Padilla, Scott Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Bridge Gap in Veteran Services

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.) introduced the Building Readiness and Integration for Dependents Going to Civilian Environments (BRIDGE) Act of 2026, legislation to support military and veteran families during the transition from military to civilian life. This bill would establish a pilot program focused on practical tools, peer support, and community engagement to improve emotional, social, and financial outcomes for transitioning families.

Thousands of servicemembers leave the Armed Forces and face significant challenges navigating employment, health care, education, benefits, and community reintegration. While the joint interagency Transition Assistance Program provides important pre-separation services, many military families still struggle to access personalized and coordinated support during this major life transition. This bill would establish a Department of Defense (DoD) pilot program to provide support through community connections and additional resources to assist servicemembers and their families. This legislation addresses the gap by providing whole-family support, building community connections, reducing isolation, and equipping families with the tools to thrive during and after the transition.

"For too long, the servicemembers and their families have had to navigate the transition from military to civilian life without the resources needed to thrive," said Senator Padilla. "We must do more to ensure that military families have the support they need after they leave active duty. Our bipartisan BRIDGE Act would create a pilot program to help us prioritize programs that focus on bridging the gap in services for veterans and military families."

"South Carolina is blessed to be home to thousands of our nation's heroes," said Senator Scott. "The men and women of the Armed Forces - and their families who have sacrificed alongside them - have earned the best possible support as they transition to civilian life. The BRIDGE Act empowers local communities to provide military families with tailored assistance, because the best solutions are often built closest to home."

The bill is endorsed by Blue Star Families, Wounded Warrior Project, American Legion, National Military Family Association (NMFA), Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS).

"Our 2025 Military Family Lifestyle Survey found that 58% of respondents described their transition from military to civilian life as 'difficult' or 'very difficult,'" said Blue Star Families CEO Kathy Roth-Douquet. "The BRIDGE Act recognizes that successful transition requires personalized, whole-family support that helps families build long-term stability, resilience, and connection as they move into civilian life. We are grateful to Sens. Padilla (D-CA) and Scott (R-S.C.) for championing this legislation and for their continued leadership in support of military and veteran families."

"The BRIDGE Act recognizes that transitioning from military service is a major life change for both Service members and their families," said Jose Ramos, Vice President for Government and Community Relations for Wounded Warrior Project. "By expanding access to personalized, community-based transition support, this pilot program helps address critical gaps in employment, wellness, and family readiness as military families move into civilian life. Wounded Warrior Project appreciates Alex Padilla's leadership and urges Congress to advance the BRIDGE Act and help strengthen the Transition Assistance Program for future generations of Service members and their families."

Specifically, the legislation would strengthen transition support by:

• Establishing a three-year DoD pilot program at four military installations to provide community-based, whole-family transition support for servicemembers and families transitioning to civilian life.
• Providing personalized services for servicemembers within one year of separation and their families, including peer support, spouse employment assistance, skills training, benefits navigation, and dedicated transition coordinators to build individualized transition plans.
• Require DoD and Veterans Affairs (VA) coordination, prioritizing servicemembers facing involuntary or accelerated separations, and mandating tracking of employment, financial stability, and family wellbeing outcomes with a final report to Congress.

Padilla has consistently advocated for veterans and their families to receive the support they deserve. In May, Padilla announced more than $110 million in federal funding from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to support updates at Veterans Home in Yountville - which serves the needs of nearly 1,000 veterans and their families. In March, as part of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, the Senate passed Padilla's bipartisan Housing Unhoused Disabled Veterans Act (HUDVA) to ensure that veterans experiencing homelessness and receiving disability payments maintain access to crucial housing support.

In 2024, Padilla co-sponsored a resolution to designate November 17, 2024, as "National Warrior Call Day" and recognize the importance of connecting warriors in the United States to support structures necessary to transition from the battlefield, especially peer-to-peer connection. In 2023, Padilla sat down with local veterans and leadership at the Sepulveda VA Ambulatory Care Center for a roundtable discussion on mental health and a walk-and-talk tour of the facility. Also that year, he introduced legislation to help improve access to mental health care for the children of military families by establishing routine mental health and well-being checkups in military schools.

Full text of the bill is available here.

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