[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 127 (Monday, July 20, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S4273]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 2441. Mrs. GILLIBRAND submitted an amendment intended to be 
proposed to amendment SA 2301 proposed by Mr. Inhofe to the bill S. 
4049, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2021 for military 
activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and 
for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe 
military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other 
purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

        At the end of subtitle H of title V, insert the following:

     SEC. 593. COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES REPORT ON 
                   THE HANDLING BY THE ARMED FORCES OF CASES OF 
                   DESERTION AND ABSENCE WITHOUT LEAVE.

       (a) Report.--Not later than December 16, 2021, the 
     Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the 
     Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of 
     Representatives a report containing the results of a study on 
     the manner in which the Armed Forces handle cases among 
     members of the Armed Forces as follows:
       (1) Cases of desertion.
       (2) Cases of absence without leave or unauthorized absence.
       (b) Elements.--The study required for purposes of the 
     report under this section shall include the following:
       (1) The procedures and guidelines established by each Armed 
     Force for the investigation of cases specified in subsection 
     (a).
       (2) The procedures guidelines of the Armed Forces for 
     distinguishing cases of members absent without leave from 
     cases of members who are involuntarily absent.
       (3) The current procedures and guidelines for cooperation 
     and coordination in investigations of cases specified in 
     subsection (a) betweem criminal investigative organizations 
     or other military investigative agencies and--
       (A) State and local law enforcement agencies; and
       (B) Federal law enforcement agencies.
       (4) The current procedures and guidelines of the Armed 
     Forces for use of media and social media in conjunction with 
     investigations of cases specified in subsection (a).
       (5) Military resources available for investigations of 
     cases specified in subsection (a), and any apparent 
     shortfalls in such resources.
       (6) The manner in which the procedures and guidelines for 
     investigations of cases specified in subsection (a) vary 
     between the Armed Forces.
       (7) The manner in which the procedures and guidelines 
     described in paragraph (6) vary from procedures and 
     guidelines used by select Federal, State, and law enforcement 
     agencies in investigation of cases specified in subsection 
     (a).
       (8) Any recognized best practices for responding to and 
     investigating cases specified in subsection (a).
       (9) Any other matters the Comptroller General consider 
     appropriate.
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