# Plain Language Summary: Ready Reserve Retirement Age Bill

This bill makes it easier for military members in the Ready Reserve to retire earlier by counting more of their active duty service toward their retirement eligibility age. Here's what that means in practical terms.

Normally, Ready Reserve members have to wait until age 60 to start collecting retirement pay. However, the military already has a rule that lets them subtract one year from this age requirement for every 90 days they spend on active duty. So if a Ready Reserve member does 90 days of active duty, they can retire at 59 instead of 60. This bill expands that benefit by allowing more types of service time to count toward this age reduction. Essentially, it broadens the window of service that qualifies, meaning Ready Reserve members could potentially retire even earlier than they currently can.

This affects people who serve part-time in the military's Ready Reserve—these are trained soldiers, sailors, and airmen who aren't on active duty full-time but can be called up when needed. For these individuals, the bill makes retirement more accessible by recognizing a wider range of their service contributions. Someone who has done various types of active duty assignments over their career would see more of that time count toward reducing their retirement age, potentially allowing them to start receiving retirement benefits years sooner than they otherwise would.

The practical impact is straightforward: Ready Reserve members get rewarded more generously for their service, and those who have served extensively on active duty assignments can transition to retirement benefits earlier in their lives, which could help them pursue other careers or activities sooner.

To amend title 10, United States Code, to expand the period during which days of service on active duty or of performance of active service reduce the age of eligibility for members of the Ready Reserve for retired or retainer pay, and for other purposes.

Kelly, Trent

This bill expands the period of time during which members of the Ready Reserve can earn credit to reduce the age at which they can receive retired pay. Under this bill, credit may be earned for qualifying types of active duty or active service performed after September 11, 2001. Current law permits this from January 28, 2008 onwards. The bill also allows credit to accrue for such active duty or active service which spans two fiscal years from September 11, 2001, onwards. Current law permits this from September 30, 2014, onwards. The bill applies to retired pay applications pending on or submitted on or after the date of the enactment of this bill.