[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 120 (Thursday, July 13, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S2515]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 319. Mr. OSSOFF (for himself and Mr. Tillis) submitted an
amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 2226, to
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2024 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 appropriate place in title XXVIII, insert the
following:
SEC. 28__. REQUIREMENTS FOR MILITARY TENANT ADVOCATES FOR
PRIVATIZED MILITARY HOUSING.
(a) In General.--Subchapter V of chapter 169 of title 10,
United States Code, is amended by inserting after section
2890 the following new section:
``Sec. 2890a. Military tenant advocates
``(a) In General.--The Secretary of Defense shall ensure
that each installation of the Department of Defense at which
military housing under subchapter IV of this chapter is
offered has a military tenant advocate employed by the
military department concerned.
``(b) Training and Certification.--(1) The Secretary shall
implement a uniform training and certification program for
all individuals serving or selected to serve as a military
tenant advocate under subsection (a).
``(2) The training and certification program under
paragraph (1) shall include, at a minimum, instruction on the
following:
``(A) The authority of the Secretary to provide military
housing under subchapter IV of this chapter.
``(B) The role, authority, and responsibility of housing
management offices.
``(C) The Military Housing Privatization Initiative Tenant
Bill of Rights developed under section 2890 of this title.
``(D) The dispute resolution process under section 2894 of
this title.
``(E) The resources available to tenants of military
housing under subchapter IV of this chapter to ensure that
all such tenants are living in housing that meets the
standards described in the Military Housing Privatization
Initiative Tenant Bill of Rights.
``(F) Relevant national, State, and local housing,
disability, and environmental laws.
``(c) Outreach.--The Secretary shall conduct public
outreach and education at each installation of the Department
with a military tenant advocate under subsection (a) to
provide members of the armed forces and their families with
information on the identity, role, and authority of the
military tenant advocate.
``(d) Hiring.--When hiring or selecting individuals to
serve in the role of military tenant advocate under
subsection (a), no preferential consideration shall be given
to individuals currently or previously employed by--
``(1) a housing management office;
``(2) a garrison command; or
``(3) a housing provider or manager owning or operating
military housing under subchapter IV of this chapter.''.
(b) Clerical and Conforming Amendments.--
(1) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the
beginning of such subchapter is amended by inserting after
the item relating to section 2890 the following new item:
``2890a. Military tenant advocates.''.
(2) Conforming amendments.--
(A) Rights and responsibilities of tenants.--Section
2890(b) of title 10, United States Code, is amended--
(i) in paragraph (5), by inserting ``under section 2890a of
this title'' after ``advocate''; and
(ii) in paragraph (8), by striking ``, as provided in
section 2894(b)(4) of this title,'' and inserting ``under
section 2890a of this title''.
(B) Dispute resolution process.--Section 2894(b)(4) of such
title is amended by striking ``military housing advocate
employed by the military department concerned'' and inserting
``military tenant advocate under section 2890a of this
title''.
______