Skillbridge Congressional Fellowship Act of 2025

The Skillbridge Congressional Fellowship Act of 2025 adds a new option under the DoD’s SkillBridge program for eligible active-duty service members to participate in short-term fellowships within Congress. Specifically, it authorizes service members to serve in fellowships with a Member of Congress, a leadership office in either chamber, or a congressional committee or subcommittee. The bill sets conditions to coordinate with the relevant congressional offices, limits participation so only one service member is in a given office at a time (with a narrow allowance for back-to-back start times within a 14-day window), requires qualification checks and a DoD-led orientation on the legislative process and ethics, and caps the fellowship at 180 days. The Secretary of the respective armed service must notify the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs of each participant. Potential impact includes giving service members hands-on exposure to the legislative process, helping Congress gain military perspectives, and creating a pathway for secure, short-term civilian public-service experience. It also introduces governance around eligibility, scheduling, and oversight to manage security and ethics considerations.