[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 61 (Thursday, April 1, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17142-17143]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-06727]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

[Docket ID: DoD-2020-OS-0074]


Department of Defense, Transition Assistance Program (TAP) 
Information for Families, Caregivers, Veterans and Community-Based 
Organizations

AGENCY: Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, 
Military-Civilian Transition Office, Department of Defense (DoD).

ACTION: TAP notice.

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SUMMARY: The DoD TAP is the overarching program that provides 
transition assistance, information, training, and services for all 
eligible members of the Armed Forces, their spouses, dependents, and 
caregivers. DoD TAP eligibility, priority of services, and TAP protocol 
and services are outlined in statue and internal policy. This notice 
promotes awareness of those DoD TAP benefits, amenities, and resources 
offered to military dependents, caregivers of military members, 
Veterans, and military/veteran service organizations.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tamre Newton, (703) 614-8658.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On September 23, 2019 (84 FR 48724), DoD 
removed Part 88 from Title 32 of the Code of Federal Regulation 
concerning the Department of Defense (DoD) Transition Assistance 
Program. Part 88 summarized the benefits in statute and internal 
policy. The following information is provided to promote awareness of 
those benefits for military dependents, caregivers of military members, 
Veterans, and military/veteran service organizations.
    DoD internal policy is published and publicly available on the 
Department's website in DoD Instruction (DoDI) 1332.35, ``Transition 
Assistance Program (TAP) for Military Personnel'' at https://www.esd.whs.mil/Directives/issuances/dodi/.
    Virtual DoD TAP training curriculum for Veterans and family members 
is publicly available at https://www.tapevents.org/courses.
    The DoD Transition Day (the DoD Managing Your Transition, Military 
Occupational Codes Crosswalk, Financial Planning for Transition) and 
DoD Managing Your Education participant guides are publicly available 
on the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS) under 
recent publications at https://www.dvidshub.net/unit/DODTAP.
    Outlined in DoDI 1332.35 and Chapter 58 of Title 10, U.S.C is the 
process for how transition assistance is provided to caregivers, 
spouses and dependents of eligible Service members. This includes DoD 
collaboration between the Military-Civilian Transition Office and the 
Military Community and Family Policy (MC&FP) Office concerning policy 
about job placement counseling for the spouses of eligible 
transitioning Service members, and career change counseling for 
dependents of eligible Service members in accordance with 10 U.S.C. 
1142. This also entails updates for Service member dependents on 
Military OneSource incorporation into pre-separation/transition 
counseling and transition assistance curriculum.
    DoD, Defense Personnel and Family Support Center (DPFSC) will 
inform eligible Service members' spouses and caregivers of TAP services 
through online media and other cooperative outreach efforts pursuant to 
the criteria in 38 U.S.C. 1720G, and procedural

[[Page 17143]]

guidance in DoDI 1332.35, in accordance with 10 U.S.C. These 
authorities pertain to the required program of comprehensive assistance 
for family caregivers and the responsibilities of the military services 
regarding caregiver participation in DoD pre-separation counseling 
sessions.

Military and Veteran Service Organizations

    Military Departments will encourage installation commanders to 
permit access to veterans service organizations and military service 
organizations to transition assistance-related events and activities in 
the United States and abroad in accordance with the TAP MOU, DoD 
5500.07-R, DoDI 1344.07 and the December 23, 2014 Secretary of Defense 
Memorandum, ``Installation Access and Support Services to VA-Recognized 
Veteran Service Organizations/Military Service Organizations,'' at no 
cost to the U.S. Government. Access must be for the purpose of 
assisting Service members with the pre- and post-military disability 
claim process and transition assistance resources and services.
    Family members and caregivers of Service members can find 
information on non-local community resources through the National 
Resource Director at www.nrd.gov.

TAP Eligibility for Spouses and Dependents

    (1) Spouses of eligible transitioning Service members are eligible 
to attend the Department of Labor (DOL) One-Day and the DOL Employment 
Track in accordance with 10 U.S.C. 1144.
    (2) Spouses of eligible transitioning Service members are eligible 
for the following services and information in accordance with 10 U.S.C. 
1142.
    (a) DOL Job placement counseling.
    (b) DoD and VA-administered survivor benefits information.
    (c) DoD financial education and counseling, including information 
on budgeting, saving, credit, loans, and taxes.
    (d) Transition plan assistance to enable achievement of 
educational, training, employment, and financial objectives.
    (e) VA benefits orientation, such as education, employment, home 
loan services, housing assistance benefit information, and responsible 
borrowing practices counseling.
    (3) Dependents of eligible Service members are entitled to the 
following services and information in accordance with 10 U.S.C. 1142.
    (a) Career change counseling and its effects on individuals and 
their family.
    (b) Information on suicide prevention resources following 
separation from the Military Services.
    (4) Eligible Service members and their dependents are entitled to 
transitional medical and dental care that will be available for 180 
days, beginning on the first day after the date of separation, 
retirement, or release from active duty in accordance with 10 U.S.C. 
1145.
    (5) Spouses of eligible Service members are encouraged to 
participate in transition assistance, as resources and capacity allow. 
Participating spouses may have their attendance recorded in accordance 
with the privacy and information collection mandates and requirements 
of Titles 10 and 14, U.S.C., and DoD 5400.11-R.
    (6) Spouses completing pre-separation/transition counseling (using 
DD Form 2648) on behalf of an eligible recovering Service member in 
accordance with DoDI 1332.35 will provide their DoD identification 
number for data collection purposes.

TAP Eligibility for Caregivers

    (1) The Military Services will provide, during mandatory pre-
separation counseling, a description of the assistance and support 
services provided for family caregivers of eligible veterans pursuant 
to 38 U.S.C. 1720G.
    (2) Service members undergoing pre-separation/transition 
counseling, who may require caregiver services after separation, may 
identify an individual in writing to provide such services after 
separation.
    (3) Service members who identified an individual to provide 
caregiver services after separation may permit their caregiver to 
participate in the member's pre-separation/transition counseling 
session to inform the caregiver of:
    (a) The assistance and support services available to caregivers of 
members after separation.
    (b) The manner in which the member's transition to civilian life 
after separation may impact the caregiver.

Transition Assistance Priority of Service

    The descending order of priority for participation in transition 
assistance classroom attendance is based on the targeted population 
dates of separation or release from active duty, or their status of 
returning from overseas, or assignment to remote or isolated and 
geographically dispersed locations. DoD TAP training is publicly 
available virtually, as referenced above. Eligible Service members will 
be given preference for classroom DoD TAP, and spouse eligibility for 
DoD TAP classroom attendance will be based on resource availability and 
capacity in accordance with DoDI 1332.35.

    Dated: March 29, 2021.
Aaron T. Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 2021-06727 Filed 3-31-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001-06-P