# Plain Language Summary: Recover Pride in Service Act

This bill addresses a historical injustice in the military: the discharge of service members solely because of their sexual orientation. Before 2011, the military could discharge people for being gay or lesbian, and many received less-than-honorable discharge characterizations that followed them for life. This bill makes it easier for those affected veterans to get their discharge records upgraded to "honorable" status and creates a dedicated effort to reach out to them.

The main change is removing a major barrier that currently exists. Right now, if a veteran wants to challenge their discharge characterization, they have to submit documentation and jump through bureaucratic hoops. This bill says the military can't require that paperwork as a condition for reviewing someone's case—they just have to ask for a review. The bill also establishes a new outreach unit within the Department of Defense with a senior officer in charge. This unit's job is to actively find and contact veterans who were discharged because of sexual orientation and tell them they have the right to request a review. The unit will work with the VA, veterans organizations, and other groups to track people down and spread the word.

Additionally, the bill requires the military to proactively upgrade all discharges that were based solely on sexual orientation to honorable status—meaning the military doesn't have to wait for veterans to ask; they should do it automatically. The bill sets a five-year deadline for completing all these upgrades. The military also has to revisit any previous requests for discharge upgrades that were denied before 2025 and reconsider them under the new rules. Throughout this process, Congress will receive regular reports tracking how many veterans are being contacted, how many request reviews, and how many actually get their discharges upgraded.