Bill · H.R. 8281· House(119-HR-8281)
Guard Equal Benefits for Federal Missions Act
- Introduced
- 4/14/2026
- Last activity
- 4/14/2026 — Referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- Sponsored by
- Matt Van Epps
- Cosponsors
- None
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, titled the "Guard Equal Benefits for Federal Missions Act," aims to provide specific benefits to National Guard members. It seeks to ensure that those performing full-time National Guard duty in support of Federal law enforcement operations receive benefits equivalent to those provided for service during a national emergency. This applies to duty authorized by the President or the Secretary of Defense that supports various Federal law enforcement agencies. The duty must be carried out to address issues like significant criminal activity, drug trafficking, or organized crime. This change would treat such service as qualifying for specific federal benefits.
Yes· 3 of 5
Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together?+5
The bill expands several federal benefits, including retirement and educational assistance, for National Guard members performing specific full-time duties.
Does this increase the pay, pensions or support veterans receive?+5
The bill expands eligibility for federal benefits like the Post-9/11 GI Bill and retirement age reductions for National Guard members serving in specific full-time roles.
Would people over 65 be better off under this?+3
The bill allows for a reduction in retirement age for qualifying National Guard service.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Increased Benefit Eligibility: National Guard members performing specific full-time duties will be treated as having served in response to a national emergency (Section 2(a)). This helps ensure they receive benefits they might otherwise miss.
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Retirement Age Reduction: The bill specifies that this service would count toward a reduction in retirement age under section 12731 of title 10 (Section 2(b)(1)).
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Transitional Assistance: Service would be deemed qualifying for the Transitional Assistance Management Program under section 1145 of title 10 (Section 2(b)(2)).
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Educational Benefits: The bill allows this service to count toward benefits under chapter 33 of title 38, which is the Post-9/11 GI Bill (Section 2(b)(3)).
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Other Federal Benefits: The act ensures these members can access any other Federal benefit that requires service in response to a national emergency (Section 2(b)(4)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No specific negative impacts are mentioned in the provided text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Veterans+5Good For Seniors+3Good For Low Income Households+2
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Improves Veterans Benefits+5
- Education And Technology
- Improves Student Loan Relief+3
- 4/14/2026
- Referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- Introduced in House
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.