119th Congress Armed Forces and National Security
H.R. 1543: EQUITY Act
Introduced
- Introduced (completed)
- Passed House (not reached)
- Passed Senate (not reached)
- To the President (not reached)
- Became law (not reached)
Summary
This bill prohibits discrimination within the Department of Defense (DOD) against individuals on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, gender identity, or sexual orientation.
A qualification established or applied related to eligibility for service in any of the Armed Forces must only consider (1) the ability of an individual to meet the general occupational standards for service, and (2) the particular military occupational specialty.
On January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government, declaring that the United States recognizes two sexes (male and female) and these sexes are not changeable.
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On January 27, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness, expressing that the policy for troop readiness is inconsistent with gender dysphoria or the use of pronouns that inaccurately reflect an individual’s biological sex. Further, the order directs DOD to update specific guidance documents related to medical standards for military service to reflect the purpose and policy of the order.
Written by the Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress.
Roll calls
No roll call votes have been held on this bill.
Amendments
No amendments were offered to this bill.
Cosponsors
- Veronica Escobar D-TXOriginal
- Steven Horsford D-NVOriginal
- Ted Lieu D-CAOriginal
- Jennifer McClellan D-VAOriginal
- Eleanor Norton D-DCOriginal
- Terri Sewell D-ALOriginal
- Mikie Sherrill D-NJOriginal
- Jill Tokuda D-HIOriginal
- Marc Veasey D-TXOriginal
Who scored on this bill
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Other bills by Marilyn Strickland
History
- Introduced in the House by Marilyn Strickland.
Show the full action history (2 actions)
- Introduced in House
- Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.