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HR 8769

Military Chaplains Modernization Act of 2026

119th Congress Introduced by Pat Harrigan and 1 co-sponsor

The bill creates a codified, uniform framework for military chaplains, defining duties, protections, endorsements, and advisory roles to ensure religious practice is respected.

Introduced in House
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HR 8769

Overview

  • Bill: HR 8769
  • Session: 119th Congress
  • Title: Military Chaplains Modernization Act of 2026
  • Purpose: To define the purpose, role, duties, and professional qualification requirements for chaplains across the Armed Forces and to update related structures and protections for military chaplaincy.

What the bill aims to do

  • Establish a formal, codified framework for military chaplains' duties, responsibilities, qualifications, protections, and endorser relationships.
  • Create uniform leadership and advisory roles for chaplains within each service (Army, Navy, Air Force, Space Force) and align reporting/ Advisory structures to senior service leadership.
  • Strengthen protections for chaplains to practice and minister according to their sincerely held religious beliefs, while ensuring duties support the free exercise of religion for service members.

Key provisions and changes

General framework

  • Redefines and clarifies the duties, responsibilities, requirements, and protections for chaplains across the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Space Force.
  • Adds explicit leadership roles for Chief of Chaplains and Deputy Chiefs of Chaplains across services, including formation of deputy positions associated with Army Reserve, Army National Guard, Navy Reserve, and Space Force roles where applicable.

Army (Section 3)

  • Creates new Deputy Chief of Chaplains positions (Army) including for Army Reserve and Army National Guard.
  • Elevates Chief of Chaplains to a principal advisor to Army leadership (Secretary of the Army and Chief of Staff).
  • Establishes a detailed framework for duties, including:
    • Advising commanders on religious practices, spiritual readiness, religious accommodations, and morale.
    • Overseeing education and training on religious accommodation.
    • Providing confidential communications and ministering to service members and dependents, including in isolated or combat environments.
  • Sets protections to ensure chaplains can operate according to their beliefs and organizational endorsements, and prohibits coercive actions against chaplains for adhering to their beliefs.
  • Provides a mechanism for accountability and penalties under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) for violations.

Navy (Section 4)

  • Similar enhancements as the Army: Chief of Chaplains as principal advisor to the Secretary of the Navy and the CNO; Deputy Chiefs of Chaplains with defined responsibilities (including Chaplain of the Marine Corps and Navy Reserve matters).
  • Establishes duties and protections mirroring the Army framework:
    • Advising on religious practices, religious accommodations, and morale.
    • Maintaining confidential communications.
    • Ensuring religious needs of sailors, Marines, civilians, and dependents are met and that chaplains can minister as permitted by their endorsing organizations.
  • Defines administrative endorsers and religious-endorsing organizations with criteria and transition provisions for existing endorsers.

Air Force (Section 5)

  • Introduces Chief of Chaplains as principal advisor to the Secretary of the Air Force and Chief of Staff; includes Space Force considerations.
  • Establishes Deputy Chief of Chaplains (Air Force) with duties including Chaplain of the Space Force and advisory roles to the Chief of Space Operations.
  • Air Staff reorganization to include Chief of Chaplains in the Air Force and Space Force structure.
  • Sets duties, protections, and definitions consistent with Army/Navy sections:
    • Religious accommodation, spiritual readiness, and confidential communications.
    • Education and training for religious accommodation.
    • Prohibitions against compelling chaplains to act contrary to beliefs or endorsing organization tenets.
    • UCMJ enforcement for violations.

Definitions and protections (Sections 3, 4, 5)

  • Defines “chaplain” for Title 10, requiring qualification by endorsing organization and DoD/branch educational standards.
  • Establishes terms for administrative endorsers, adverse personnel actions, censorship, confidential communications, and religious-endorsing organizations, with criteria for ongoing endorsement.
  • Provides protection against censorship and coercion, ensuring chaplains can conduct worship, counseling, sermons, and other religious duties without fear of retaliation.

Compliance and regulations (Sections 8-9)

  • Requires the Executive Branch (President/Secretary of Defense) to issue regulations to implement amendments.
  • Mandates conforming amendments to existing law and updates to the Manual for Courts-Martial to reflect new offenses for violating chaplain protections.

Enforcement and penalties (Section 7)

  • Violations of chaplain protections trigger potential UCMJ actions; new offenses to be defined and regulated within one year of enactment.

Who would be affected

  • Active-duty chaplains in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Space Force (and related components like reserves and National Guard where applicable).
  • Service members receiving religious services, spiritual care, and accommodations.
  • Endorsing organizations that provide chaplain endorsements.
  • Military commanders and personnel offices implementing religious accommodations and support structures.
  • Legal and military justice systems enforcing new protections and offenses.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Introduced May 12, 2026, and referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
  • If enacted, regulations to be issued no later than one year after enactment to define offenses and update the Uniform Code of Military Justice and the Manual for Courts-Martial accordingly.
  • Requires conforming amendments to preexisting law (e.g., National Defense Authorization Act provisions) to align with the new chaplain framework.

Potential impacts

  • Strengthened protections for chaplains to adhere to their faiths while serving, and reinforced rights to perform religious duties without censorship or retaliation.
  • Clearer chain of command and advisory roles for chaplains, potentially improving spiritual readiness and religious accommodation processes across services.
  • Greater consistency in how religious support is planned and delivered, including for space-related operations (Space Force) and reserve components.
  • Possible administrative and regulatory overhead associated with implementing new endorsing structures and offenses under military law.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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