U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) recently proposed a bipartisan bill that aims to simplify the duty status structure for the U.S. National Guard and Reserves from nearly 30 statuses down to four to enable the reserve component to receive timely and equitable pay and benefits.
“As the Guard’s mission has evolved, the duty status system has become increasingly complex,” Sen. Moran said. “This legislation will simplify the structure and strengthen the Guard’s ability to carry out its missions by standardizing pay and benefits, bolstering readiness, and better supporting those who serve.”
Sen. Moran introduced the Duty Status Reform Act alongside U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) to consolidate and streamline the duty status framework. The bill is a companion to the same-named H.R. 6976 introduced Jan. 8 by U.S. Reps. Gil Cisneros (D-CA) and Jack Bergman (R-MI) in the U.S. House.
If enacted, the measure would standardize pay and benefits; clearly outline mission eligibility requirements; and provide greater clarity on the duties service members can perform before extensions are required.
Additionally, the bill would ease transitions as service members move from one status to another and reduce disparities resulting from differing duty statuses, according to a bill summary provided by Sen. Moran’s staff.
The bill also would create four duty statuses:
- Category 1: Active Duty – war, national emergency, disaster response, cyber/WMD events, presidential call-ups and pre-planned missions.
- Category 2: Active Duty – disciplinary jurisdiction, missing status, required active-duty training and Active Guard and Reserve (AGR) functions.
- Category 3: Reserve Component Duty – required annual training, musters, Inactive Duty Training (IDT)-like duties and additional training with consent.
- Category 4: Remote Assignments – flexible tasks, online learning and individually assigned non-supervised duties.
The National Guard Association of the United States, the Reserve Organization of America, the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States, the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Association, and the Military Officers Association of America support the bill.
“Duty status reform is a necessary overhaul to antiquated administrative systems that have negatively impacted our Reserve and National Guard service members’ quality of life and readiness,” said Sen. Rosen. “This legislation ensures the reserve component receives fair and equitable treatment when answering the call to service at a moment’s notice.”