Command Accountability for Military Family Readiness Act

II 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION S. 3800 To provide for the enhancement of command climate assessments in the Armed Forces in order to improve the assessment of matters in connec- tion with military family readiness, and for other purposes. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES MAY 21, 2020 Mr. BLUMENTHAL (for himself and Mrs. GILLIBRAND) introduced the fol- lowing bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services A BILL To provide for the enhancement of command climate assess- ments in the Armed Forces in order to improve the assessment of matters in connection with military family readiness, 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 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Command Account- 4 ability for Military Family Readiness Act’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:12 Jun 13, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3800.IS S3800 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •S 3800 IS SEC. 2. ENHANCEMENT OF COMMAND CLIMATE ASSESS- 1 MENTS FOR MILITARY FAMILY READINESS 2 PURPOSES. 3 (a) SPECIFICATION OF COMMAND PERSONNEL SUB- 4 JECT TO ASSESSMENT FOR MILITARY FAMILY READINESS 5 RESPONSIBILITIES.—Not later than 90 days after the 6 date of the enactment of this Act, each Secretary of a mili- 7 tary department shall specify, for the Armed Forces under 8 the jurisdiction of such Secretary, the command personnel 9 of units and installations who shall be subject to a com- 10 mand climate assessment that takes into account the dis- 11 charge by such personnel of leadership responsibilities for 12 support of military family readiness among the personnel 13 of such units and installations. 14 (b) TRAINING AND GUIDANCE.—Commencing not 15 later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of 16 this Act, each Secretary of a military department shall 17 provide individuals serving as command personnel speci- 18 fied pursuant to subsection (a) in the Armed Forces under 19 the jurisdiction of such Secretary with training, guidance, 20 and other information to ensure that such command per- 21 sonnel are equipped to encourage and support military 22 family readiness among the personnel within the unit or 23 installation commanded by such personnel, including— 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:12 Jun 13, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3800.IS S3800 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •S 3800 IS (1) guidance on the direction of military fami- 1 lies to family readiness resources available at such 2 unit or installation; 3 (2) guidance on the provision of information to 4 military families on programs for military family 5 readiness that are available military Department- 6 wide or Department of Defense-wide; and 7 (3) such other training, guidance, and other in- 8 formation as such Secretary considers appropriate. 9 (c) INCLUSION OF SUPPORT FOR MILITARY FAMILY 10 READINESS IN COMMAND CLIMATE ASSESSMENTS.— 11 Each command climate assessment with respect to a mili- 12 tary unit or installation that is conducted after the date 13 specified in subsection (e) shall include an assessment of 14 the extent to which the commander personnel at such unit 15 or installation specified pursuant to subsection (a) encour- 16 age and support military family readiness, including with 17 respect to the following factors that contribute to military 18 family readiness: 19 (1) Command and unit leadership efforts to 20 welcome new military families to the installation 21 concerned and ensure that such families are imme- 22 diately connected with any resources necessary to ac- 23 climatize to such installation. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:12 Jun 13, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3800.IS S3800 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •S 3800 IS (2) Command and unit leadership support for 1 military families experiencing challenges with mili- 2 tary family housing, including any military family 3 housing under the alternative authority for acquisi- 4 tion and improvement of military housing under sub- 5 chapter IV of chapter 169 of title 10, United States 6 Code (commonly referred to as the ‘‘Military Hous- 7 ing Privatization Initiative’’). 8 (3) Command and unit leadership efforts to in- 9 form military spouses of employment opportunities, 10 including access to any apprenticeship, on-the-job 11 training, internship, or educational opportunities of- 12 fered on or off the installation concerned, and pro- 13 vide follow-on support to members of the unit con- 14 cerned and their family members with respect to 15 such opportunities. 16 (4) Command and unit leadership support for 17 military families seeking child care opportunities, in- 18 cluding support for children with special needs and 19 support for new parents seeking support programs, 20 whether on or off the installation concerned. 21 (5) Command and unit leadership support for 22 military families during deployment and training ex- 23 ercises of the unit concerned. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:12 Jun 13, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3800.IS S3800 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 5 •S 3800 IS (6) Command and unit leadership support for 1 military spouses during pregnancy and after child- 2 birth, particularly during instances when members of 3 the unit are deployed or away at training at the time 4 of birth. 5 (7) Command and unit leadership support for 6 military families preparing to transition into civilian 7 life, including facilitation of the completion of the 8 Transition Assistance Program (TAP) and access to 9 programs under section 1143(e) of title 10, United 10 States Code (commonly referred to as ‘‘Job Train- 11 ing, Employment Skills, Apprenticeships and Intern- 12 ships (JTEST–AI)’’ or ‘‘Skill Bridge’’). 13 (8) Command unit leadership support for mili- 14 tary families seeking access to health care and men- 15 tal health resources. 16 (9) Command unit leadership support for mili- 17 tary families experiencing food insecurity and seek- 18 ing nutrition assistance program support. 19 (d) INCLUSION OF MILITARY SPOUSES IN CLIMATE 20 ASSESSMENTS.—Each command climate assessment with 21 respect to a military unit or installation that is conducted 22 after the date specified in subsection (e) shall include, as 23 relevant, surveys of spouses of members of the Armed 24 Forces of such unit or installation on matters of such com- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:12 Jun 13, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3800.IS S3800 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 6 •S 3800 IS mand climate assessment that are relevant to military 1 spouses, military families, and military family readiness. 2 (e) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The requirements in sub- 3 sections (c) and (d) shall apply with respect to command 4 climate assessments conducted on or after the date speci- 5 fied by the Secretary of Defense for purposes of this sec- 6 tion, which date may not be later than one year after the 7 date of the enactment of this Act. 8 (f) REPORTS.— 9 (1) REPORTS ON ACTIONS TAKEN TO COM- 10 PLY.—Not later than one year after the date of the 11 enactment of this Act, each Secretary of a military 12 department shall submit to the Committees on 13 Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Rep- 14 resentatives a report on the actions taken by such 15 Secretary to carry out the requirements of this sec- 16 tion, including a copy of the enhanced command cli- 17 mate assessments to be conducted for the Armed 18 Forces under the jurisdiction of such Secretary in- 19 corporating revisions necessary to comply with the 20 requirements in subsections (c) and (d). 21 (2) REPORTS ON FIRST ASSESSMENTS.—Not 22 later than 18 months after the date of the enact- 23 ment of this Act, each Secretary of a military de- 24 partment shall submit to the Committees on Armed 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:12 Jun 13, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3800.IS S3800 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 7 •S 3800 IS Services of the Senate and the House of Representa- 1 tives a report on the results of the command climate 2 assessments conducted for the Armed Forces under 3 the jurisdiction of such Secretary as of the date of 4 such report in compliance with the requirements in 5 subsections (c) and (d), including the data obtained 6 through such assessments and a summary evaluation 7 of such assessments and data. 8 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:12 Jun 13, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\S3800.IS S3800 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS