Fit for Duty Act

The Fit for Duty Act would create a new Military Fitness Bonus Pay program for active-duty members of the Armed Forces. Under the bill, service members who are eligible for basic pay and achieve a 90 percent or higher score on a physical fitness test would receive a cash bonus for each required test. The bonus would be $1,000 for a perfect score and $500 for a non-perfect score of 90 percent or higher. The Secretary concerned (the appropriate military department) would administer and fund the bonuses, and the program would be recurring for every fitness test required. The bill also requires an annual report to Congress detailing bonuses awarded, their costs, and the impact on readiness. Additionally, the bonuses would be treated as a tax-exempt “qualified military benefit” for federal income tax purposes, effective for taxable years ending after enactment. The bill's findings emphasize fitness as essential to readiness, the high cost of obesity-related issues for the force, and prior evidence that incentive-based programs can improve motivation and health outcomes. The overall aim is to strengthen readiness and long-term health by rewarding strong performance in physical fitness.