Sen. Kevin Cramer along with Senators Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Tammy Duckworth of Illinois introduced a bipartisan bill to give National Guard and Reserve members equal hazard duty incentive pay (HDIP). Identical bipartisan legislation has already been introduced in the House.

Hazard Duty Incentive Pay is a type of special and incentive pay used to improve recruiting and retention by increasing compensation for hazardous duty assignments or conditions. The pay is in addition to base pay. Service members eligible for this pay include, but are not limited to, those who perform parachute jumping, explosive demolitions, handle toxic fuels, and engage in operations on a flight deck. Currently, under HDIP guidelines in Title 37, Guard and Reserve Service Members are awarded 1/30th of HDIP but these servicemembers must maintain the same qualifications as their active duty counterparts without receiving the same pay. The bill would create pay equity for HDIP for all Guard and Reserve service members.