[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1660 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1660

 To require studies on support services for families of members of the 
       National Guard and Reserve who are undergoing deployment.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 19, 2007

   Mr. Gregg introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
              referred to the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To require studies on support services for families of members of the 
       National Guard and Reserve who are undergoing deployment.

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

SECTION 1. STUDY ON IMPROVING SUPPORT SERVICES FOR CHILDREN, INFANTS, 
              AND TODDLERS OF MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVE 
              UNDERGOING DEPLOYMENT.

    (a) Study Required.--
            (1) Study.--The Secretary of Defense shall conduct a study 
        to evaluate the feasibility and advisability of entering into a 
        contract or other agreement with a private sector entity having 
        expertise in the health and well-being of families and 
        children, infants, and toddlers in order to enhance and develop 
        support services for children of members of the National Guard 
        and Reserve who are deployed.
            (2) Types of support services.--In conducting the study, 
        the Secretary shall consider the need--
                    (A) to develop materials for parents and other 
                caretakers of children of members of the National Guard 
                and Reserve who are deployed to assist such parents and 
                caretakers in responding to the adverse implications of 
                such deployment (and the death or injury of such 
                members during such deployment) for such children, 
                including the role such parents and caretakers can play 
                in addressing and mitigating such implications;
                    (B) to develop programs and activities to increase 
                awareness throughout the military and civilian 
                communities of the adverse implications of such 
                deployment (and the death or injury of such members 
                during such deployment) for such children and their 
                families and to increase collaboration within such 
                communities to address and mitigate such implications;
                    (C) to develop training for early child care and 
                education, mental health, health care, and family 
                support professionals to enhance the awareness of such 
                professionals of their role in assisting families in 
                addressing and mitigating the adverse implications of 
                such deployment (and the death or injury of such 
                members during such deployment) for such children; and
                    (D) to conduct research on best practices for 
                building psychological and emotional resiliency in such 
                children in coping with the deployment of such members.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to 
Congress a report containing the results of the study conducted under 
subsection (a).

SEC. 2. STUDY ON ESTABLISHMENT OF PILOT PROGRAM ON FAMILY-TO-FAMILY 
              SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES OF DEPLOYED MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL 
              GUARD AND RESERVE.

    (a) Study.--The Secretary of Defense shall carry out a study to 
evaluate the feasibility and advisability of establishing a pilot 
program on family-to-family support for families of deployed members of 
the National Guard and Reserve. The study shall include an assessment 
of the following:
            (1) The effectiveness of family-to-family support programs 
        in--
                    (A) providing peer support for families of deployed 
                members of the National Guard and Reserve;
                    (B) identifying and preventing family problems in 
                such families;
                    (C) reducing adverse outcomes for children of such 
                families, including poor academic performance, 
                behavioral problems, stress, and anxiety; and
                    (D) improving family readiness and post-deployment 
                transition for such families.
            (2) The feasibility and advisability of utilizing spouses 
        of members of the Armed Forces as counselors for families of 
        deployed members of the National Guard and Reserve, in order to 
        assist such families in coping throughout the deployment cycle.
            (3) Best practices for training spouses of members of the 
        Armed Forces to act as counselors for families of deployed 
        members of the National Guard and Reserve.
    (b) Report.--The Secretary of Defense shall submit to Congress a 
report containing the results of the study conducted under subsection 
(a) not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this 
Act.
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