[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5330 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 5330

  To amend title 10, United States Code, to establish a Department of 
  Defense Military Housing Readiness Council, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 1, 2023

 Ms. Jacobs (for herself and Mrs. Bice) introduced the following bill; 
         which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title 10, United States Code, to establish a Department of 
  Defense Military Housing Readiness Council, 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. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE MILITARY HOUSING READINESS COUNCIL.

    (a) Establishment.--Subchapter I of chapter 88 of title 10, United 
States Code, is amended by inserting after section 1781c the following 
new section:
``Sec. 1781d. Department of Defense Military Housing Readiness Council
    ``(a) In General.--There is in the Department of Defense the 
Department of Defense Military Housing Readiness Council (in this 
section referred to as the `Council').
    ``(b) Members.--(1) The Council shall be composed of the following 
members:
            ``(A) The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, 
        Installations, and Environment, who shall serve as chair of the 
        Council and who may designate a representative to chair the 
        Council in the absence of the Assistant Secretary.
            ``(B) One representative of each of the Army, Navy, Air 
        Force, Marine Corps, and Space Force--
                    ``(i) each of whom shall be a member of the armed 
                force to be represented; and
                    ``(ii) not fewer than two of whom shall be enlisted 
                members.
            ``(C) One spouse of a member of each of the Army, Navy, Air 
        Force, Marine Corps, and Space Force on active duty, not fewer 
        than two of whom shall be the spouse of an enlisted member.
            ``(D) One representative that possesses expertise in State 
        and Federal housing standards from each of the following areas:
                    ``(i) Plumbing.
                    ``(ii) Electrical.
                    ``(iii) Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning.
                    ``(iv) Certified home inspection.
                    ``(v) Roofing.
                    ``(vi) Structural engineering.
                    ``(vii) Window fall prevention and safety.
            ``(E) Two representatives of organizations that advocate on 
        behalf of military families with respect to military housing.
            ``(F) One individual appointed by the Secretary of Defense 
        among representatives of the International Code Council.
            ``(G) One individual appointed by the Secretary of Defense 
        among representatives of the Institute of Inspection Cleaning 
        and Restoration Certification.
            ``(H) One individual appointed by the Secretary of Defense 
        among representatives of a voluntary consensus standards body 
        that develops construction standards (such as building, 
        plumbing, mechanical, or electrical).
            ``(I) One individual appointed by the Secretary of Defense 
        among representatives of a voluntary consensus standards body 
        that develops personnel certification standards for building 
        maintenance or restoration.
            ``(J) Two individuals appointed by the Chair of the 
        Committee on Armed Services of the Senate, each of whom is not 
        described in subparagraph (B), (C), or (D) and is not a 
        representative of an organization specified in subparagraph 
        (E), (F), (G), (H), or (I).
            ``(K) Two individuals appointed by the Ranking Member of 
        the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate, each of whom is 
        not described in subparagraph (B), (C), or (D) and is not a 
        representative of an organization specified in subparagraph 
        (E), (F), (G), (H), or (I).
            ``(L) Two individuals appointed by the Chair of the 
        Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives, 
        each of whom is not described in subparagraph (B), (C), or (D) 
        and is not a representative of an organization specified in 
        subparagraph (E), (F), (G), (H), or (I).
            ``(M) Two individuals appointed by the Ranking Member of 
        the Committee on Armed Services of the House of 
        Representatives, each of whom is not described in subparagraph 
        (B), (C), or (D) and is not a representative of an organization 
        specified in subparagraph (E), (F), (G), (H), or (I).
    ``(2) The term on the Council of the members specified under 
subparagraphs (B) through (M) of paragraph (1) shall be two years and 
may be renewed by the Secretary of Defense.
    ``(3) The chair of the Council shall extend an invitation to all 
landlords for one representative of each landlord to attend such 
meetings of the Council as the chair considers appropriate.
    ``(4) Each member of the Council under paragraph (1)(D) may not be 
affiliated with--
            ``(A) any organization that provides privatized military 
        housing; or
            ``(B) the Department of Defense.
    ``(c) Meetings.--The Council shall meet two times each year.
    ``(d) Duties.--The duties of the Council shall include the 
following:
            ``(1) To review and make recommendations to the Secretary 
        of Defense regarding policies for privatized military housing, 
        including inspections practices, resident surveys, landlord 
        payment of medical bills for health conditions of residents of 
        housing units resulting from lack of maintenance of minimum 
        standards of habitability, and access to maintenance work order 
        systems.
            ``(2) To monitor compliance by the Department of Defense 
        with, and effective implementation by the Department of, 
        statutory and regulatory improvements to policies for 
        privatized military housing, including the Military Housing 
        Privatization Initiative Tenant Bill of Rights developed under 
        section 2890 of this title and the complaint database 
        established under section 2894a of this title.
            ``(3) To make recommendations to the Secretary of Defense 
        to improve collaboration, awareness, and promotion of accurate 
        and timely information about privatized military housing, 
        accommodations available through the Exceptional Family Member 
        Program of the Department, and other support services among 
        policymakers, service providers, and targeted beneficiaries.
    ``(e) Public Reporting.--(1) Subject to section 552 of title 5 
(commonly known as the `Freedom of Information Act'), the records, 
reports, transcripts, minutes, appendices, working papers, drafts, 
studies, agenda, and other documents made available to or prepared for 
or by the Council shall be available for public inspection and copying 
at a single location in a publicly accessible format on a website of 
the Department of Defense until the Council ceases to exist.
    ``(2)(A) Detailed minutes of each meeting of the Council shall be 
kept and shall contain--
            ``(i) a record of the individuals present;
            ``(ii) a complete and accurate description of matters 
        discussed and conclusions reached; and
            ``(iii) copies of all reports received, issued, or approved 
        by the Council.
    ``(B) The chair of the Council shall certify the accuracy of the 
minutes of each meeting of the Council.
    ``(f) Annual Reports.--(1) Not later than March 1, 2024, and 
annually thereafter, the Council shall submit to the Secretary of 
Defense and the congressional defense committees a report on privatized 
military housing readiness.
    ``(2) Each report under this subsection shall include the 
following:
            ``(A) An assessment of the adequacy and effectiveness of 
        the provision of privatized military housing and the activities 
        of the Secretary of Defense in meeting the needs of military 
        families relating to housing during the preceding fiscal year.
            ``(B) A description of activities of the Council during the 
        preceding fiscal year, including--
                    ``(i) analyses of complaints of tenants of 
                privatized military housing;
                    ``(ii) data received by the Council on maintenance 
                response time and completion of maintenance requests 
                relating to privatized military housing;
                    ``(iii) assessments of dispute resolution 
                processes;
                    ``(iv) assessments of overall customer service for 
                tenants;
                    ``(v) assessments of results of housing inspections 
                conducted with and without notice; and
                    ``(vi) any survey results conducted on behalf of or 
                received by the Council.
            ``(C) Recommendations on actions to be taken to improve the 
        capability of the provision of privatized military housing and 
        the activities of the Department of Defense to meet the needs 
        and requirements of military families relating to housing, 
        including actions relating to the allocation of funding and 
        other resources.
    ``(3) Each report under this subsection shall be made available in 
a publicly accessible format on a website of the Department of Defense.
    ``(g) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) The terms `landlord' and `tenant' have the meanings 
        given, respectively, in section 2871 of this title.
            ``(2) The term `privatized military housing' means housing 
        provided under subchapter IV of chapter 169 of this title.''.
    (b) Briefing.--Not later than March 1, 2024, the Secretary of 
Defense shall provide to the congressional defense committees a 
briefing on the annual report required under subsection (f) of section 
1781d of title 10, United States Code, as added by subsection (a).
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