[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3800 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3800

 To provide for the enhancement of command climate assessments in the 
     Armed Forces in order to improve the assessment of matters in 
   connection with military family readiness, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 21, 2020

    Mr. Blumenthal (for himself and Mrs. Gillibrand) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                             Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To provide for the enhancement of command climate assessments in the 
     Armed Forces in order to improve the assessment of matters in 
   connection with military family readiness, 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 ``Command Accountability for Military 
Family Readiness Act''.

SEC. 2. ENHANCEMENT OF COMMAND CLIMATE ASSESSMENTS FOR MILITARY FAMILY 
              READINESS PURPOSES.

    (a) Specification of Command Personnel Subject to Assessment for 
Military Family Readiness Responsibilities.--Not later than 90 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, each Secretary of a 
military department shall specify, for the Armed Forces under the 
jurisdiction of such Secretary, the command personnel of units and 
installations who shall be subject to a command climate assessment that 
takes into account the discharge by such personnel of leadership 
responsibilities for support of military family readiness among the 
personnel of such units and installations.
    (b) Training and Guidance.--Commencing not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, each Secretary of a 
military department shall provide individuals serving as command 
personnel specified pursuant to subsection (a) in the Armed Forces 
under the jurisdiction of such Secretary with training, guidance, and 
other information to ensure that such command personnel are equipped to 
encourage and support military family readiness among the personnel 
within the unit or installation commanded by such personnel, 
including--
            (1) guidance on the direction of military families to 
        family readiness resources available at such unit or 
        installation;
            (2) guidance on the provision of information to military 
        families on programs for military family readiness that are 
        available military Department-wide or Department of Defense-
        wide; and
            (3) such other training, guidance, and other information as 
        such Secretary considers appropriate.
    (c) Inclusion of Support for Military Family Readiness in Command 
Climate Assessments.--Each command climate assessment with respect to a 
military unit or installation that is conducted after the date 
specified in subsection (e) shall include an assessment of the extent 
to which the commander personnel at such unit or installation specified 
pursuant to subsection (a) encourage and support military family 
readiness, including with respect to the following factors that 
contribute to military family readiness:
            (1) Command and unit leadership efforts to welcome new 
        military families to the installation concerned and ensure that 
        such families are immediately connected with any resources 
        necessary to acclimatize to such installation.
            (2) Command and unit leadership support for military 
        families experiencing challenges with military family housing, 
        including any military family housing under the alternative 
        authority for acquisition and improvement of military housing 
        under subchapter IV of chapter 169 of title 10, United States 
        Code (commonly referred to as the ``Military Housing 
        Privatization Initiative'').
            (3) Command and unit leadership efforts to inform military 
        spouses of employment opportunities, including access to any 
        apprenticeship, on-the-job training, internship, or educational 
        opportunities offered on or off the installation concerned, and 
        provide follow-on support to members of the unit concerned and 
        their family members with respect to such opportunities.
            (4) Command and unit leadership support for military 
        families seeking child care opportunities, including support 
        for children with special needs and support for new parents 
        seeking support programs, whether on or off the installation 
        concerned.
            (5) Command and unit leadership support for military 
        families during deployment and training exercises of the unit 
        concerned.
            (6) Command and unit leadership support for military 
        spouses during pregnancy and after childbirth, particularly 
        during instances when members of the unit are deployed or away 
        at training at the time of birth.
            (7) Command and unit leadership support for military 
        families preparing to transition into civilian life, including 
        facilitation of the completion of the Transition Assistance 
        Program (TAP) and access to programs under section 1143(e) of 
        title 10, United States Code (commonly referred to as ``Job 
        Training, Employment Skills, Apprenticeships and Internships 
        (JTEST-AI)'' or ``Skill Bridge'').
            (8) Command unit leadership support for military families 
        seeking access to health care and mental health resources.
            (9) Command unit leadership support for military families 
        experiencing food insecurity and seeking nutrition assistance 
        program support.
    (d) Inclusion of Military Spouses in Climate Assessments.--Each 
command climate assessment with respect to a military unit or 
installation that is conducted after the date specified in subsection 
(e) shall include, as relevant, surveys of spouses of members of the 
Armed Forces of such unit or installation on matters of such command 
climate assessment that are relevant to military spouses, military 
families, and military family readiness.
    (e) Effective Date.--The requirements in subsections (c) and (d) 
shall apply with respect to command climate assessments conducted on or 
after the date specified by the Secretary of Defense for purposes of 
this section, which date may not be later than one year after the date 
of the enactment of this Act.
    (f) Reports.--
            (1) Reports on actions taken to comply.--Not later than one 
        year after the date of the enactment of this Act, each 
        Secretary of a military department shall submit to the 
        Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of 
        Representatives a report on the actions taken by such Secretary 
        to carry out the requirements of this section, including a copy 
        of the enhanced command climate assessments to be conducted for 
        the Armed Forces under the jurisdiction of such Secretary 
        incorporating revisions necessary to comply with the 
        requirements in subsections (c) and (d).
            (2) Reports on first assessments.--Not later than 18 months 
        after the date of the enactment of this Act, each Secretary of 
        a military department shall submit to the Committees on Armed 
        Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a 
        report on the results of the command climate assessments 
        conducted for the Armed Forces under the jurisdiction of such 
        Secretary as of the date of such report in compliance with the 
        requirements in subsections (c) and (d), including the data 
        obtained through such assessments and a summary evaluation of 
        such assessments and data.
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