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:

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).