[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3164 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3164

To amend titles 10 and 37, United States Code, to repeal the authority 
   of the Secretary of a military department to suspend tracking and 
   recording the number of days that members of the armed forces are 
 deployed for purposes of determining the eligibility of such members 
    for the per diem allowance for lengthy or numerous deployments.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 23, 2001

 Mr. McKinney introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend titles 10 and 37, United States Code, to repeal the authority 
   of the Secretary of a military department to suspend tracking and 
   recording the number of days that members of the armed forces are 
 deployed for purposes of determining the eligibility of such members 
    for the per diem allowance for lengthy or numerous deployments.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. RESUMPTION OF TRACKING AND RECORDING DEPLOYMENT DAYS OF 
              MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES TO DETERMINE ELIGIBILITY FOR 
              HIGH DEPLOYMENT PER DIEM ALLOWANCE.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) A per diem allowance for lengthy or numerous 
        deployments was enacted as part of the National Defense 
        Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2000 to provide an additional 
        $100 per day to members of the Armed Forces who are deployed 
        more than 400 days in two years.
            (2) Deployment often places members of the Armed Forces in 
        high risk environments, separates the members from their 
        families, and generally increases the burdens placed upon the 
        member, including reduced morale and loss of recreation, 
        community, and education opportunities. The deployment of 
        members during combat periods further increases the stresses 
        and burdens associated with lengthy or numerous deployments.
            (3) The per diem allowance was intended to recognize the 
        challenges faced and contributions made by these members of the 
        Armed Forces, while also providing an incentive for the 
        Secretaries of the military departments to reduce the extended 
        deployment of these members and more evenly distribute the 
        deployment of all members.
            (4) The per diem allowance can provide needed assistance to 
        the family of a member of the Armed Forces who is deployed, 
        such as providing needed funds for child day care and lessening 
        other hardships associated with the member's deployment.
            (5) Through the issuance of Executive Order 13223 (66 Fed. 
        Reg. 48201), and an October 8, 2001, memorandum from Deputy 
        Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz to the Secretaries of the 
        military departments, the availability of the high deployment 
        per diem allowance, and the accumulation of days counted 
        towards the 400 day per two-year eligibility requirement for 
        the allowance, was suspended until further notice.
            (6) Despite the fact that a military pay raise was recently 
        approved, some members of the Armed Forces are still eligible 
        and rely upon food stamps and other Government assistance, and 
        could substantially benefit from the high deployment per diem 
        allowance.
            (7) More than ever, the members of the Armed Forces who are 
        deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom deserve and 
        should receive the high deployment per diem allowance that they 
        earn through their service to the United States.
    (b) Repeal of Authority to Suspend Tracking and Recording 
Deployment Days.--Section 991 of title 10, United States Code, is 
amended by striking subsection (d).
    (c) Repeal of Authority to Suspend High Deployment Per Diem.--
Section 436 of title 37, United States Code, is amended by striking 
subsection (f).
    (d) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall take 
effect as of October 7, 2001.
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