Defense Workforce Integration Act of 2025

The Defense Workforce Integration Act would establish new programs to help individuals who are medically disqualified from military service find civilian employment in defense-related fields. Specifically, the bill would require the Department of Defense to create a formal pathway within one year for medically disqualified applicants to access civilian national security jobs in areas such as the defense industrial base, cybersecurity, intelligence, and disaster preparedness. For service members who become medically disqualified early in their military careers, the bill would establish "warm hand-off" programs in the Army and Navy similar to an existing Air Force initiative that directly connects these individuals with DoD civilian hiring authorities to explore alternative career paths. The bill would also expand existing Navy transition programs to help service members leaving the military shift into civilian maritime careers, particularly in shipbuilding and Military Sealift Command. The legislation would require the Defense Department to coordinate with defense contractors, federal agencies, and academic institutions to help fill critical workforce gaps. The bill is currently under consideration by the Senate Armed Services Committee and would require presidential signature to become law if passed by both chambers.