Sponsors (2)
The bill gives military sexual‑assault victims a stronger federal avenue for full monetary recovery and broader accountability, but does so at the cost of increased federal liability, potential retroactive claim surges, and added legal complexity for courts and government agencies.
Members of the Armed Forces, National Guard, and reserves (and survivors) can sue the United States for injury or death from covered military sexual misconduct, creating a new federal compensation route for victims.
Survivors and victims can receive monetary awards that are not reduced because of VA or DoD health care or other benefits, so compensation is more likely to be fully additive to existing benefits.
Claimants get a clear, extended filing window—a five‑year statute of limitations for these federal tort claims—with the filing period tolled while investigations or related proceedings are pending, reducing the risk that victims lose their ability to sue during official processes.
Applying the statute to pre-enactment incidents and effectively resetting limitations to the enactment date could trigger a large, retroactive surge of claims, creating significant administrative and judicial burdens.
Taxpayers and the federal government may face increased litigation costs and larger payouts as more claims are brought and awards are not reduced by VA/DoD benefits.
A broad waiver of certain FTCA exemptions could expose the government to claims that have been previously barred, expanding federal liability beyond current precedent.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Creates a federal tort remedy letting service members sue the U.S. for certain military sexual misconduct or negligent failures to prevent/investigate, with a 5-year statute of limitations and tolling during investigations.
Official title: Amend chapter 171 of title 28, United States Code, to allow suit against the United States for military sexual trauma.
Introduced June 24, 2026 by Jeanne Shaheen · Last progress June 24, 2026
Creates a new federal claim allowing members of the Armed Forces, National Guard, and reserve components to sue the United States for injury or death caused by certain military sexual misconduct or by negligent failures to prevent or investigate that misconduct. It defines covered offenses by reference to specific criminal provisions in title 10 and protects awards from reduction by VA or DoD health-care or benefit payments. Sets a five-year statute of limitations (overriding the usual 6-month/tort limitations for federal tort claims), tolls the filing period while related investigations or proceedings are pending, and makes the remedy available for claims accruing on or after enactment as well as for prior injuries by treating the limitations period as starting on the enactment date. It also removes several standard federal tort claim exceptions so these claims may proceed against the Government under the new provision.