H.R. 4485: Fair Military Act

113th Congress · introduced 2014-04-10 · Armed Forces and National Security · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2014-04-10 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Turner, Michael R. [R-OH-10] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Fair Military Act

Plain summary

Furthering Accountability and Individual Rights within the Military Act of 2014 or the Fair Military Act - Directs each Secretary of a military department to ensure that: (1) the written performance appraisals of each member of the Armed Forces include an assessment of the extent to which the member supports that Armed Force's sexual assault prevention and response program, and (2) the performance appraisals of each commanding officer indicate the extent to which such officer has established a command climate in which allegations of sexual assault are properly managed and fairly evaluated and in which a victim can report criminal activity without fear of retaliation. Requires modification of the Military Rules of Evidence to clarify that the general military character of an accused is not admissible for the purpose of showing the probability of his or her innocence, except that an accused may offer evidence of a trait of his or her military character when that trait is relevant to an element of the offense for which he or she has been charged. Directs the Secretaries of the military departments and any department in which the Coast Guard is operating to ensure that the provisions of Title XVII (Sexual Assault Prevention and Response and Related Reforms) of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY2014 and this Act apply to the United States Military Academy, the Naval Academy, the Air Force Academy, and the Coast Guard Academy. Requires the independent judicial proceedings panel to conduct assessments of: (1) the use of mental health records by the defense during preliminary hearing and court-martial proceedings, and (2) the use of such records in similar civilian proceedings to determine whether any significant discrepancies exist between the two legal systems. Directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to submit to the Senate and House Armed Services Committees a report describing the status of the implementation of the sexual assault provisions contained in the NDAAs for FY2012, FY2013, and FY2014 and the sexual assault prevention initiatives announced in memoranda by the Secretary of Defense (DOD) on May 6, 2013, and August 14, 2013.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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A “Nay” vote

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Fair Military Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Turner, Michael R. [R-OH-10] · 6 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

James P. McGovern (D-MA), Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Adam Smith (D-WA), Kevin Cramer (R-ND)

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Turner, Michael R. [R-OH-10] reported raising $1.3 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (3)

Authorization: A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
Ballot initiative: A proposed law or constitutional amendment that citizens place on the ballot by gathering enough voter signatures, so voters decide it directly. About half the states allow some form of it.
Rulemaking: The process agencies use to write regulations that carry out laws passed by Congress or a legislature. Usually an agency publishes a proposed rule, takes public comments, then publishes a final rule.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-113hr4485.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/113/hr>

Record fed-us-cong113-hr4485 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong113 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong113