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HR 2839 113th Congress House Armed Forces and National Security Administrative remedies Department of Defense Evidence and witnesses Government information and archives Military history Military law Military personnel and dependents Personnel records Sex, gender, sexual orientation discrimination

Restore Honor to Service Members Act

Introduced: January 16, 2014 Introduced by: Pocan, Mark Democratic · Wisconsin See on congress.gov
This bill died when the 113th Congress ended
It never became law before the 113th Congress (2013–2014) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Aug 29, 2013
Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.
Jul 25, 2013
Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
Jul 25, 2013
Introduced in House
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 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Restore Honor to Service Members Act - Requires appropriate military record correction boards or discharge review boards to review the discharge characterization of any former members of the Armed Forces requesting a review who were discharged because of their sexual orientation. Permits such boards to change a characterization to honorable if such characterization is any characterization except honorable.

Directs the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to ensure that any such changes are carried out consistently and uniformly across the military departments using specified criteria, including that: (1) the original discharge was based on the policy of Don't Ask Don't Tell (as in effect before it was repealed pursuant to the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010) or a similar earlier policy; and (2) the discharge characterization will be changed if, with respect to the original discharge, there were no aggravating circumstances, such as misconduct, that would have independently led to any discharge characterization except honorable.

Prohibits "aggravating circumstances" from including: (1) an offense of sodomy committed by the member against a consenting person of the same sex; or (2) statements, consensual sexual conduct, or consensual acts relating to sexual orientation or identity, or the disclosure of such statements, conduct, or acts, that were prohibited at the time of discharge but that became permitted after such discharge.

Directs the Secretary of each military department to ensure that oral historians of the department: (1) review discharges between World War II and September 2011 based on sexual orientation, and (2) receive oral testimony of individuals who personally experienced discrimination and discharge because of actual or perceived sexual orientation so that such testimony may serve as an official record of such discriminatory policies and their impact on American lives.

Requires the reissuance of specified military personnel records and discharge forms in a manner that shall not reflect the sexual orientation of the member.

Amends the Uniform Code of Military Justice to remove from the offense of sodomy specified activity referred to as unnatural carnal copulation with another person of the same or opposite sex.

What's happening now August 29, 2013

Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

 Related & companion bills 1
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
 Cosponsors 93
TIERNEY, JOHN
· Mar 25, 2014
Grayson, Alan
· Feb 11, 2014
Delaney, John
· Jan 16, 2014
D
Scott, Robert C. "Bobby"
Virginia · Jan 16, 2014
Hanabusa, Colleen
· Jan 8, 2014
D
Keating, William R.
Massachusetts · Jan 8, 2014
D
Kelly, Robin L.
Illinois · Oct 28, 2013
D
Green, Al
Texas · Oct 23, 2013
D
Bonamici, Suzanne
Oregon · Oct 22, 2013
MCCARTHY, CAROLYN
· Oct 22, 2013
D
Peters, Gary C.
Michigan · Oct 22, 2013
PETERSON, COLLIN
· Oct 22, 2013
Walz, Timothy
· Oct 11, 2013
D
Wasserman Schultz, Debbie
Florida · Oct 10, 2013
SERRANO, JOSE
· Oct 9, 2013
BRADY, ROBERT
· Oct 4, 2013
D
Chu, Judy
California · Oct 2, 2013
D
Meng, Grace
New York · Oct 2, 2013
Heck, Denny
· Sep 27, 2013
D
Lynch, Stephen F.
Massachusetts · Sep 26, 2013
D
Larson, John B.
Connecticut · Sep 19, 2013
D
Ruiz, Raul
California · Sep 10, 2013
D
Foster, Bill
Illinois · Aug 2, 2013
D
Huffman, Jared
California · Aug 2, 2013
D
Waters, Maxine
California · Aug 2, 2013
D
Duckworth, Tammy
Illinois · Jul 30, 2013
D
Meeks, Gregory W.
New York · Jul 30, 2013
Owens, William
· Jul 30, 2013
ANDREWS, ROBERT
· Jul 25, 2013
Bishop, Timothy
· Jul 25, 2013
D
Bishop, Sanford D.
Georgia · Jul 25, 2013
D
Brownley, Julia
California · Jul 25, 2013
CAPPS, LOIS
· Jul 25, 2013
D
Carson, André
Indiana · Jul 25, 2013
D
Castor, Kathy
Florida · Jul 25, 2013
D
Clarke, Yvette D.
New York · Jul 25, 2013
CLAY, WM.
· Jul 25, 2013
D
Cohen, Steve
Tennessee · Jul 25, 2013
CROWLEY, JOSEPH
· Jul 25, 2013
CUMMINGS, ELIJAH
· Jul 25, 2013
D
DeLauro, Rosa L.
Connecticut · Jul 25, 2013
D
DelBene, Suzan K.
Washington · Jul 25, 2013
Ellison, Keith
· Jul 25, 2013
ENGEL, ELIOT
· Jul 25, 2013
Esty, Elizabeth
· Jul 25, 2013
FARR, SAM
· Jul 25, 2013
FATTAH, CHAKA
· Jul 25, 2013
D
Frankel, Lois
Florida · Jul 25, 2013
Gabbard, Tulsi
· Jul 25, 2013
GUTIERREZ, LUIS
· Jul 25, 2013
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 2839: Restore Honor to Service Members Act. 113th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/113-HR-2839/
MLA
"H.R. 2839: Restore Honor to Service Members Act." 113th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/113-HR-2839/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 2839, 113th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/113-HR-2839/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 2839: Restore Honor to Service Members Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/113-HR-2839/)
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