Sen. Brian Schatz and legislative colleagues announced 25 new co-sponsors Thursday for a bill that would fix the service records of more than 100,000 veterans drummed out of the service over their sexual orientation.

Schatz, along with Sen. Kirsten Gillebrand, D-N.Y., and House colleagues Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., and openly gay Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Vt., introduced the Restore Honor to Service Members Act in July with 22 Senate sponsors and 99 in the House.

Those numbers have now grown to 37 and 109, respectively, and include such well-known names as presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), minority leader frontrunner Sen. Chuck Schumer, Democratic National Committee Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz. Hawaii Sen. Mazie Hirono and Rep. Mark Takai are sponsors, as well.

The measure would retroactively remove dishonorable or less than honorable discharges from the records of those who were separated from service for nothing other than their actual or suspected sexual orientation. From World War II until the repeal four years ago of the infamous “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, such discharges affected an estimated 114,000 service members.

The negative discharges cause a range of problems for the veterans in question. Many  employers, for instance, refuse to hire veterans with less than honorable discharges. Such veterans are typically excluded from benefits the government provides those honorably discharged, including health care coverage, recognition and honors — even burial rights.

“We have a sacred commitment to every American who serves in our military. But for the 100,000 brave Americans who were forced out for being gay, we have failed to honor that commitment,” said Schatz. “The Restore Honor to Service Members Act … would remove the mark of shame they carry, give them access to benefits, and finally give them the respect and honor they rightly deserve.”

“As a veteran, I know that our men and women in uniform give all to serve our country with great honor,” said Rangel. “We can no longer delay honoring these veterans who deserve long overdue recognition.  We struck down ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ and legalized same sex marriage.  Love is not dishonorable.”

Schatz, Rangel and colleagues have been quietly building support for the legislation over the past three years, having sponsored the bill in 2013, as well.

The number of sponsors now suggests the measure is may be nearing a level of support that might allow it to move forward in the Senate and perhaps in the House, as well. While Senate sponsors of the bill are exclusively Democrats, four GOP House members have signed on to the measure. Other members in both chambers might also be supportive, though unwilling to serve as sponsors.

New support from multiple organizations was announced on Thursday, as well, including the American Bar Association, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, and VoteVets.org. Outserve-SLDN, the primary organization focused on legal assistance for gay, lesbian and transgender service members and veterans, joins the Human Rights Campaign, American Veterans for Equal Rights and Lambda Legal as  the primary gay organizations leading the push for passage of the bill.