Sergeant Daniel Somers Network of Support Act

I 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 2727 To establish a pilot program to improve information sharing between the Department of Defense and designated relatives and friends of members of the Armed Forces regarding the experiences and challenges of military service, particularly during and after overseas deployments, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MAY 14, 2019 Mr. PETERS (for himself, Mr. BANKS, and Mrs. DAVIS of California) intro- duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a pe- riod to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for con- sideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the com- mittee concerned A BILL To establish a pilot program to improve information sharing between the Department of Defense and designated rel- atives and friends of members of the Armed Forces regarding the experiences and challenges of military serv- ice, particularly during and after overseas deployments, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:13 May 25, 2019 Jkt 034408 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2727.IH H2727 pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 2727 IH SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 1 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Sergeant Daniel 2 Somers Network of Support Act’’. 3 SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM TO IMPROVE INFORMATION SHAR- 4 ING BETWEEN DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 5 AND DESIGNATED RELATIVES AND FRIENDS 6 OF MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES RE- 7 GARDING THE EXPERIENCES AND CHAL- 8 LENGES OF MILITARY SERVICE. 9 (a) PILOT PROGRAM DESCRIBED.— 10 (1) PURPOSE.—Not later than one year after 11 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 12 of Defense shall seek to enter into an agreement 13 with the American Red Cross to carry out a pilot 14 program under which— 15 (A) the American Red Cross— 16 (i) encourages a member of the 17 Armed Forces, upon the enlistment or ap- 18 pointment of such member, to designate up 19 to 15 persons to whom information regard- 20 ing the military service of such member 21 shall be disseminated using contact infor- 22 mation obtained under paragraph (5); and 23 (ii) provides such persons, within 30 24 days after the date on which such persons 25 were designated under clause (i), the op- 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:13 May 25, 2019 Jkt 034408 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2727.IH H2727 pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 2727 IH tion to elect to receive such information re- 1 garding military service; and 2 (B) the Secretary of Defense disseminates, 3 not less frequently than quarterly, such infor- 4 mation to such persons who elect to receive 5 such information under subparagraph (A)(ii). 6 (2) TYPES OF INFORMATION.—The types of in- 7 formation to be disseminated by the Secretary of 8 Defense to persons who elect to receive information 9 under the pilot program shall include information re- 10 garding— 11 (A) aspects of daily life and routine experi- 12 enced by members of the Armed Forces; 13 (B) the challenges and stresses of military 14 service, particularly during and after deploy- 15 ment as part of a contingency operation; 16 (C) the services available to members of 17 the Armed Forces and the dependents of such 18 members to cope with the experiences and chal- 19 lenges of military service; 20 (D) benefits administered by the Secretary 21 of Defense for members of the Armed Forces 22 and the dependents of such members; 23 (E) a toll-free telephone number through 24 which such persons who elect to receive infor- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:13 May 25, 2019 Jkt 034408 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2727.IH H2727 pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 2727 IH mation under the pilot program may request in- 1 formation regarding the program; and 2 (F) such other information as the Sec- 3 retary of Defense, in consultation with members 4 of the Armed Forces and such persons who 5 elect to receive information under the pilot pro- 6 gram, determines to be appropriate. 7 (3) PRIVACY OF INFORMATION.—In carrying 8 out the pilot program under paragraph (1), the Sec- 9 retary of Defense may not disseminate information 10 under paragraph (2) in violation of laws and regula- 11 tions pertaining to the privacy of members of the 12 Armed Forces, including requirements pursuant 13 to— 14 (A) section 552a of title 5, United States 15 Code; and 16 (B) the Health Insurance Portability and 17 Accountability Act of 1996 (Public Law 104– 18 191). 19 (4) NOTICE AND MODIFICATIONS.—In carrying 20 out the pilot program under paragraph (1), the Sec- 21 retary of Defense shall, with respect to a member of 22 the Armed Forces— 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:13 May 25, 2019 Jkt 034408 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2727.IH H2727 pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 2727 IH (A) ensure that such member is notified of 1 the ability to modify designations made by the 2 member under paragraph (1)(A); and 3 (B) upon the request of a member, author- 4 ize the member to modify such designations at 5 any time. 6 (5) CONTACT INFORMATION.—In making a des- 7 ignation under the pilot program, a member of the 8 Armed Forces shall provide necessary contact infor- 9 mation, specifically including an email address, to 10 facilitate the dissemination of information regarding 11 the military service of the member. 12 (6) OPT-OUT OF PROGRAM.—In carrying out 13 the pilot program under paragraph (1), the Sec- 14 retary of Defense shall, with respect to a person who 15 has elected to receive information under such pilot 16 program, cease disseminating such information to 17 that person upon request of such person. 18 (b) SURVEY AND REPORT ON PILOT PROGRAM.— 19 (1) SURVEY.—Not later than two years after 20 the date on which the pilot program commences, the 21 Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Amer- 22 ican Red Cross, shall administer a survey to persons 23 who elected to receive information under the pilot 24 program, for the purpose of receiving feedback re- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:13 May 25, 2019 Jkt 034408 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2727.IH H2727 pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS 6 •HR 2727 IH garding the quality of information disseminated 1 under this section, including whether such informa- 2 tion appropriately reflects the military career pro- 3 gression of members of the Armed Forces. 4 (2) REPORT.—Not later than three years after 5 the date on which the pilot program commences, the 6 Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congres- 7 sional defense committees a report on the pilot pro- 8 gram which includes— 9 (A) the results of the survey administered 10 under paragraph (1); 11 (B) a determination as to whether the pilot 12 program should be made permanent; and 13 (C) recommendations as to modifications 14 necessary to improve the program if made per- 15 manent. 16 (3) CONGRESSIONAL DEFENSE COMMITTEES 17 DEFINED.—The term ‘‘congressional defense com- 18 mittees’’ has the meaning given that term in section 19 101 of title 10, United States Code. 20 (c) TERMINATION OF PILOT PROGRAM.—The pilot 21 program shall terminate upon submission of the report re- 22 quired by subsection (b)(2). 23 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:13 May 25, 2019 Jkt 034408 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H2727.IH H2727 pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS