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[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 5585 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 5585
To require a pilot program to support members of the Armed Forces and
military families transitioning to civilian life, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 29, 2026
Mr. Padilla (for himself and Mr. Scott of South Carolina) introduced
the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee
on Veterans' Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require a pilot program to support members of the Armed Forces and
military families transitioning to civilian life, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Building Readiness and Integration
for Dependents Going to Civilian Environments Act of 2026'' or the
``BRIDGE Act of 2026''.
SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM TO SUPPORT MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES AND
MILITARY FAMILIES TRANSITIONING TO CIVILIAN LIFE.
(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall establish a non-
clinical, community-based pilot program under which eligible
organizations shall provide support to members of the Armed Forces and
military families transitioning to civilian life.
(b) Purpose.--The purpose of the pilot program shall be--
(1) to provide personalized, whole-family transition and
wellness support to strengthen resilience, stability, and long-
term well-being during and after separation from the Armed
Forces; and
(2) to treat transition as a whole-family life change and
complement (not duplicate) the Transition Assistance Program
through upstream, preventative support.
(c) Locations; Duration.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Defense shall carry out
the pilot program at four geographically diverse military
installations during the three-year period beginning on the
date of the enactment of this Act.
(2) Locations.--To the extent practicable, the Secretary of
Defense shall carry out the pilot program at one military
installation in each of the following areas:
(A) The West Coast of the United States.
(B) The Midwest of the United States.
(C) The East Coast of the United States.
(D) Outside of the United States.
(3) Preference.--In selecting locations for the pilot
program, the Secretary of Defense shall give preference to
locations that serve as major force projection platforms.
(d) Eligible Organizations; Selection.--The Secretary of Defense
shall select organizations to participate in the pilot program from
among national organizations serving members of the Armed Forces,
veterans, and their families with a demonstrated capability to execute
national programs through a community-based lens to provide or
coordinate the provision of military transition services for such
individuals.
(e) Eligible Members and Families; Priority; Referrals.--
(1) In general.--An individual is eligible for services
under the pilot program if the individual is--
(A) a member of the Armed Forces on active duty who
is within one year of separation from the Armed Forces,
including a single member without dependents; or
(B) a member of the family of a member of the Armed
Forces described in subparagraph (A).
(2) Priority.--In selecting members of the Armed Forces and
families for the pilot program, organizations participating in
the pilot program shall prioritize--
(A) members of the Armed Forces facing accelerated
or involuntary separations from the Armed Forces, and
families of such members; and
(B) members of the Armed Forces with limited time
for transition planning, and families of such members.
(3) Referrals.--Eligible members of the Armed Forces and
families may be referred to the pilot program through any of
the following:
(A) The Transition Assistance Program.
(B) The command of the member.
(C) A partner organization.
(D) Self-referral.
(f) Activities.--
(1) In general.--Under the pilot program, each organization
participating in the pilot program, in collaboration with local
Transition Assistance Program offices, shall--
(A) identify eligible members of the Armed Forces
and families;
(B) provide to such members and families, during
the one-year period following separation from the Armed
Forces, the services described in paragraph (2); and
(C) track the progress of such members and
families.
(2) Services.--In carrying out paragraph (1)(B), each
organization participating in the pilot program shall--
(A) provide resources, training, and community
connection support, including--
(i) peer-led support groups;
(ii) resilience workshops;
(iii) a digital resource hub focused on
emotional wellness, practical life skills, and
community reintegration for spouses, children,
and caregivers;
(iv) employment assistance for spouses;
(v) skills training and credentialing;
(vi) benefits navigation; and
(vii) reintegration and wellness support;
(B) assign each single member of the Armed Forces
or family, as the case may be, a dedicated transition
coordinator to conduct assessments, develop
personalized transition plans, and provide high-touch
navigation across employment, education, healthcare,
benefits, and community resources;
(C) perform a whole-family wellness and transition
assessment that produces a customized transition
roadmap aligned to separation timeline, reason for
separation, and family dynamics;
(D) establish tailored support pathways based on
individualized needs rather than a one-size-fits-all
approach; and
(E) connect families to and coordinate with
existing Federal, State, nonprofit, and community
resources, rather than create duplicative programs.
(g) Outcomes.--Each organization participating in the pilot program
shall track the following:
(1) Short-term outcomes, from 0 to 6 months post-
separation, including readiness and confidence, stress, status
of transition plans, and resource connections.
(2) Mid-term outcomes, from 6 to 12 months post-separation,
including employment outcomes, financial stability, and family
wellbeing.
(3) Long-term outcomes, from 12 to 36 months post-
separation, including employment outcomes, resilience, and
crisis intervention needs.
(h) Implementation.--In carrying out the pilot program, the
Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
coordinate and ensure a seamless post-separation handoff of services
between the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans
Affairs.
(i) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date on which the
pilot program terminates, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to
Congress a report that includes the following:
(1) A detailed accounting of the results of the pilot
program.
(2) A recommendation on whether to extend the pilot
program.
(j) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Pilot program.--The term ``pilot program'' means the
pilot program established under subsection (a).
(2) Transition assistance program.--The term ``Transition
Assistance Program'' means the program of the Department of
Defense for preseparation counseling, employment assistance,
and other transitional services provided under sections 1142
and 1144 of title 10, United States Code.
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