S-5189 — A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, and the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1994, to codify and clarify gender neutral standards for members of certain Armed Forces, and for other purposes.

YourVoice.Now Summary

Workers & JobsTransparency & Accountability

Troops couldn't be kept out of military jobs because of gender, and job standards would have to rest on science

Workers & Jobs

Equal access to all military jobs regardless of gender

No service member could be barred from a job because of gender. That covers the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Space Force. Today the law only says the Pentagon must tell Congress before it opens or closes jobs to women.

Time to meet new fitness rules — at least 18 months

When a fitness rule is added or raised, troops already doing well in that job would get at least 18 months to meet it. Today the law only promises a fair amount of time. The Pentagon's rules for that time would draw on its own doctors and researchers.

Scientific basis required for military job standards

Job standards would have to come from careful science. They could test skills, tactics, and thinking, not just strength. The same bar would apply to all. No standard could be changed to get more or fewer people of one gender in a job.

Transparency & Accountability

Yearly report on troops forced out of jobs — by gender

Each year the Pentagon would tell Congress about any change to job standards. It would say how the change fits the real work of the job. It would also count troops moved or pushed out of their jobs, by job and gender, and say why. Cases of discipline do not count.

Congress's review time on job-standard changes — 60 to 180 days

Today, standard changes expected to shift the number of women in a job by 10% or more must wait 60 days after Congress is told. The bill covers any gender and any change that may cause that shift. The wait grows to 180 days, and the notice must include costs and the research behind the change.

Full Pentagon combat-unit study — to Congress uncensored within 7 days

A December 18, 2025 Pentagon memo ordered a study of how well Army and Marine Corps ground combat units work. Congress would get the full study within 7 days after it is done. A briefing would follow within 30 days. Congress would also get early findings from the group that first ran the study.

GAO review of combat-unit study — due within 180 days

GAO is the watchdog office that works for Congress. Within 180 days of the bill becoming law, it would report on the combat-unit study. It would also look at what the Pentagon did in response.

Advance notice before women's job rules change — no longer required

Today the Pentagon must tell Congress 30 days before it opens or closes combat jobs to women. A second rule makes any change for women on submarines wait 30 days while Congress meets. The bill ends both rules, since no job could be closed by gender.

More about this bill

If you serve in the military, you could not be kept out of any job because of your gender. This covers the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Space Force. Skill and fitness standards for each job would have to rest on careful science. If a fitness standard changes, troops already doing well in that job would get at least 18 months to meet it. The Pentagon would report each year on standard changes. It would also report how many troops were forced out of their jobs, broken down by gender. Some standard changes could shift how many people of one gender join a job by 10% or more. Those changes would have to wait 180 days after Congress is told, up from 60. Congress would also get the full, uncensored copy of a new Pentagon study. It looks at Army and Marine Corps ground combat units. The bill names September 30, 2026, as its start date, with the first yearly report due September 30, 2027.

Congressional Summary

This bill prohibits the Department of Defense (DOD) from excluding an individual from military positions or assignments based on gender. It also limits changes to DOD occupational performance standards that address gender neutrality. First, the bill prohibits the exclusion of members of the Armed Forces from an occupational specialty, career field, or assignment on the basis of gender. Next, it prohibits DOD from changing an occupational performance standard to increase or decrease the number of individuals in a career field on the basis of gender. (Currently, this prohibition only applies to increasing or decreasing the number of women.) DOD must also apply occupational standards related to technical, tactical, cognitive, or physical abilities on a gender-neutral basis for positions that require such standards and must determine any such standards after a rigorous scientific process. In situations where DOD establishes or revises a physical requirement for a military position, a member serving satisfactorily in such a position must be provided at least 18 months to meet the new standard. Finally, DOD must notify Congress of any proposed changes to the gender-neutral occupational standards for a military position that may result in at least a 10% change in the number of members of any gender who are assigned to or enter that position. (Currently, such notice is required only with respect to a change in the number of female members.) DOD must provide the congressional defense committees with a report on the proposed change, estimated costs, and justification for the change.

Details

Congress: 119th
Chamber: Senate
Status: summarized
Action: Introduced in Senate
Action Date: 2026-07-30
Date Added: 2026-10-08
Source: Congress.gov →

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