This bill allows service members who were discharged or separated from the military for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine to sue in the Court of Federal Claims for compensation and reinstatement benefits. The legislation covers active-duty members, reservists, and National Guard personnel whose discharges resulted from non-compliance with the Department of Defense's vaccine mandate issued in August 2021. If the court determines a discharge was involuntary or unlawful, service members would receive back pay, deemed service credit toward retirement benefits (including full retirement benefits if they would have completed 20 years of service), eligibility to reenlist, and separation pay. The bill applies to claims already pending in court and works alongside existing remedies from a 2025 executive order on the same topic.
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