,,ii  #aahth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bhfc  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,september #bj1
 #bjbc,mr4 ,blumenthal 7for himself1    
,mr4 ,booker1 and ,mr4 ,merkley7        
introduced the following bill2 which was
 read twice and referred to the         
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs  ,a   
,,bill  ,to establish the ,commission on
 ,equity and ,reconciliation in the     
,uniformed ,services4  #a4 ,short title 
,this ,act may be cited as the          
,commission on ,equity and              
,reconciliation in the ,uniformed       
,services ,act4  #b4 ,establishment and 
duties  7a7 ,establishment ,there is    
established the ,commission on ,equity  
and ,reconciliation in the ,uniformed   
,services 7in this ,act referred to as  
the ,commission74  7b7 ,duties ,the     
,commission shall perform the following 
duties3 7#a7 ,identify and compile a    
corpus of documentation on the policing 
of sexual orientation and gender        
identity in the uniformed services1 from

 the beginning of ,world ,war ,,ii and  
onward4 ,such documentation shall       
include the following3 7,a7 ,facts      
related to the history of policing      
,,lgbtq sexual orientation and gender   
identity in the uniformed services4     
7,b7 ,the effects of such policies on   
eligibility for1 and access to1 benefits
 under laws administered by the         
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs on     
servicemembers who were discharged due  
to sexual orientation or gender         
identity4  7#b7 ,hold public hearings in
 such cities of the ,united ,states as  
it finds appropriate1 and do community  
outreach and other public relations     
efforts in order to advertise such      
hearings and the opportunity to give    
testimony4  7#c7 ,gather testimonies1   
written and oral1 from ,,lgbtq          
servicemembers and veterans about their 
experiences1 both anonymously and with  
names given4  7#d7 ,examine the impacts 
that discriminatory policy and          
corresponding actions taken by the      

uniformed services had on the physical  
and mental wellbeing of servicemembers4 
7#e7 ,examine lasting impacts 7including
 psychological1 financial1 and          
professional7 that policies of the      
uniformed services have had on veterans 
and servicemembers who were discharged  
due to their sexual orientation and_/or 
gender identity4  7#f7 ,examine the     
disparate impact that policies targeting
 sexual and gender minorities has had on
 minority groups in the uniformed       
services1 especially racial minorities  
and women4  7#g7 ,examine the impacts   
that policing of sexual and gender      
minorities has had on individuals who do
 not identify as ,,lgbtq but were       
nevertheless targeted due to perceived  
sexual orientation or gender identity4  
7#h7 ,recommend appropriate ways to     
educate the ,american public about      
institutionalized and                   
government-sanctioned discrimination4   
7#i7 ,recommend appropriate remedies to 
address the findings of the ,commission1

 including-- 7,a7 how the ,federal      
,government may offer an apology for    
enforcing discrimination that led to    
psychological1 emotional1 and physical  
harm to servicemembers and their        
families2  7,b7 how discharge upgrades  
and amendments of military records may  
be streamlined through the ,boards for  
,correction of ,military ,records1      
including improving the transparency and
 accessibility of records by the members
 of the ,armed ,forces to whom they     
pertain2  7,c7 how the service of       
,,lgbtq individuals in the uniformed    
services may be made more visible in    
materials distributed by the ,secretary 
of ,defense and the ,secretary of       
,veterans ,affairs2  7,d7 how diversity 
and inclusion policies of the           
,department of ,defense may be revised1 
including how resources may be committed
 to diversity training2  7,e7 how       
healthcare and other benefits1 furnished
 by such ,secretaries to members of the 
uniformed services and veterans1 will   

commit more resources to meeting the    
needs of ,,lgbtq patients1 including    
improved data collection on ,,lgbtq     
patients1 mental health counseling1 and 
other medical necessities2 and  7,f7 how
 the ,federal government may examine the
 issue of burial rights denied to       
members of the uniformed services and   
veterans who were prematurely discharged
 due to the discriminatory policies     
against them4  7#aj7 ,the ,commission   
shall submit a written report of its    
findings to ,congress not later than one
 year after the date of the first       
meeting of the ,commission4  #c4        
,membership  7a7 ,in general ,there     
shall be #ae members of the ,commission1
 who shall be appointed not later than  
#cj days after the date of the enactment
 of this ,act1 and as follows3 7#a7 ,one
 member appointed by the ,chair of the  
,committee on ,armed ,services of the   
,house of ,representatives4  7#b7 ,one  
member appointed by the ,ranking ,member
 of the ,committee on ,armed ,services  

of the ,house of ,representatives4  7#c7
 ,one member appointed by the ,chair of 
the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs of
 the ,house of ,representatives4  7#d7  
,one member appointed by the ,ranking   
,member of the ,committee on ,veterans' 
,affairs of the ,house of               
,representatives4  7#e7 ,one member     
appointed by the ,chair of the          
,committee on ,armed ,services of the   
,senate4  7#f7 ,one member appointed by 
the ,ranking ,member of the ,committee  
on ,armed ,services of the ,senate4     
7#g7 ,one member appointed by the ,chair
 of the ,committee on ,veterans'        
,affairs of the ,senate4  7#h7 ,one     
member appointed by the ,ranking ,member
 of the ,committee on ,veterans'        
,affairs of the ,senate4  7#i7 ,two     
members appointed by the ,secretary of  
,defense4  7#aj7 ,two members appointed 
by the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs4
  7#aa7 ,one member appointed by the    
,secretary of ,homeland ,security4      
7#ab7 ,one member appointed by the      

,secretary of ,commerce1 for the purpose
 of representing the ,national ,oceanic 
and ,atmospheric ,administration4  7#ac7
 ,one member appointed by the ,secretary
 of ,health and ,human ,services1 for   
the purpose of representing the ,public 
,health ,service4  7b7 ,qualifications  
,all members of the ,commission shall be
 persons who are exceptionally qualified
 to serve on the ,commission by virtue  
of their education1 training1 activism1 
or experience1 particularly in the      
fields of advocating for ,,lgbtq members
 of the uniformed services4  7c7 ,terms 
,the term of office for members shall be
 for the life of the ,commission4 ,a    
vacancy in the ,commission shall not    
affect the powers of the ,commission and
 shall be filled in the same manner in  
which the original appointment was made4
  7d7 ,first meeting ,the ,president    
shall call the first meeting of the     
,commission not later than #cj days     
after the later of the following3 7#a7  
,the date of the enactment of this ,act4

  7#b7 ,the date of the enactment of an 
,act that makes appropriations to carry 
out this ,act4  7e7 ,quorum ,eight      
members of the ,commission shall        
constitute a quorum1 but a lesser number
 may hold hearings4  7f7 ,chair and     
,vice ,chair ,the ,commission shall     
elect a ,chair and ,vice ,chair from    
among its members4 ,the term of office  
for each shall be for the life of the   
,commission4  7g7 ,compensation  7#a7   
,in general ,each member of the         
,commission may be compensated at a rate
 not to exceed the daily equivalent of  
the annual rate of basic pay in effect  
for a position at level ,,iv of the     
,executive ,schedule under section #ecae
 of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code1 for
 each day during which that member is   
engaged in the actual performance of the
 duties of the ,commission4  7#b7       
,federal employees ,a member of the     
,commission who is a full-time officer  
or employee of the ,united ,states or a 
,member of ,congress shall receive no   

additional pay1 allowances1 or benefits 
by reason of the member's service to the
 ,commission4  7#c7 ,travel expenses    
,each member shall receive travel       
expenses1 including per diem in lieu of 
subsistence1 in accordance with         
applicable provisions under subchapter  
,i of chapter #eg of title #e1 ,united  
,states ,code4  #d4 ,powers of the      
,commission  7a7 ,hearings and sessions 
,the ,commission may1 for the purpose of
 carrying out the provisions of this    
,act1 hold such hearings and sit and act
 at such times and at such places in the
 ,united ,states1 and request the       
attendance and testimony of such        
witnesses and the production of such    
books1 records1 correspondence1         
memoranda1 papers1 and documents1 as the
 ,commission considers appropriate4 ,the
 ,commission may invoke the aid of an   
appropriate ,united ,states district    
court to require1 by subpoena or        
otherwise1 such attendance1 testimony1  
or production4  7b7 ,powers of          

subcommittees and members ,any          
subcommittee or member of the           
,commission may1 if authorized by the   
,commission1 take any action which the  
,commission is authorized to take under 
this section4  7c7 ,obtaining official  
data ,the ,commission may acquire       
directly from the head of any           
department1 agency1 or instrumentality  
of the executive branch of the ,federal 
,government1 available information which
 the ,commission considers useful in the
 discharge of its duties4 ,all          
departments1 agencies1 and              
instrumentalities of the executive      
branch of the ,government shall         
cooperate with the ,commission with     
respect to such information and shall   
furnish all information requested by the
 ,commission to the extent permitted by 
law4  #e4 ,administrative provisions    
7a7 ,staff ,the ,commission may1 without
 regard to the civil service laws and   
regulations1 appoint and fix the        
compensation of such personnel as the   

,commission considers appropriate4  7b7 
,applicability of certain civil service 
laws ,the personnel of the ,commission  
may be appointed without regard to the  
provisions of title1 ,united ,states    
,code1 governing appointments in the    
competitive service1 and without regard 
to the provisions of chapter #ea and    
subchapter ,,iii of chapter #ec of such 
title1 relating to classification and   
,general ,schedule pay rates1 except    
that the rate of basic pay of any       
employee of the ,commission may not     
exceed the rate of basic pay established
 for a position at level ,v of the      
,executive ,schedule under section #ecaf
 of such title4  7c7 ,experts and       
consultants ,the ,commission may procure
 the services of experts and consultants
 in accordance with the provisions of   
section #caji7;b7 of title #e1 ,united  
,states ,code1 but at rates for         
individuals not to exceed the daily     
equivalent of the annual rate of basic  
pay established for a position at level 

,v of the ,executive ,schedule under    
section #ecaf of such title4  7d7       
,administrative support services ,the   
,commission may enter into agreements   
with the ,administrator of ,general     
,services for procurement of financial  
and administrative services necessary   
for the discharge of the duties of the  
,commission4 ,payment for such services 
shall be made by reimbursement from     
funds of the ,commission in such amounts
 as may be agreed upon by the ,chairman 
of the ,commission and the              
,administrator4  7e7 ,contracts ,the    
,commission may-- 7#a7 procure supplies1
 services1 and property by contract in  
accordance with applicable laws and     
regulations and to the extent or in such
 amounts as are provided in             
appropriations ,acts2 and  7#b7 enter   
into contracts with departments1        
agencies1 and instrumentalities of the  
,federal ,government1 ,state agencies1  
and private firms1 institutions1 and    
agencies1 for the conduct of research or

 surveys1 the preparation of reports1   
and other activities necessary for the  
discharge of the duties of the          
,commission1 to the extent or in such   
amounts as are provided in              
appropriations ,acts4  #f4 ,termination 
7a7 ,in general ,the ,commission1 and   
all the authorities of this title1 shall
 terminate #ij days after the date on   
which the final report is submitted     
under section #b4  7b7 ,administrative  
activities before termination ,the      
,commission may use the #ij-;day period 
referred to in subsection 7a7 for the   
purpose of concluding its activities1   
including providing testimony to        
committees of ,congress concerning its  
reports and disseminating the final     
report4  #g4 ,funding  7a7 ,in general  
,there is authorized to be appropriated 
such sums as necessary to carry out this
 ,act4  7b7 ,duration ,amounts made     
available to the ,commission under      
subsection 7a7 shall remain available   
until the termination of the            

,commission4  #h4 ,definitions ,in this 
,act3 7#a7 ,the term servicemember has  
the meaning given such term in section  
#aja of the ,servicemembers ,civil      
,relief ,act 7#ej ,u4,s4,c4 #ciaa74     
7#b7 ,the term uniformed services has   
the meaning given such term in section  
#aja of title #aj1 ,united ,states      
,code4