[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1966 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1966

  To amend title 10, United States Code, to increase transparency and 
 reporting on sexual violence in the Junior Reserve Officers' Training 
                 Corps Program, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 14, 2023

 Ms. Warren (for herself, Mr. Sanders, and Ms. Hirono) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                             Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title 10, United States Code, to increase transparency and 
 reporting on sexual violence in the Junior Reserve Officers' Training 
                 Corps Program, 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 ``Junior Reserve Officers' Training 
Corps Safety Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. JROTC PROGRAM CERTIFICATION.

    Section 2031 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by adding 
at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(i)(1) The Secretary of Defense shall permanently suspend any 
Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps unit that fails to notify the 
Department of Defense and the Department of Education of allegations 
that an instructor sexually harassed or assaulted a student 
participating in the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps within 48 
hours after the institution is notified of the allegation.
    ``(2) The Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committee on 
Armed Services of the Senate and the Committee on Armed Services of the 
House of Representatives an annual report including information on 
units suspended pursuant to this subsection and a justification for the 
reinstatement of any such unit.''.

SEC. 3. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE CLIMATE SURVEYS.

    Section 481 of title 10, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``four surveys'' 
                and inserting ``five surveys''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (2)--
                            (i) by striking ``four surveys'' and 
                        inserting ``five surveys''; and
                            (ii) by adding at the end the following new 
                        subparagraphs:
            ``(E) To identify and assess gender issues and 
        discrimination among members of the Junior Reserve Officers' 
        Training Corps and the Senior Reserve Officers' Training Corps.
            ``(F) To identify and assess disability issues and 
        discrimination among members of the Armed Forces serving on 
        active duty.
            ``(G) To identify and assess disability issues and 
        discrimination among members of the Armed Forces serving in the 
        reserve components.
            ``(H) To identify and assess racial and ethnic issues and 
        discrimination among members of the Junior Reserve Officers' 
        Training Corps and the Senior Reserve Officers' Training Corps.
            ``(I) To identify and assess disability issues and 
        discrimination among members of the Junior Reserve Officers' 
        Training Corps and the Senior Reserve Officers' Training 
        Corps.''; and
            (2) in subsection (e), by inserting ``and publish on a 
        publicly accessible website of the Department'' after ``the 
        Secretary shall submit to Congress''.

SEC. 4. PROGRAM INSPECTIONS.

    Section 2031(b) of title 10, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (4), by striking ``; and'' and inserting a 
        semicolon;
            (2) by redesignating paragraph (5) as paragraph (8); and
            (3) by inserting after paragraph (4) the following new 
        paragraphs:
            ``(5) the institution has been inspected and approved by 
        the military department concerned in the previous 18 months;
            ``(6) the military department concerned certifies that--
                    ``(A) the institution--
                            ``(i) has created a process for students to 
                        report violations of their rights under title 
                        IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 
                        U.S.C. 1681 et seq.), title VI of the Civil 
                        Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000d et seq.), 
                        and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 
                        U.S.C. 794), including the rights of students 
                        to not be subject to discrimination or subject 
                        to retaliation for reporting a violation of 
                        those laws; and
                            ``(ii) has notified the students and 
                        instructors of those rights and the process for 
                        reporting violations of those rights, including 
                        information on available reporting options, 
                        including mandatory reporters, and available 
                        supportive measures to ensure students have 
                        access to any accommodations needed in the 
                        aftermath of experiencing discrimination; and
                    ``(B) the unit includes biannual training to inform 
                students of methods to prevent, respond to, and report 
                sexual assault and harassment;
            ``(7) the institution agrees to report all allegations of 
        violations described under paragraph (6)(A) to the military 
        department concerned and the Department of Education's Office 
        for Civil Rights not less than annually; and''.

SEC. 5. ANNUAL REPORT ON ALLEGATIONS OF DISCRIMINATION AND SEX-BASED 
              HARASSMENT IN JROTC PROGRAMS.

    Section 2031 of title 10, United States Code, as amended by section 
2 of this Act, is further amended by adding at the end the following 
new subsection:
    ``(j)(1) Not later than March 31 each year, the Secretary of 
Defense and the Secretary of Education shall submit to the appropriate 
congressional committees a report on allegations of sex-based 
harassment (including sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic 
violence, dating violence, and stalking) and discriminatory harassment 
based on disability, race, color, national origin, and other sex-based 
harassment, including sexual orientation, gender identity, transgender 
status, pregnancy, and related medical conditions in all JROTC programs 
during the preceding year.
    ``(2) Each report required under paragraph (1) shall set forth the 
following:
            ``(A) The number of reported allegations of a possible 
        violation under title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 
        (20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.) in school-affiliated JROTC programs, 
        including--
                    ``(i) the number of such reported allegations that 
                were investigated;
                    ``(ii) the outcome of those investigations;
                    ``(iii) the number of allegations the Department of 
                Defense, military services, or Department of Education 
                received directly from students or third parties, 
                including whether the individual making the report 
                raised concerns that the institution had not properly 
                investigated the incident or reported it to proper 
                authorities within and outside of the school on any 
                initial allegation that was reported to the 
                institution; and
                    ``(iv) the number of such reported allegations by 
                State, including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, 
                American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, and 
                United States Virgin Islands, in which these reports 
                occurred.
            ``(B) The number of reports that the Department of Defense, 
        military services, or Department of Education have received 
        during the reporting period involving allegations of sex-based 
        harassment (including sexual harassment, sexual assault, 
        domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking), harassment 
        based on disability, race, color, national origin, and other 
        sex-based harassment, including sexual orientation, gender 
        identity, transgender status, pregnancy and related medical 
        conditions, by instructors against students in the JROTC 
        program, including--
                    ``(i) the type of incident;
                    ``(ii) the military service;
                    ``(iii) the number of instructors and number of 
                allegations they each received;
                    ``(iv) the number of reports of sex-based 
                harassment (including sexual harassment, sexual 
                assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and 
                stalking), harassment based on disability, race, color, 
                national origin, and other sex-based harassment, 
                including sexual orientation, gender identity, 
                transgender status, pregnancy and related medical 
                conditions, that have been investigated;
                    ``(v) the number of reports or investigations that 
                have led to the removal of instructors from JROTC 
                programs;
                    ``(vi) the number of allegations the Department of 
                Defense received directly from students or third 
                parties, including whether the individual making the 
                report raised concerns the institution had not properly 
                investigated the incident or reported it to proper 
                authorities within and outside of the school on any 
                initial allegation that was reported to the 
                institution; and
                    ``(vii) the number of such reported allegations by 
                State, including the District of Columbia, in which 
                these reports occurred.
            ``(C) The number of reports that the Department of Defense, 
        military services, or Department of Education have received 
        during the reporting period involving allegations of sex-based 
        harassment (including sexual harassment, sexual assault, 
        domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking), harassment 
        based on disability, race, color, national origin, and other 
        sex-based harassment, including sexual orientation, gender 
        identity, transgender status, pregnancy, and related medical 
        conditions, by students against students in the JROTC program, 
        including--
                    ``(i) the type of incident;
                    ``(ii) the military service;
                    ``(iii) the number of students who were alleged to 
                have committed such acts and the number of allegations 
                that each student received;
                    ``(iv) the number of reports of sex-based 
                harassment (including sexual harassment, sexual 
                assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and 
                stalking), harassment based on disability, race, color, 
                national origin, and other sex-based harassment, 
                including sexual orientation, gender identity, 
                transgender status, pregnancy and related medical 
                conditions, that have been investigated;
                    ``(v) the number of reports or investigations that 
                have led to the removal of students who were alleged to 
                have committed such acts or students who were alleged 
                victims of those acts from the JROTC program;
                    ``(vi) the number of allegations the Department of 
                Defense or Department of Education received directly 
                from students or third parties, including whether the 
                individual making the report raised concerns the 
                institution had not properly investigated the incident 
                or reported it to proper authorities within and outside 
                of the school on any initial allegation that was 
                reported to the institution; and
                    ``(vii) the number of such reported allegations by 
                State, including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, 
                American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, and 
                United States Virgin Islands in which these reports 
                occurred.
            ``(D) Any steps the Department of Defense and the 
        Department of Education have taken to mitigate sex-based 
        harassment (including sexual harassment, sexual assault, 
        domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking) in JROTC 
        programs during the preceding year.
    ``(3) Each report required under paragraph (1) shall be submitted 
in unclassified form and may not be marked as controlled unclassified 
information.
    ``(4) Each secondary school (as defined in section 8101 of the 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7081)) 
participating in the JROTC program under this chapter that receives 
funding under title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
1965 shall develop and submit to the Secretary of Defense and the 
Secretary of Education for inclusion in the report required under 
paragraph (1) a statement of policy regarding--
            ``(A) the secondary school's programs to prevent sex-based 
        harassment (including sexual harassment, sexual assault, 
        domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking), harassment 
        based on disability, race, color, national origin, and other 
        sex-based harassment, including sexual orientation, gender 
        identity, transgender status, pregnancy and related medical 
        conditions;
            ``(B) the JROTC program's provision of evidence-based 
        training to JROTC recruits, in coordination with school-based 
        mental health services providers as defined in section 4102(6) 
        of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 7012(6)), if applicable, regarding--
                    ``(i) the mental health resources and services made 
                available to them;
                    ``(ii) mental health education; and
                    ``(iii) methods that students can use to seek help 
                for themselves and others, including for sex-based 
                harassment (including sexual harassment, sexual 
                assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and 
                stalking), harassment based on disability, race, color, 
                national origin, and other sex-based harassment, 
                including sexual orientation, gender identity, 
                transgender status, pregnancy and related medical 
                conditions; and
            ``(C) the procedures that the secondary school will follow 
        once an allegation of sex-based harassment (including sexual 
        harassment, sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, 
        and stalking), harassment based on disability, race, color, 
        national origin, or other sex-based harassment, including 
        sexual orientation, gender identity, transgender status, 
        pregnancy and related medical conditions, has been reported, 
        including a statement of the standard of evidence that will be 
        used during any school conduct proceeding arising from the 
        report.
    ``(5) The Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Education shall 
annually report to the authorizing committees regarding compliance with 
this subsection by the JROTC program, including an up-to-date report on 
the Secretary's monitoring of such compliance.
    ``(6)(A) The Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Education 
shall seek the advice and counsel of the Attorney General concerning 
the development and dissemination to the JROTC program of best 
practices information about campus safety and emergencies related to 
sexual misconduct.
    ``(B) The Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Education shall 
seek the advice and counsel of the Attorney General and the Secretary 
of Health and Human Services concerning the development and 
dissemination to the JROTC program of best practices information about 
preventing and responding to incidents of sex-based harassment 
(including sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic violence, dating 
violence, and stalking), harassment based on disability, race, color, 
national origin, and other sex-based harassment, including sexual 
orientation, gender identity, transgender status, pregnancy and related 
medical conditions, including elements of institutional policies that 
have proven successful based on evidence-based outcome measurements.
    ``(7)(A) No officer, employee, or agent of an institution 
participating in any program under this chapter shall retaliate, 
intimidate, threaten, coerce, or otherwise discriminate against any 
individual for exercising their rights or responsibilities under any 
provision of this subsection.
    ``(B) Each report required under paragraph (1) shall include all 
reported incidents of retaliation against reporters of the key 
prohibitions outlined in paragraph (2).
    ``(C) Each individual who exercised their rights or 
responsibilities to report under any provision in this subsection shall 
be offered mental health assistance from a school-based mental health 
services provider as defined in section 4102(6) of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act of 1965.
    ``(8) In this subsection, the term `appropriate congressional 
committees' means--
            ``(A) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on 
        Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate; and
            ``(B) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on 
        Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives.''.

SEC. 6. INFORMED CONSENT.

    (a) Informed Consent Requirement.--Section 2031 of title 10, United 
States Code, as amended by section 5 of this Act, is further amended by 
inserting after subsection (j) the following new subsection:
    ``(k)(1) No student shall be enrolled in the Junior Reserve 
Officers' Training Corps without the full and informed consent of both 
the student and the student's legal guardian. Students and legal 
guardians shall be notified of the voluntary nature of the program, 
process for disenrolling from the program, and the program's 
requirements, including academic and physical expectations for 
students.
    ``(2) The Secretary of Defense shall suspend any Junior Reserve 
Officers' Training Corps unit found to have violated the full and 
informed consent requirement under paragraph (1).''.
    (b) Plan.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall, in consultation with the 
Secretary of Education, develop and implement a plan to collect 
affirmative, informed consent from students and their legal guardians 
before enrollment in the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps, as 
required by subsection (k) of section 2031 of title 10, United States 
Code, as added by subsection (a).

SEC. 7. COMPTROLLER GENERAL REVIEW.

    (a) In General.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States 
shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on 
efforts to increase transparency and reporting on sexual violence in 
the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps Program.
    (b) Elements.--The report required under subsection (a) shall 
include a description of the following:
            (1) The implementation of section 2031 of title 10, United 
        States Code, as amended by sections 2, 4, 5, and 6 of this Act, 
        and subparagraph (E) of section 481(a)(2) of title 10, United 
        States Code, as added by section 3 of this Act.
            (2) The adequacy of the Department of Defense's vetting 
        process for Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps instructors 
        in preventing individuals who engage in harassment from 
        becoming JROTC instructors and an analysis of whether any 
        additional needed components of the vetting process.
            (3) The Department of Defense and the Department of 
        Education's oversight of compliance of units with respect to 
        title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. 1681 et 
        seq.), title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 
        2000d et seq.), and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 
        U.S.C. 701 et seq.).
            (4) Any changes in the number of incidents of sex-based 
        harassment (including sexual harassment, sexual assault, 
        domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking), harassment 
        based on disability, race, color, national origin, and other 
        sex-based harassment, including sexual orientation, gender 
        identity, transgender status, pregnancy and related medical 
        conditions, reported to institutions or law enforcement 
        agencies or reported in the climate surveys pursuant to 
        subparagraph (E) of section 481(a)(2) of title 10, United 
        States Code, as added by section 3 of this Act.
            (5) The sufficiency of military department unit 
        inspections.
    (c) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this section, 
the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
            (1) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on 
        Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate; and
            (2) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on 
        Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives.
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