[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 699 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 699

To establish an interagency committee on the development of green alert 
 systems that would be activated when a veteran goes missing, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 7, 2019

 Ms. Hassan (for herself and Ms. Ernst) introduced the following bill; 
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish an interagency committee on the development of green alert 
 systems that would be activated when a veteran goes missing, 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 ``National Green Alert Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF INTERAGENCY COMMITTEE ON DEVELOPMENT OF GREEN 
              ALERT SYSTEMS.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established the Green Alert System 
Advisory and Support Committee (referred to in this Act as the 
``Committee'').
    (b) Membership.--
            (1) In general.--The Committee shall be composed of members 
        appointed by the President, of whom--
                    (A) not fewer than one shall be an employee of the 
                Department of Justice with experience in coordinating 
                the AMBER Alert communications network, as that term is 
                used in subtitle A of title III of the PROTECT Act (34 
                U.S.C. 20501 et seq.);
                    (B) not fewer than one shall be an employee of the 
                Department of Health and Human Services, of which not 
                fewer than one shall be an employee of the Substance 
                Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the 
                Department of Health and Human Services;
                    (C) not fewer than one shall be an employee of the 
                Department of Veterans Affairs;
                    (D) not fewer than one shall be an employee of the 
                Department of Transportation;
                    (E) not fewer than one shall be a veteran (as 
                defined in section 101 of title 38, United States Code) 
                who--
                            (i) is not eligible for appointment to the 
                        Committee under subparagraph (A), (B), (C), or 
                        (D); and
                            (ii) retired or otherwise honorably 
                        separated from the Armed Forces with a military 
                        pay grade of O-7 or higher; and
                    (F) not fewer than one shall be a member of a 
                veterans service organization who can demonstrate 
                familiarity with, or experience in, the development of 
                an alert or support system in a State for either 
                missing veterans or veteran mental health.
            (2) Additional members.--The President shall appoint 
        additional members of the Committee from among individuals at 
        the State, local, and tribal level who are experts in alert 
        systems, such as the AMBER Alert, as that term is used in 
        subtitle A of title III of the PROTECT Act (34 U.S.C. 20501 et 
        seq.).
            (3) Date.--The appointments of the members of the Committee 
        shall be made not later than 120 days after the date of the 
        enactment of this Act.
    (c) Period of Appointment; Vacancies.--
            (1) In general.--A member of the Committee shall be 
        appointed for the life of the Committee.
            (2) Vacancies.--Any vacancy in the Committee--
                    (A) shall not affect the powers of the Committee; 
                and
                    (B) shall be filled in the same manner as the 
                original appointment.
    (d) Initial Meeting.--Not later than 60 days after the date on 
which all members of the Committee have been appointed, the Committee 
shall hold the first meeting of the Committee.
    (e) Meetings.--
            (1) In general.--The Committee shall meet not less 
        frequently than twice each year.
            (2) Quorum.--A majority of the members of the Committee 
        shall constitute a quorum, but a lesser number of members may 
        hold hearings.
    (f) Chairperson and Vice Chairperson.--The Committee shall select a 
Chairperson and Vice Chairperson from among the members of the 
Committee.
    (g) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) State.--The term ``State'' means any State of the 
        United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of 
        Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American 
        Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and 
        any possession of the United States.
            (2) Veterans service organization.--The term ``veterans 
        service organization'' means an organization recognized by the 
        Secretary for the representation of veterans under section 5902 
        of title 38, United States Code.

SEC. 3. DUTIES OF COMMITTEE.

    (a) In General.--The Committee shall develop best practices and 
provide technical assistance to States to establish State systems, to 
be known as ``green alert'' systems, that would be activated when a 
veteran with a history of mental health issues, including 
neurocognitive disorders, suicide attempts or impulses, or substance 
use disorder goes missing.
    (b) Missing Veteran Determination.--The Committee shall determine 
the circumstances under which a veteran is considered missing for 
purposes of this section.
    (c) Compliance With Privacy Laws.--The Committee shall ensure that 
the State systems described in subsection (a) comply with applicable 
Federal and State privacy laws.
    (d) Report.--Not later than two years after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Committee shall submit to the President and 
Congress a report that contains a detailed statement of the findings 
and conclusions of the Committee, together with the recommendations of 
the Committee for such legislative and administrative action as the 
Committee considers appropriate.
    (e) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) State.--The term ``State'' has the meaning given that 
        term in section 2(g).
            (2) Veteran.--The term ``veteran'' means--
                    (A) a veteran as defined in section 101 of title 
                38, United States Code; and
                    (B) any former member of the Armed Forces, 
                including any individual who received a discharge under 
                conditions other than honorable that is determined by 
                the Secretary of Defense to have resulted from 
                substance use disorder, a mental health issue, or a 
                suicide attempt.

SEC. 4. POWERS OF COMMITTEE.

    (a) Hearings.--The Committee may hold such hearings, sit and act at 
such times and places, take such testimony, and receive such evidence 
as the Committee considers advisable to carry out this Act.
    (b) Information From Federal Agencies.--
            (1) In general.--The Committee may secure directly from any 
        Federal agency such information as the Committee considers 
        necessary to carry out this Act.
            (2) Furnishing information.--On request of the Chairperson 
        of the Committee, the head of the Federal agency shall furnish 
        the information to the Committee.
    (c) Postal Services.--The Committee may use the United States mails 
in the same manner and under the same conditions as other Federal 
agencies.
    (d) Gifts.--The Committee may accept, use, and dispose of gifts or 
donations of services or property.

SEC. 5. COMMITTEE PERSONNEL MATTERS.

    (a) Compensation of Members.--
            (1) In general.--A member of the Committee who is not an 
        officer or employee of the Federal Government shall be 
        compensated at a rate equal to the daily equivalent of the 
        annual rate of basic pay prescribed for level IV of the 
        Executive Schedule under section 5315 of title 5, United States 
        Code, for each day (including travel time) during which the 
        member is engaged in the performance of the duties of the 
        Committee.
            (2) Federal members.--A member of the Committee who is an 
        officer or employee of the United States shall serve without 
        compensation in addition to that received for service as an 
        officer or employee of the United States.
    (b) Travel Expenses.--A member of the Committee shall be allowed 
travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates 
authorized for employees of agencies under subchapter I of chapter 57 
of title 5, United States Code, while away from their home or regular 
places of business in the performance of services for the Committee.
    (c) Staff.--
            (1) In general.--The Chairperson of the Committee may, 
        without regard to the civil service laws (including 
        regulations), appoint and terminate an executive director and 
        such other additional personnel as may be necessary to enable 
        the Committee to perform the duties of the Committee, except 
        that the employment of an executive director shall be subject 
        to confirmation by the Committee.
            (2) Compensation.--The Chairperson of the Committee may fix 
        the compensation of the executive director and other personnel 
        without regard to chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 
        of title 5, United States Code, relating to classification of 
        positions and General Schedule pay rates, except that the rate 
        of pay for the executive director and other personnel may not 
        exceed the rate payable for level V of the Executive Schedule 
        under section 5316 of that title.
    (d) Detail of Government Employees.--Any Federal Government 
employee may be detailed to the Committee without reimbursement, and 
such detail shall be without interruption or loss of civil service 
status or privilege.
    (e) Procurement of Temporary and Intermittent Services.--The 
Chairperson of the Committee may procure temporary and intermittent 
services under section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, at rates 
for individuals that do not exceed the daily equivalent of the annual 
rate of basic pay prescribed for level V of the Executive Schedule 
under section 5316 of that title.

SEC. 6. TERMINATION OF COMMITTEE.

    The Committee shall terminate 180 days after the date on which the 
Committee submits the report required under section 3(d).

SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated to carry 
out this Act $500,000.
    (b) Availability.--Any amounts appropriated under the authorization 
contained in this section shall remain available, without fiscal year 
limitation, until expended.
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