[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4545 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4545

 To establish the Department of Defense-Department of Veterans Affairs 
       Discharge Review Board Committee, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 18, 2022

Mr. Peters (for himself and Mr. Rounds) introduced the following bill; 
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To establish the Department of Defense-Department of Veterans Affairs 
       Discharge Review Board Committee, 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 ``Discharge Review Board Outreach 
Improvement Act of 2022''.

SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE-DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS DISCHARGE 
              REVIEW BOARD COMMITTEE.

    (a) Establishment of Joint Executive Committee.--
            (1) In general.--There is established an interagency 
        committee to advise the Under Secretary of Defense for 
        Personnel and Readiness and the Deputy Secretary of Veterans 
        Affairs on matters relating to the review boards under section 
        1553 of title 10, United States Code.
            (2) Designation.--The interagency committee established 
        under paragraph (1) shall be known as the ``Department of 
        Defense-Department of Veterans Affairs Discharge Review Board 
        Committee'' (hereinafter in this section referred to as the 
        ``Committee'').
    (b) Membership.--The Committee shall be composed of the following:
            (1) The Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and 
        Readiness, the Assistant Secretary of Manpower and Reserve 
        Affairs for each of the military services, and such other 
        officers and employees of the Department of Defense as the 
        Secretary of Defense may designate.
            (2) The Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs and such other 
        officers and employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs as 
        the Secretary of Veterans Affairs may designate.
    (c) Administrative Matters.--
            (1) In general.--The Under Secretary and the Deputy 
        Secretary shall jointly determine the size and structure of the 
        Committee, as well as the administrative and procedural 
        guidelines for the operation of the Committee.
            (2) Subcommittees.--The Committee may establish 
        subcommittees to assist the Committee in carrying out 
        subsections (d) and (e), including the following:
                    (A) A subcommittee on outreach and education.
                    (B) A subcommittee on training for members of the 
                review boards under section 1553 of title 10, United 
                States Code.
            (3) Support.--The Under Secretary and the Deputy Secretary 
        shall jointly supply appropriate staff and resources to provide 
        administrative support and services for the Committee. Support 
        for such purposes shall be provided at a level that the Under 
        Secretary and the Deputy Secretary jointly determine sufficient 
        for the efficient operation of the Committee, including any 
        subcommittees established under paragraph (2).
    (d) Recommendations.--
            (1) In general.--The Committee shall provide the Secretary 
        of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs with 
        recommendations on the strategic direction for the joint 
        coordination and sharing efforts between and within the 
        Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs on 
        matters regarding the review boards described in subsection 
        (a)(1).
            (2) Annual report.--Not less frequently than once each 
        year, the Committee shall submit to the two Secretaries and to 
        Congress an annual report containing such recommendations 
        regarding the review boards described in subsection (a)(1) as 
        the Committee considers appropriate.
    (e) Functions.--In order to enable the Committee to make 
recommendations in its annual report under subsection (c)(2), the 
Committee shall do the following:
            (1) Review existing policies, procedures, and practices 
        regarding reviews under section 1553 of title 10, United States 
        Code, with respect to matters that pertain to the coordination 
        and sharing of resources between the Department of Defense and 
        the Department of Veterans Affairs.
            (2) Identify changes in policies, procedures, and practices 
        that, in the judgment of the Committee, would promote mutually 
        beneficial coordination, use, or exchange of use of services 
        and resources of the two Departments, with the goal of 
        improving the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of the 
        review boards under section 1553 of such title for veterans, 
        members of the Armed Forces, individuals who retired from 
        service in the Armed Forces, and their families through an 
        enhanced partnership between the two Departments.
            (3) Identify and assess further opportunities for the 
        coordination and collaboration between the Departments that, in 
        the judgment of the Committee, would positively affect the 
        review process under section 1553 of such title.
            (4) Review the implementation of activities designed to 
        promote the coordination and sharing of resources between the 
        Departments for matters relating to the review process under 
        section 1553 of such title.
            (5) Identify and assess strategies, which either or both 
        Departments may implement, that would increase outreach to 
        former members of the Armed Forces described in subsection 
        (d)(3)(B) of section 1553 of such title who may qualify for 
        relief under such section.
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