[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 157 (Wednesday, September 28, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S5394]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 5922. Mr. BOOZMAN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed
to amendment SA 5499 submitted by Mr. Reed (for himself and Mr. Inhofe)
and intended to be proposed to the bill H.R. 7900, to authorize
appropriations for fiscal year 2023 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 A of title VI, add the following:
SEC. 606. REPORT ON ADEQUACY OF COST-OF-LIVING ALLOWANCE.
Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of
this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the
congressional defense committees a report--
(1) reviewing the adequacy and effectiveness of the cost-
of-living allowance paid under section 403b of title 37,
United States Code, to members of the uniformed services
living in high cost areas in the continental United States,
taking into consideration--
(A) the rising costs of non-housing-related expenses, such
as utilities, childcare, and other expenses incurred by such
members; and
(B) units in living areas known to be high cost that may
not otherwise be identified as meeting the current
qualifications for the cost-of-living allowance;
(2) assessing--
(A) the methods the Secretary of Defense uses to determine
the appropriate price index to use as the basis for
determining the amount of the cost-of-living allowance; and
(B) whether or not those methods should be changed
periodically to adjust for periods of inflation;
(3) reviewing the feasibility of the 8 percent threshold
requirement under subsection (c) of section 403b of title 37,
United States Code, to determine if adjustments should be
made to that threshold in order to accurately capture
additional high cost areas; and
(4) making recommendations with respect to the matters
described in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3).
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