Military Domestic Violence Prevention Act

II 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION S. 4922 To expand and enhance programs and activities of the Department of Defense for prevention of and response to domestic violence and child abuse and neglect among military families, and for other purposes. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES NOVEMBER 18, 2020 Ms. SINEMA (for herself and Mr. CORNYN) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services A BILL To expand and enhance programs and activities of the De- partment of Defense for prevention of and response to domestic violence and child abuse and neglect among military families, 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 ‘‘Military Domestic Vio- 4 lence Prevention Act’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:29 Nov 26, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4922.IS S4922 ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with BILLS 2 •S 4922 IS SEC. 2. REPORTS ON STAFFING LEVELS FOR THE FAMILY 1 ADVOCACY PROGRAMS. 2 Not later than six months after the deployment of 3 the Military Community and Family Policy (MC&FP) 4 Family Advocacy Program Staffing Tool, and every year 5 thereafter, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to Con- 6 gress a report setting forth the following: 7 (1) Current staffing levels for the Family Advo- 8 cacy Programs (FAPs) of the Armed Forces at each 9 installation so staffed. 10 (2) Recommendations for ideal staffing levels 11 for the Family Advocacy Programs, as identified by 12 the staffing tool, set forth, at the election of the Sec- 13 retary, by Armed Force or by installation. 14 SEC. 3. SHARING AMONG THE ARMED FORCES OF INFOR- 15 MATION ON INCIDENTS REPORTED TO THE 16 FAMILY ADVOCACY PROGRAMS. 17 Commencing not later than one year after the date 18 of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense 19 shall ensure that appropriate information on incidents re- 20 ported to the Family Advocacy Programs (FAPs) of the 21 Armed Forces is shared among and across the Armed 22 Forces. 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:29 Nov 26, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4922.IS S4922 ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with BILLS 3 •S 4922 IS SEC. 4. ENHANCEMENT OF ACTIVITIES FOR AWARENESS OF 1 MILITARY FAMILIES REGARDING FAMILY AD- 2 VOCACY PROGRAMS AND OTHER SIMILAR 3 SERVICES. 4 (a) PILOT PROGRAM ON INFORMATION ON FAPS FOR 5 FAMILIES ENROLLING IN DEERS.—The Secretary of De- 6 fense shall carry out a pilot program to assess the feasi- 7 bility and advisability of various mechanisms to inform 8 families about the Family Advocacy Programs (FAPs) of 9 the Armed Forces during their enrollment in the Defense 10 Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS). The 11 matters assessed by the pilot program shall include the 12 following: 13 (1) An option for training of family members 14 on the Family Advocacy Programs. 15 (2) The provision to families of information on 16 the resources available through the Family Advocacy 17 Programs. 18 (3) The availability through the Family Advo- 19 cacy Programs of both restricting and unrestricted 20 reporting on incidents of domestic violence or child 21 abuse and neglect. 22 (4) The provision to families of information on 23 the Military OneSource program of the Department 24 of Defense. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:29 Nov 26, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4922.IS S4922 ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with BILLS 4 •S 4922 IS (5) The provision to families of information on 1 resources relating to domestic violence and child 2 abuse and neglect that are available through local 3 community service organizations. 4 (b) OUTREACH ON FAP AND SIMILAR SERVICES FOR 5 MILITARY FAMILIES.—Each Secretary of a military de- 6 partment shall improve the information available to mili- 7 tary families under the jurisdiction of such Secretary that 8 are the victim of domestic violence or child abuse and ne- 9 glect in order to provide such families with comprehensive 10 information on the services available to such families in 11 connection with such violence and abuse and neglect. The 12 information so provided shall include a complete guide to 13 the following: 14 (1) The Family Advocacy Program of the 15 Armed Force or military department concerned. 16 (2) Military law enforcement services, including 17 the process following a report of an incidence of do- 18 mestic violence or child abuse or neglect. 19 (3) Other applicable victim services. 20 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:29 Nov 26, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4922.IS S4922 ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with BILLS 5 •S 4922 IS SEC. 5. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON 1 WOMEN IN THE SERVICES REPORT ON INI- 2 TIAL ENTRY POINTS FOR SUPPORT FOR MILI- 3 TARY FAMILIES IN CONNECTION WITH DO- 4 MESTIC VIOLENCE. 5 Not later than one year after the date of the enact- 6 ment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit 7 to the congressional defense committees a report setting 8 forth the results of a study, conducted by the Defense De- 9 partment Advisory Committee on Women in the Services 10 (DACOWITS) for purposes of the report, on initial entry 11 points (including anonymous entry points) for use by 12 members of military families in seeking support for domes- 13 tic violence or child abuse and neglect, including online 14 chat rooms and other support, text-based support, and ap- 15 plications on smartphones. 16 SEC. 6. IMPROVEMENT OF COLLABORATION IN DOMESTIC 17 VIOLENCE PREVENTION SERVICES. 18 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 19 date of the enactment of this Act, Department of Defense 20 Instruction 6400.01, relating to the Family Advocacy Pro- 21 gram (FAP) of the Department of Defense, shall be modi- 22 fied to enhance collaboration among the programs and 23 components specified in subsection (b) for the purpose of 24 leveraging the expertise and resources of such programs 25 and components to order to improve the availability and 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:29 Nov 26, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4922.IS S4922 ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with BILLS 6 •S 4922 IS scope of domestic violence prevention services for military 1 families. 2 (b) PROGRAMS AND COMPONENTS.—The programs 3 and components specified in this subsection are the fol- 4 lowing: 5 (1) The Family Advocacy Program. 6 (2) The Sexual Assault Prevention and Re- 7 sponse Officer (SAPRO) of the Department of De- 8 fense. 9 (3) The Defense Suicide Prevention Office 10 (DSPO). 11 (4) The Defense Equal Opportunity Manage- 12 ment Institute (DEOMI). 13 (5) The TRICARE Management Activity 14 (TMA). 15 (6) The substance abuse prevention programs 16 and components of the Armed Forces. 17 (7) Such other programs and components of the 18 Department of Defense as the Secretary of Defense 19 considers appropriate. 20 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:29 Nov 26, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4922.IS S4922 ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with BILLS 7 •S 4922 IS SEC. 7. INSPECTOR GENERAL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DE- 1 FENSE REPORT ON BEST PRACTICES IN PRE- 2 VENTION AND RESPONSE TO DOMESTIC VIO- 3 LENCE AND CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT 4 AMONG MILITARY FAMILIES. 5 (a) REPORT REQUIRED.—Not later than 120 days 6 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Inspector 7 General of the Department of Defense shall submit to the 8 Secretary of Defense, and to the congressional defense 9 committees, a report on best practices among military in- 10 stallations in prevention and response to domestic violence 11 and child abuse and neglect among military families. 12 (b) ELEMENTS.—The report required by subsection 13 (a) shall include the following: 14 (1) An identification and assessment of best 15 practices among military installations in prevention 16 and response to domestic violence and child abuse 17 and neglect among military families in connection 18 with the following: 19 (A) Installation leadership. 20 (B) Communication between the Family 21 Advocacy Program and the installation com- 22 mand team. 23 (C) Elimination of or reduction in barriers 24 to effective incident response. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:29 Nov 26, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4922.IS S4922 ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with BILLS 8 •S 4922 IS (2) Recommendations for mechanisms, at the 1 installation, Armed Force, and military department 2 level, to identify and assess lessons learned through 3 programs, projects, and activities for prevention and 4 response to domestic violence and child abuse and 5 neglect among military families. 6 (3) An identification and assessment of re- 7 sources in communities surrounding military instal- 8 lations that could assist in prevention and response 9 to domestic violence and child abuse and neglect 10 among military families. 11 (4) An assessment of the benefits of bidirection- 12 al relationships involving the community resources 13 identified pursuant to paragraph (3). 14 (5) Recommendations for memoranda of under- 15 standing, or other formal relationships, between in- 16 stallations and surrounding communities on the 17 shared use of resources identified pursuant to para- 18 graph (3), including recommendations on mecha- 19 nisms for expediting entry into such memoranda of 20 understanding. 21 (6) Such other matters regarding best practices 22 among military installations in prevention and re- 23 sponse to domestic violence and child abuse and ne- 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:29 Nov 26, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4922.IS S4922 ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with BILLS 9 •S 4922 IS glect among military families as the Inspector Gen- 1 eral considers appropriate. 2 (c) GUIDANCE AUTHORIZED IN LIGHT OF REPORT.— 3 Each Secretary of a military department may issue guid- 4 ance for commanders of installations under the jurisdic- 5 tion of such Secretary on best practices in prevention and 6 response to domestic violence and child abuse and neglect 7 among military families at such installations in light of 8 the matters included in the report of the Inspector General 9 under subsection (a). 10 SEC. 8. CONGRESSIONAL DEFENSE COMMITTEES DEFINED. 11 In this Act, the term ‘‘congressional defense commit- 12 tees’’ has the meaning given that term in section 13 101(a)(16) of title 10, United States Code. 14 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:29 Nov 26, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\S4922.IS S4922 ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with BILLS