Honor Their Service Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9375 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9375

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of
   Veterans Affairs to award grants to eligible entities to provide
   immigration legal services to noncitizen veterans, and for other
                               purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 18, 2026

  Mrs. Torres of California introduced the following bill; which was
             referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of
   Veterans Affairs to award grants to eligible entities to provide
   immigration legal services to noncitizen veterans, and for other
                               purposes.

    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 ``Honor Their Service Act''.

SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS GRANTS FOR ELIGIBLE ENTITIES
              PROVIDING IMMIGRATION LEGAL SERVICES TO NONCITIZEN
              VETERANS.

    (a) In General.--Part II of title 38, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following new chapter:

             ``CHAPTER 25--BENEFITS FOR NONCITIZEN VETERANS

``2501. Immigration legal services for noncitizen veterans.
``Sec. 2501. Immigration legal services for noncitizen veterans
    ``(a) Grants.--Subject to the availability of appropriations
provided for such purpose, the Secretary shall award grants to eligible
entities that provide immigration legal services to noncitizen veterans
who are in removal proceedings, at risk for removal, or have been
removed from the United States.
    ``(b) Criteria.--(1) The Secretary shall--
                    ``(A) establish criteria and requirements for
                grants under this section, including criteria for
                entities eligible to receive such grants; and
                    ``(B) publish such criteria and requirements in the
                Federal Register.
    ``(2) In establishing criteria and requirements under paragraph
(1), the Secretary shall--
            ``(A) take into consideration any criteria and requirements
        needed with respect to carrying out this section in rural
        communities, on trust lands, and in the territories and
        possessions of the United States; and
            ``(B) consult with organizations that have experience in
        providing immigration legal services or discharge
        characterizations to noncitizen veterans, including--
                    ``(i) veterans service organizations;
                    ``(ii) nonprofit immigration legal services
                providers with demonstrated experience representing
                noncitizen veterans; and
                    ``(iii) such other organizations as the Secretary
                determines appropriate.
    ``(c) Eligible Entities.--The Secretary may award a grant under
this section to an entity applying for such a grant only if the
applicant for the grant--
            ``(1) is a public or nonprofit private entity with the
        capacity (as determined by the Secretary) to effectively
        administer a grant under this section;
            ``(2) demonstrates that adequate financial support will be
        available to carry out the services for which the grant is
        sought consistent with the application;
            ``(3) agrees to meet the applicable criteria and
        requirements established under subsection (b)(1); and
            ``(4) has, as determined by the Secretary, demonstrated the
        capacity to meet such criteria and requirements.
    ``(d) Use of Funds.--Grants under this section shall be used to
provide noncitizen veterans described in subsection (a) the following:
            ``(1) Legal services relating to defense in removal
        proceedings under section 240 of the Immigration and
        Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1229a).
            ``(2) Legal services relating to applications for
        naturalization, including naturalization through military
        service under sections 328 and 329 of the Immigration and
        Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1439, 1440).
            ``(3) Legal services relating to applications for parole,
        including parole in place and humanitarian parole, under
        section 212(d)(5) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8
        U.S.C. 1182(d)(5)).
            ``(4) Legal services to assist noncitizen veterans who have
        been removed from the United States in pursuing lawful reentry
        or repatriation (8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(9)(A)(iii)).
            ``(5) Legal services relating to requests to upgrade the
        characterization of a discharge or dismissal of a former member
        of the Armed Forces under section 1553 of title 10, where such
        characterization is a barrier to immigration relief or
        naturalization.
            ``(6) Such other immigration legal services as the
        Secretary determines appropriate.
    ``(e) Locations.--To the extent practicable, the Secretary shall
award grants under this section to eligible entities in a manner that
ensures individuals are able to access these legal services regardless
of their location, including through virtual services.
    ``(f) Biennial Reports.--(1) Not less frequently than once every
two years, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans'
Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the
House of Representatives a report on grants awarded under this section.
    ``(2) To the extent feasible, each report required by paragraph (1)
shall include the following with respect to the period covered by the
report:
            ``(A) The number of noncitizen veterans assisted.
            ``(B) A description of the immigration legal services
        provided.
            ``(C) A description of the immigration matters addressed.
            ``(D) An analysis by the Secretary with respect to the
        operational effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the
        services provided.
    ``(g) Noncitizen Veteran Defined.--In this section, the term
`noncitizen veteran' means a veteran, as defined in section 101(2) of
this title, who is not a citizen or national of the United States. as
defined in section 1101(a)(3) of title 8.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendments.--The tables of chapters at the beginning
of title 38, United States Code, and of part II of title 38, United
States Code, are each amended by inserting after the item relating to
chapter 24 the following new item:
            ``25. Benefits for Noncitizen Veterans 2501''.
    (c) Criteria.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
establish and publish in the Federal Register the criteria and
requirements pursuant to subsection (b)(1) of section 2501 of title 38,
United States Code, as added by subsection (a).
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $20,000,000 for fiscal years
2027 through 2030.
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