,i  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #deaf  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,april #bi1 #bjad    
,ms4 ,loretta ,sanchez of ,california   
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on ,armed   
,services  ,a ,,bill  ,to expedite and  
oversee the implementation of the women 
in service implementation plan1 and for 
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,she ,is ,ready
 ,act4  #b4 ,findings ,congress makes   
the following findings3  7#a7 ,on       
,january #bd1 #bjac1 ,secretary of      
,defense ,leon ,panetta and ,chairman of
 the ,joint ,chiefs of ,staff ,martin   
,dempsey rescinded the #aiid ,direct    
,ground ,combat ,definition and         
,assignment ,rule and directed the      
,armed ,forces to open closed           
occupations1 positions1 and units to    
female members of the ,armed ,forces no 
later than ,january #a1 #bjaf4  7#b7    
,the rescission of the #aiid policy was 
based on the knowledge that success in  

the ,armed ,forces results solely from a
 member's ability1 qualifications1 and  
performance1 and the decision to rescind
 the policy is consistent with          
,america's values and enhances military 
readiness4  7#c7 ,the change in policy  
is reflective of the on the ground      
reality that female members of the      
,armed ,forces1 particularly in ,iraq   
and ,afghanistan1 have been serving in  
combat4  7#d7 ,a directive from the     
,chairman of the ,joint ,chiefs of      
,staff requires the development1 review1
 and validation of gender-neutral       
occupational standards reflecting the   
knowledge1 skills and abilities         
necessary for each occupation to be used
 to assess and assign members not later 
than ,september #bjae4  7#e7 ,there are 
concerns in regards to the lack of      
transparency and the type of research   
the ,armed ,forces are planning and     
pursuing in opening closed occupations1 
positions1 and units to female members  
of the ,armed ,forces4  7#f7 ,the       

largest number of closed occupations1   
positions1 and units are in the ,army   
and ,marine ,corps4 ,the ,department of 
,defense announced its intention1       
pursuant to the ,january #bjac          
,directives1 to open for assignment of  
female members of the ,armed ,forces    
thousands of previously closed positions
 and units1 but thousands of positions  
and units remain closed female members  
of the ,armed ,forces4  #c4 ,removal of 
artificial barriers to the service of   
women in the ,armed ,forces  7a7 ,prompt
 assignment  7#a7 ,cadre or ,critical   
,mass ,not ,required ,the ,secretaries  
of the military departments shall not   
unduly delay the assignment of female   
members of the ,armed ,forces to        
military occupational specialties1      
positions1 and units because of the     
absence of a cadre or critical mass of  
female members available for such       
assignment4  7#b7 ,open occupation      
precedence ,as soon as possible after   
the date of the enactment of this ,act1 

the ,secretary of ,defense shall direct 
the ,secretaries of the military        
departments to open for assignment of   
women to all positions in occupations   
that1 on or after the date of the       
enactment of this ,act1 are open to     
female members of the ,armed ,forces in 
any unit of the ,armed ,forces4  7b7    
,validation and oversight of            
gender-,neutral occupational standards  
7#a7 ,validation2 purpose ,as soon as   
possible after the date of the enactment
 of this ,act1 the ,secretary of        
,defense shall direct the ,secretary of 
each military department to validate the
 gender-neutral occupational standards  
used by the ,armed ,forces under the    
jurisdiction of that ,secretary for the 
purpose of ensuring that the standards--
  7,a7 are consistent with section #edc 
of the ,national ,defense ,authorization
 ,act for ,fiscal ,year #aiid 7,public  
,law #ajc-afj2 #aj ,u4,s4,c4 #aac note71
 as amended by section #ebc of the      
,national ,defense ,authorization ,act  

for ,fiscal ,year #bjad 7,public ,law   
#aac-ff2 #abg ,stat4 #gef71 which       
requires gender-neutral occupational    
standards1 requiring performance        
outcome-based standards for the         
successful accomplishment of the        
necessary and required specific tasks   
associated with the qualifications and  
duties performed2  7,b7 accurately      
predict performance of actual1 regular1 
and recurring duties of a military      
occupation2 and  7,c7 are applied       
equitably to measure individual         
capabilities4  7#b7 ,role of independent
 research entity ,the ,secretaries of   
the military departments shall work with
 an independent research entity to      
comply with paragraph 7#a74  #d4        
,improved leadership and responsiveness 
in implementation of the women in       
service implementation plan  7a7        
,transparency and goals ,the ,secretary 
of ,defense shall direct the            
,secretaries of the military departments
 to provide greater transparency of its 

women in service implementation plan1   
ensure that a statement of              
administration policy is created to     
reflect the mission of the              
implementation plan and its intent on   
responsibly opening all jobs1 positions 
and units to female members of the      
,armed ,forces4  7b7 ,response and      
notice of openings ,the ,office of the  
,secretary of ,defense shall promptly   
respond whenever the ,secretary of a    
military department submits a notice of 
newly opened jobs1 positions1 of units  
to female members of the ,armed ,forces 
and avoid any delays in transmitting    
such notices to ,congress4  7c7 ,final  
deadline ,the ,secretary of ,defense    
shall ensure all closed positions and   
units are open to female members of the 
,armed ,forces no later than ,january   
#a1 #bjaf1 consistent with the ,joint   
,memorandum issued on ,january #bd1     
#bjac1 regarding the elimination of the 
#aiid ,direct ,ground ,combat           
,definition and ,assignment ,rule4  #e4 

,effective evaluation of physical       
standards and oversight of ,armed       
,forces implementation plans  7a7 ,navy 
and marine corps  7#a7 ,validation of   
physical standards ,as soon as possible 
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act1 the ,secretary of the ,navy shall 
provide ,congress with information on   
what process and metrics were used to   
validate the physical standards         
applicable to members of the ,navy and  
the ,marine ,corps4  7#b7 ,infantry     
,training ,courses ,not later than #cj  
days after the date of the enactment of 
this ,act1 the ,secretary of the ,navy  
shall provide ,congress with information
 in regards to the ,marine ,corps       
research involving female members of the
 ,marine ,corps who volunteer for the   
,infantry ,officers ,course 7,,ioc71 the
 enlisted infantry training course      
7,,itb71 and the ,ground ,combat        
,element ,experimental ,task ,force     
7,,gcextf7 for the purpose of--  7,a7   
determining what metrics the ,marine    

,corps used to develop the research     
requirements and elements for the       
,marine ,corps ,expanded ,entry-,level  
,training ,research2  7,b7 indicating   
what is being evaluated during these    
research studies1 along with how long   
both research studies will last2  7,c7  
identifying how data gathered during the
 research studies will be used to open  
infantry and other closed occupations2  
and  7,d7 assuring that infantry and    
other closed occupations will not remain
 closed based on physical tests that    
have not been validated or any other    
improper evaluation mechanisms4  7#c7   
,enlisted infantry course graduates     
,effective upon the enactment of this   
,act1 any female member of the ,marine  
,corps who graduates from the enlisted  
infantry course shall be eligible for   
assignment to an infantry occupational  
specialty4  7b7 ,army ,effective upon   
the enactment of this ,act1 the         
,secretary of the ,army shall permit    
female members of the ,army to apply to 

,army ,ranger ,school as ,ranger ,school
 is not solely intended for members of  
the ,army who plan to join the ,ranger  
,regiment1 but is also intended to      
provide leadership training             
opportunities that members can utilize  
in all jobs1 positions1 and units4  7c7 
,special ,operations ,command ,the      
,secretary of ,defense shall direct the 
,special ,operations ,command to submit 
to ,congress1 not later than #ij days   
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act1 the type of approach and          
methodology it will be using for the    
integration of women into the ,special  
,operations ,forces4  #f4 ,female       
personal protection gear ,the ,secretary
 of ,defense shall direct each          
,secretary of a military department to  
take immediate steps to ensure that     
properly designed and fitted combat     
equipment is available and distributed  
to female members of the ,armed ,forces 
under the jurisdiction of that          
,secretary4  #g4 ,review of outreach and

 recruitment efforts focused on officers
  7a7 ,review required ,the ,comptroller
 ,general of the ,united ,states shall  
conduct a review of ,services' ,outreach
 and ,recruitment ,efforts gauged toward
 women representation in the officer    
corps4  7b7 ,elements of ,review ,in    
conducting the review under subsection  
7a71 the ,secretary of ,defense shall-- 
7#a7 identify and evaluate current      
initiatives the ,armed ,forces are using
 to increase accession of women into the
 officer corps2  7#b7 identify new      
recruiting efforts to increase          
accessions of women into the officer    
corps specifically at the military      
service academies1 ,officer ,candidate  
,schools1 ,officer ,training ,schools1  
the ,academy of ,military ,science1 and 
,reserve ,officer ,training ,corps2 and 
7#c7 identify efforts1 resources1 and   
funding required to increase military   
service academy accession by an         
additional #bj percent by the end of the
 four-year period beginning on the date 

of the enactment of this ,act4  7c7     
,submission of results ,not later than  
#ij days after the date of the enactment
 of this ,act1 the ,comptroller ,general
 shall submit to ,congress a report     
containing the results of the review    
under subsection 7a74