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H.R. 10654

BillFederalHouseIn Committee
To ensure that a member separated from an Armed Force, solely on the basis that the member has pseudofolliculitis barbae, receives an honorable discharge and veterans benefits.
About This Bill
Committee
Latest Action · October 1, 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
October 1, 2026
Cosponsors (9)
9D 0R
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Summary

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The PFB Act would ensure that military members separated solely because they have pseudofolliculitis barbae, a skin condition that causes ingrown hairs and irritation particularly affecting people of color, receive honorable discharges rather than other discharge characterizations. Service members discharged under these circumstances would also become eligible for Veterans Affairs benefits without having to meet standard minimum active-duty service requirements. The bill would apply to any member of the Armed Forces whose separation was based solely on this medical condition and would require the appropriate military secretary to characterize such separations as honorable. This legislation addresses a longstanding concern that military appearance standards disproportionately affected certain personnel and resulted in less-than-honorable separations that stripped individuals of veterans benefits they otherwise would have received. No specific funding amounts or implementation timelines are included in the bill language.

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