[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1513 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1513

  To improve oversight of privatized military housing provided by the 
    Department of Defense to members of the Armed Forces and their 
                   families, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 16, 2019

 Ms. Cortez Masto introduced the following bill; which was read twice 
            and referred to the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To improve oversight of privatized military housing provided by the 
    Department of Defense to members of the Armed Forces and their 
                   families, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Better Military Housing Act of 
2019''.

SEC. 2. OVERSIGHT OF PRIVATIZED MILITARY HOUSING.

    (a) Enhancing Health, Safety, and Quality of Privatized Military 
Housing.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall 
        develop and implement a plan to address health, safety, and 
        quality issues at privatized military housing.
            (2) New processes, positions, and offices.--The plan 
        developed and implemented under paragraph (1) may include new 
        processes for reporting challenges, as well as proposals for 
        new positions or offices responsible for oversight of 
        privatized military housing contracts.
            (3) Consultation.--The Secretary shall consult with the 
        Secretaries of the military departments, members of the Armed 
        Forces and their families, and organizations that support 
        members of the Armed Forces and their families in the 
        development of the plan under paragraph (1).
            (4) Requirements for new processes.--
                    (A) In general.--At a minimum, the new processes 
                included in the plan under paragraph (1) shall include 
                the following elements:
                            (i) Ensuring that members of the Armed 
                        Forces and their families may report concerns 
                        regarding privatized military housing without 
                        concern of reprisal from the military chain of 
                        command or the landlord for such housing, which 
                        may include--
                                    (I) establishing a confidential 
                                hotline; or
                                    (II) providing access to military 
                                housing advocates who will maintain 
                                confidentiality.
                            (ii) Ensuring military leadership from 
                        installation commanders to the Secretaries of 
                        the military departments are regularly updated 
                        on outstanding issues at privatized military 
                        housing facilities, including the time 
                        landlords are taking to resolve work order 
                        requests and respond to queries by tenants 
                        regarding work orders.
                            (iii) To the extent practicable, 
                        establishing standardized metrics throughout 
                        the Department of Defense for evaluating 
                        housing health risks, quality, and safety.
                            (iv) To the extent practicable, 
                        establishing common provisions that could be 
                        incorporated into tenancy agreements for 
                        privatized military housing throughout the 
                        Department.
                            (v) Improvements in carrying out oversight 
                        of privatized military housing contracts, which 
                        may include aligning incentive fee payments to 
                        health, safety, and quality metrics.
                            (vi) Improvements in training for the 
                        offices of installation commanders and housing 
                        offices concerning responsibilities, 
                        authorities, and processes related to oversight 
                        of privatized military housing.
                    (B) Additional resources.--To the extent the new 
                processes included in the plan under paragraph (1) 
                require additional resources, the Secretary shall 
                request such resources in the following fiscal year 
                budget.
            (5) Report and briefing.--Not later than one year after the 
        date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense and 
        the Secretaries of the military departments shall--
                    (A) submit to the congressional defense committees 
                a report on the processes developed under the plan 
                under paragraph (1) and any resources needed to 
                implement outstanding elements of such plan; and
                    (B) brief the congressional defense committees on 
                such processes developed and such resources needed.
    (b) Information for Tenants and Landlords.--Upon a tenant entering 
into a tenancy agreement for a housing unit provided by the Department 
of Defense under a privatized military housing contract, the Secretary 
of Defense shall provide to the tenant information on--
            (1) the rights of tenants, including recourse and actions, 
        to include a ``Tenants Bill of Rights'';
            (2) the expectations of the Department regarding reporting 
        by tenants of maintenance, health, or safety issues relating to 
        the housing unit;
            (3) the expectations of the Department regarding the 
        maintaining by landlords of certain standards relating to the 
        condition, health, and safety of the housing unit;
            (4) a clear and comprehensive accounting of the rights and 
        responsibilities of tenants and landlords relating to 
        maintenance of the housing unit; and
            (5) a comprehensive maintenance, repair, and remediation 
        history of the housing unit.
    (c) Inspector General Oversight Inspections of Privatized Military 
Housing.--Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of 
this Act, and not less frequently than annually thereafter, the 
Inspector General of the Department of Defense shall--
            (1) conduct an inspection of the oversight by the 
        Department of privatized military housing at not fewer than 15 
        randomly selected installations of the Department; and
            (2) publish on a website of the Department available to the 
        public a summary of the results of those inspections.
    (d) Study on Potential Improvements for Privatized Military 
Housing.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Defense shall conduct a 
        study on ways to improve privatized military housing and the 
        oversight and execution of privatized military housing 
        contracts to improve housing conditions for members of the 
        Armed Forces and their families who are stationed at 
        installations of the Department of Defense.
            (2) Elements.--The study required by paragraph (1) shall 
        include an assessment of policy options for the Department to 
        achieve the following objectives:
                    (A) The use of privatized military housing 
                contracts of shorter duration.
                    (B) The use of market incentives or other means to 
                increase the availability of privatized military 
                housing options for tenants on or outside of an 
                installation, including the use of two or more 
                landlords at a single installation, and including 
                possibilities for increased housing options in 
                communities where few options currently exist.
                    (C) The use of technology applications to simplify, 
                streamline, and improve transparency in the privatized 
                military housing work order system.
                    (D) The creation of a Special Housing Advocate--
                            (i) to provide counsel to tenants of 
                        privatized military housing; and
                            (ii) to independently represent the 
                        interests of tenants before those of landlords.
                    (E) Such other potential improvements to privatized 
                military housing as the Secretary considers 
                appropriate.
            (3) Partnership.--The Secretary shall enter into a 
        partnership with a federally funded research and development 
        center to conduct the study under paragraph (1).
            (4) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
        enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the 
        congressional defense committees a report on the findings of 
        the study under paragraph (1).
    (e) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Congressional defense committees.--The term 
        ``congressional defense committees'' has the meaning given that 
        term in section 101(16) of title 10, United States Code.
            (2) Landlord.--The term ``landlord'' means an eligible 
        entity or lessor who owns, manages, or is otherwise responsible 
        for a housing unit under a privatized military housing 
        contract.
            (3) Privatized military housing.--The term ``privatized 
        military housing'' means housing provided under subchapter IV 
        of chapter 169 of title 10, United States Code.
            (4) Privatized military housing contract.--The term 
        ``privatized military housing contract'' means a ground lease 
        and all associated documentation between the Secretary of a 
        military department and a landlord to provide privatized 
        military housing.
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