July 10, 2025
Ms. Duckworth (for herself, Mr. Kim, Mr. King, Ms. Warren, Mr. Booker, Mrs. Murray, Ms. Rosen, Mr. Bennet, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Wyden, Mrs. Gillibrand, Ms. Alsobrooks, and Ms. Baldwin) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services
To direct the Secretary of Defense to establish a pilot program regarding treating pregnancy as a qualifying event for enrollment in TRICARE Select.
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 Improving Access to Prenatal Care for Military Families Act
.
Sec. 2. Pilot program to treat pregnancy as a qualifying event for enrollment in TRICARE Select
(a) Establishment
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall commence a five-year pilot program under which the Secretary shall treat pregnancy as a qualifying event under section 1099(b)(1)(B) of title 10, United States Code, for enrollment in TRICARE Select by an eligible beneficiary.
(b) Initial briefing
Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall provide to the appropriate congressional committees a briefing on the status of the pilot program under subsection (a).
(c) Annual report
(1) In general
Not later than one year after the Secretary commences the pilot program under subsection (a), and annually thereafter for the next four years, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the pilot program.
(2) Elements
Each report under paragraph (1) shall include the number of covered enrollment changes during the period covered by the report, disaggregated by—
(A)
month, beginning with January 2026; and
(B)
whether the eligible beneficiary made such covered enrollment change—
(i)
because the eligible beneficiary is a member of the uniformed services who separated from active duty;
(ii)
because the eligible beneficiary is a member of the uniformed services who returned to active duty;
(iii)
because the eligible beneficiary is a dependent of a member of the uniformed services who separated from active duty;
(iv)
because the eligible beneficiary is a dependent of a member of the uniformed services who returned to active duty; or
(v)
based on the treatment, under the pilot program under subsection (a), of pregnancy as a qualifying event for enrollment in TRICARE Select.
(d) Definitions
In this section:
(1) Active duty
The term active duty has the meaning given that term in section 101(d) of title 10, United States Code.
(2) Appropriate congressional committees
The term appropriate congressional committees means—
(A)
the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate; and
(B)
the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives.
(3) Covered enrollment change
The term covered enrollment change means a change to a previous election by an eligible beneficiary under subsection (b)(1) of section 1099 of title 10, United States Code, to enroll in a health care plan designated under subsection (c) of such section.
(4) Dependent; TRICARE Select
The terms dependent and TRICARE Select have the meanings given those terms in section 1072 of title 10, United States Code.
(5) Eligible beneficiary
The term eligible beneficiary means an individual who is eligible to enroll in TRICARE Select under section 1075(b) of title 10, United States Code.
(6) Uniformed services
The term uniformed services has the meaning given that term in section 101(a) of title 10, United States Code.