Padilla, Scott Unveil Bipartisan BRIDGE Act to Support Transitioning Military Families

BRIDGE Act would create a three-year DoD pilot program offering whole-family support to servicemembers and their families as they move into civilian life

WASHINGTON, D.C. – RealEstateRama – U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.) today introduced the Building Readiness and Integration for Dependents Going to Civilian Environments (BRIDGE) Act of 2026, bipartisan legislation to support military and veteran families as they leave the service. The bill would set up a pilot program built around practical tools, peer support, and community engagement, with the goal of improving the emotional, social, and financial well-being of transitioning families.

Every year, thousands of servicemembers leave the Armed Forces and run into obstacles with employment, health care, education, benefits, and reconnecting with their communities. The interagency Transition Assistance Program offers valuable pre-separation services, but many families still lack personalized, coordinated help during this change. The BRIDGE Act would fill that gap through a Department of Defense (DoD) pilot that offers whole-family support, strengthens community ties, reduces isolation, and gives families the tools to succeed 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.”

What the bill would do

• Launch a pilot: Create a three-year DoD pilot program at four military installations, providing community-based, whole-family transition support.
• Provide personalized services: Offer servicemembers within one year of separation, and their families, peer support, spouse employment assistance, skills training, benefits navigation, and dedicated transition coordinators who build individualized transition plans.
• Require coordination and accountability: Direct DoD and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to coordinate, prioritize servicemembers facing involuntary or accelerated separations, and track outcomes in employment, financial stability, and family well-being, with a final report to Congress.

Veteran and military family groups weigh in

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.”

Padilla’s record on veterans’ issues

• May 2026: Announced more than $110 million in VA funding for updates at the Veterans Home in Yountville, which serves nearly 1,000 veterans and their families.
• March 2026: The Senate passed Padilla’s bipartisan Housing Unhoused Disabled Veterans Act (HUDVA) as part of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, helping ensure that homeless veterans receiving disability payments keep access to housing support.
• 2024: Co-sponsored a resolution designating November 17, 2024, as “National Warrior Call Day,” recognizing the importance of peer-to-peer connection for warriors transitioning from the battlefield.
• 2023: Held a roundtable with local veterans and leaders at the Sepulveda VA Ambulatory Care Center, followed by a walk-and-talk tour of the facility. He also introduced legislation to improve mental health care access for children of military families through routine mental health and well-being checkups in military schools.

Full text of the bill is available [here].