of 2026. This legislation seeks to ensure that servicemembers and military families have the support they need to successfully transition from military service to civilian life.

Each year, thousands of servicemembers leave the Armed Forces and face significant challenges navigating employment, healthcare, education, benefits, and community reintegration. While the Department of Defense's Transition Assistance Program provides important preseparation services, many military families still struggle to access personalized and coordinated support during this major life transistion.

The BRIDGE Act of 2026 would establish a 3-year pilot program at four geographically diverse military installations to provide nonclinical, community-based transition support for servicemembers and their families. This legislation recognizes that transition is not just an individual experience but a whole-family process that requires tailored support and long-term stability.

Under this act, eligible servicemembers within 1 year of separation and their families would receive individualized transition assistance, including peer-led support groups, resilience workshops, spouse employment assistance, skills training and credentialing, benefits navigation, and reintegration support. Participants would also be paired with dedicated transition coordinators to help develop personalized transition plans and connect families with existing Federal, State, nonprofit, and community resources.

This bill would further prioritize servicemembers facing accelerated or involuntary separations and require participating organizations to track outcomes related to employment, financial stability, resilience, and family well-being. In addition, the legislation would direct the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs to coordinate services to ensure a seamless postseparation transition for servicemembers and their families.

The BRIDGE Act of 2026 is an important step toward strengthening military family readiness and improving long-term outcomes for veterans and their loved ones. Servicemembers and military families sacrifice greatly in service to our Nation, and they deserve support that reflects the full scope of the transition challenges they face.

I would like to thank Senator Scott of South Carolina for coleading this bill with me. I hope our colleagues will join us in supporting this effort to strengthen transition support for servicemembers and military families.

I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass the BRIDGE Act of 2026 as swiftly as possible.

Sen. Alex PadillaD-CA · Sep 29, 2026

Mr. President, I rise to introduce the Building Readiness and Integration for Dependents Going to Civilian Environments Act of 2026 or the BRIDGE Act of 2026. This legislation seeks to ensure that…

I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass the BRIDGE Act of 2026 as swiftly as possible.

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued September 29, 2026

119th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. 5585

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

September 29, 2026

Mr. Padilla (for himself and Mr. Scott of South Carolina) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs

A BILL

To require a pilot program to support members of the Armed Forces and military families transitioning to civilian life, and for other purposes.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Building Readiness and Integration for Dependents Going to Civilian Environments Act of 2026 or the BRIDGE Act of 2026.

Pilot program to support members of the Armed Forces and military families transitioning to civilian life

(a)

In general

Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall establish a non-clinical, community-based pilot program under which eligible organizations shall provide support to members of the Armed Forces and military families transitioning to civilian life.

(b)

Purpose

The purpose of the pilot program shall be—

(1)

to provide personalized, whole-family transition and wellness support to strengthen resilience, stability, and long-term well-being during and after separation from the Armed Forces; and

(2)

to treat transition as a whole-family life change and complement (not duplicate) the Transition Assistance Program through upstream, preventative support.

(c)

Locations; duration

(1)

In general

The Secretary of Defense shall carry out the pilot program at four geographically diverse military installations during the three-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act.

(2)

Locations

To the extent practicable, the Secretary of Defense shall carry out the pilot program at one military installation in each of the following areas:

(A)

The West Coast of the United States.

(B)

The Midwest of the United States.

(C)

The East Coast of the United States.

(D)

Outside of the United States.

(3)

Preference

In selecting locations for the pilot program, the Secretary of Defense shall give preference to locations that serve as major force projection platforms.

(d)

Eligible organizations; selection

The Secretary of Defense shall select organizations to participate in the pilot program from among national organizations serving members of the Armed Forces, veterans, and their families with a demonstrated capability to execute national programs through a community-based lens to provide or coordinate the provision of military transition services for such individuals.

(e)

Eligible members and families; priority; referrals

(1)

In general

An individual is eligible for services under the pilot program if the individual is—

(A)

a member of the Armed Forces on active duty who is within one year of separation from the Armed Forces, including a single member without dependents; or

(B)

a member of the family of a member of the Armed Forces described in subparagraph (A).

(2)

Priority

In selecting members of the Armed Forces and families for the pilot program, organizations participating in the pilot program shall prioritize—

(A)

members of the Armed Forces facing accelerated or involuntary separations from the Armed Forces, and families of such members; and

(B)

members of the Armed Forces with limited time for transition planning, and families of such members.

(3)

Referrals

Eligible members of the Armed Forces and families may be referred to the pilot program through any of the following:

(A)

The Transition Assistance Program.

(B)

The command of the member.

(C)

A partner organization.

(D)

Self-referral.

(f)

Activities

(1)

In general

Under the pilot program, each organization participating in the pilot program, in collaboration with local Transition Assistance Program offices, shall—

(A)

identify eligible members of the Armed Forces and families;

(B)

provide to such members and families, during the one-year period following separation from the Armed Forces, the services described in paragraph (2); and

(C)

track the progress of such members and families.

(2)

Services

In carrying out paragraph (1)(B), each organization participating in the pilot program shall—

(A)

provide resources, training, and community connection support, including—

(i)

peer-led support groups;

(ii)

resilience workshops;

(iii)

a digital resource hub focused on emotional wellness, practical life skills, and community reintegration for spouses, children, and caregivers;

(iv)

employment assistance for spouses;

(v)

skills training and credentialing;

(vi)

benefits navigation; and

(vii)

reintegration and wellness support;

(B)

assign each single member of the Armed Forces or family, as the case may be, a dedicated transition coordinator to conduct assessments, develop personalized transition plans, and provide high-touch navigation across employment, education, healthcare, benefits, and community resources;

(C)

perform a whole-family wellness and transition assessment that produces a customized transition roadmap aligned to separation timeline, reason for separation, and family dynamics;

(D)

establish tailored support pathways based on individualized needs rather than a one-size-fits-all approach; and

(E)

connect families to and coordinate with existing Federal, State, nonprofit, and community resources, rather than create duplicative programs.

(g)

Outcomes

Each organization participating in the pilot program shall track the following:

(1)

Short-term outcomes, from 0 to 6 months post-separation, including readiness and confidence, stress, status of transition plans, and resource connections.

(2)

Mid-term outcomes, from 6 to 12 months post-separation, including employment outcomes, financial stability, and family wellbeing.

(3)

Long-term outcomes, from 12 to 36 months post-separation, including employment outcomes, resilience, and crisis intervention needs.

(h)

Implementation

In carrying out the pilot program, the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall coordinate and ensure a seamless post-separation handoff of services between the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

(i)

Report

Not later than 180 days after the date on which the pilot program terminates, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to Congress a report that includes the following:

(1)

A detailed accounting of the results of the pilot program.

(2)

A recommendation on whether to extend the pilot program.

(j)

Definitions

In this section:

(1)

Pilot program

The term pilot program means the pilot program established under subsection (a).

(2)

Transition Assistance Program

The term Transition Assistance Program means the program of the Department of Defense for preseparation counseling, employment assistance, and other transitional services provided under sections 1142 and 1144 of title 10, United States Code.