Military Tenant Advocacy Improvement Act

II 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. 1978 To amend title 10, United States Code, to develop requirements for military tenant advocates for privatized military housing, and for other purposes. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES JUNE 14, 2023 Mr. OSSOFF (for himself and Mr. TILLIS) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services A BILL To amend title 10, United States Code, to develop require- ments for military tenant advocates for privatized mili- tary housing, 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 Tenant Advo- 4 cacy Improvement Act’’. 5 SEC. 2. REQUIREMENTS FOR MILITARY TENANT ADVO- 6 CATES FOR PRIVATIZED MILITARY HOUSING. 7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter V of chapter 169 of 8 title 10, United States Code, is amended by inserting after 9 section 2890 the following new section: 10 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:53 Jul 07, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1978.IS S1978 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 2 •S 1978 IS ‘‘§ 2890a. Military tenant advocates 1 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense shall 2 ensure that each installation of the Department of De- 3 fense at which military housing under subchapter IV of 4 this chapter is offered has a military tenant advocate em- 5 ployed by the military department concerned. 6 ‘‘(b) TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION.—(1) The Sec- 7 retary shall implement a uniform training and certification 8 program for all individuals serving or selected to serve as 9 a military tenant advocate under subsection (a). 10 ‘‘(2) The training and certification program under 11 paragraph (1) shall include, at a minimum, instruction on 12 the following: 13 ‘‘(A) The authority of the Secretary to provide 14 military housing under subchapter IV of this chap- 15 ter. 16 ‘‘(B) The role, authority, and responsibility of 17 housing management offices. 18 ‘‘(C) The Military Housing Privatization Initia- 19 tive Tenant Bill of Rights developed under section 20 2890 of this title. 21 ‘‘(D) The dispute resolution process under sec- 22 tion 2894 of this title. 23 ‘‘(E) The resources available to tenants of mili- 24 tary housing under subchapter IV of this chapter to 25 ensure that all such tenants are living in housing 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:53 Jul 07, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1978.IS S1978 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 3 •S 1978 IS that meets the standards described in the Military 1 Housing Privatization Initiative Tenant Bill of 2 Rights. 3 ‘‘(F) Relevant national, State, and local hous- 4 ing, disability, and environmental laws. 5 ‘‘(c) OUTREACH.—The Secretary shall conduct public 6 outreach and education at each installation of the Depart- 7 ment with a military tenant advocate under subsection (a) 8 to provide members of the armed forces and their families 9 with information on the identity, role, and authority of 10 the military tenant advocate. 11 ‘‘(d) HIRING.—When hiring or selecting individuals 12 to serve in the role of military tenant advocate under sub- 13 section (a), no preferential consideration shall be given to 14 individuals currently or previously employed by— 15 ‘‘(1) a housing management office; 16 ‘‘(2) a garrison command; or 17 ‘‘(3) a housing provider or manager owning or 18 operating military housing under subchapter IV of 19 this chapter.’’. 20 (b) CLERICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 21 (1) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec- 22 tions at the beginning of such subchapter is amend- 23 ed by inserting after the item relating to section 24 2890 the following new item: 25 ‘‘2890a. Military tenant advocates.’’. VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:53 Jul 07, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6211 E:\BILLS\S1978.IS S1978 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 4 •S 1978 IS (2) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 1 (A) RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF 2 TENANTS.—Section 2890(b) of title 10, United 3 States Code, is amended— 4 (i) in paragraph (5), by inserting 5 ‘‘under section 2890a of this title’’ after 6 ‘‘advocate’’; and 7 (ii) in paragraph (8), by striking ‘‘, as 8 provided in section 2894(b)(4) of this 9 title,’’ and inserting ‘‘under section 2890a 10 of this title’’. 11 (B) DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROCESS.—Sec- 12 tion 2894(b)(4) of such title is amended by 13 striking ‘‘military housing advocate employed by 14 the military department concerned’’ and insert- 15 ing ‘‘military tenant advocate under section 16 2890a of this title’’. 17 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:53 Jul 07, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\S1978.IS S1978 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB