Seaman Xavier Sandor Support for Sailors Act

II 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. 1556 To amend title 37, United States Code, to authorize the payment of a basic allowance for housing for certain members of the uniformed services assigned to naval vessels undergoing maintenance, and to amend title 5, United States Code, to authorize an increase in the number of Navy deployed resiliency counselors available to such members. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES MAY 11, 2023 Mr. MURPHY (for himself and Mr. BLUMENTHAL) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services A BILL To amend title 37, United States Code, to authorize the payment of a basic allowance for housing for certain members of the uniformed services assigned to naval vessels undergoing maintenance, and to amend title 5, United States Code, to authorize an increase in the num- ber of Navy deployed resiliency counselors available to such members. 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 ‘‘Seaman Xavier Sandor 4 Support for Sailors Act’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:48 May 23, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1556.IS S1556 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •S 1556 IS SEC. 2. ALLOWANCES AND RESOURCES FOR MEMBERS OF 1 UNIFORMED SERVICES ASSIGNED TO CER- 2 TAIN NAVAL VESSELS. 3 (a) BASIC ALLOWANCE FOR HOUSING FOR MEMBERS 4 ASSIGNED TO VESSELS UNDERGOING MAINTENANCE.— 5 Section 403(f)(2) of title 37, United States Code, is 6 amended— 7 (1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘subpara- 8 graphs (B) and (C)’’ and inserting ‘‘subparagraphs 9 (B), (C), and (D)’’; and 10 (2) by adding at the end the following new sub- 11 paragraph: 12 ‘‘(D)(i) Under regulations prescribed by the Sec- 13 retary concerned, the Secretary may authorize the pay- 14 ment of a basic allowance for housing to a member of a 15 uniformed service without dependents who is serving in 16 any of pay grades E–1 through E–5 and has orders to 17 a naval vessel that is undergoing maintenance. 18 ‘‘(ii) In prescribing regulations under clause (i), the 19 Secretary concerned shall— 20 ‘‘(I) specify the types of vessel maintenance and 21 the duration of that maintenance required for a 22 member described in clause (i) to be eligible for a 23 basic allowance for housing under that clause; and 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:48 May 23, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1556.IS S1556 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •S 1556 IS ‘‘(II) consider the availability of quarters for 1 such members before authorizing the payment of a 2 basic allowance for housing for such members. 3 ‘‘(iii) The Secretary concerned shall terminate the 4 provision of a basic allowance for housing to a member 5 described in clause (i) upon the completion of the vessel 6 maintenance described in that clause.’’. 7 (b) INCREASE IN NUMBER OF NAVY DEPLOYED RE- 8 SILIENCY COUNSELORS.—Section 9903(e) of title 5, 9 United States Code, is amended— 10 (1) by striking ‘‘The number’’ and inserting 11 ‘‘(1) Except as provided by paragraph (2), the num- 12 ber’’; and 13 (2) by adding at the end the following new 14 paragraph: 15 ‘‘(2) Without regard to the limitation under para- 16 graph (1), the Secretary may appoint and retain under 17 subsection (b)(1) two licensed clinicians to serve as Navy 18 deployed resiliency counselors for each nuclear-powered 19 aircraft carrier (CVN) or large deck amphibious ship/land- 20 ing helicopter assault ship (LHD/LHA) in the Naval Ves- 21 sel Register.’’. 22 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:48 May 23, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\S1556.IS S1556 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS