Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., has cosponsored legislation with Rep. Greg Landsman, D-Ohio, to ensure that U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps Ready Reserve members receive benefits afforded to the other reservists. Bill Clark / Getty Images
New bill eyes uniformed services benefits for public health corps reservists
The proposed legislation would provide reservists in a Health and Human Services component with health, education and leave benefits that are similar to other service members.
A small reserve corps of public health professionals stood up during the pandemic would receive the same benefits as other U.S. service members under new legislation proposed by a pair of House Democrats.
The Parity for Public Health Service Ready Reserve Act (H.R. 9870) — cosponsored by Reps. Greg Landsman, D-Ohio, and Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., — would amend federal statutes to ensure that U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps Ready Reserve members receive the same leave, medical and dental benefits as other military reservists, as well as education benefits under the G.I. bill.
The bill was created from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act that became law in 2020 in response to the pandemic. The USPHS Ready Reserve is a cadre of medical professionals within the Health and Human Services Department that can deploy to support regional, national and international health response efforts.
Reservists train one weekend per month and two weeks per year as part of a six-year obligation and must be ready to deploy “for urgent or emergent public health needs.”
While protected under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act like the National Guard and military reserves; as well as eligible for retirement benefits through the Thrift Savings Plan and medical insurance under Tricare Prime after 30 days of active duty; USPHS Ready Reserve officers aren’t currently eligible for benefits normally applied to other uniformed reservists, which the bill's sponsors said should be changed.
“The pandemic taught us many lessons, one of the most important being the need to strengthen our public health infrastructure. That’s why we must ensure that our public health professionals receive the benefits they deserve,” Blunt Rochester said in a statement. “The Parity for Public Health Service Ready Reserve Act would provide equal benefits and privileges to members of the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps—the only national uniformed service solely dedicated to maintaining public health and safety—who currently lack the same benefits as other servicemembers. It’s time for us to finally do right by them, and I’m proud to help champion this important legislation.”
Landsman echoed those sentiments in his statement, saying that the Ready Reserve was a critical component of national security and that its reservists “deserve full funding and benefits as they work day and night to protect and safeguard our country.”
The legislation has been referred to the House committees on Armed Services, Oversight and Accountability, Veterans' Affairs and Energy and Commerce.
Several officer organizations are supporting the bill including the Military Officers Association of America, the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Officers Association and the Reserve Organization of America.