A bill to establish the Military Family-Friendly Employer Award for employers that have developed and implemented workplace flexibility policies to assist the working spouses and caregivers of service members, and returning service members, in addressing family and home needs during deployments.

Summary: Military Family-Friendly Employer Award Act - Establishes in the Department of Defense (DOD) an annual award to be known as the Military Family-Friendly Employer Award (Award) for non-federal employers who have developed and implemented workplace flexibility policies and practices: (1) to assist the working spouses and caregivers of members of the Armed Forces who are deployed away from home, and to assist such members upon their return from deployment; and (2) that reflect a deep awareness and commitment in response to the needs of the military family unit.

Establishes in DOD a Military Family-Friendly Special Task Force to provide specified assistance in the making of such Awards.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Military Family-Friendly Employer 
Award Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Employer.--The term ``employer''--
                    (A) means any person (as defined in section 3(a) of 
                the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 
                202(a))) engaged in commerce or in any industry or 
                activity affecting commerce; and
                    (B) includes any agency of a State, or political 
                subdivision thereof.
        The term does not include the Government of the United States 
        or any agency thereof.
            (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Defense.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF MILITARY FAMILY-FRIENDLY EMPLOYER AWARD.

    (a) In General.--There is established in the Department of Defense 
an annual award to be known as the Military Family-Friendly Employer 
Award (hereafter referred to in this Act as the ``Award'') for 
employers that have developed and implemented workplace flexibility 
policies and practices--
            (1) to assist the working spouses and caregivers of members 
        of the Armed Forces who are deployed away from home, and to 
        assist such members upon their return from deployment, so that 
        the needs of the home may be addressed during and after such 
        deployments; and
            (2) that reflect a deep awareness and commitment in 
        response to the needs of the military family unit.
    (b) Plaque.--The Award shall be evidenced by a plaque bearing the 
title ``Military Family-Friendly Employer Award''.
    (c) Application.--
            (1) In general.--An employer desiring consideration for an 
        Award shall submit an application to the Secretary at such 
        time, in such manner, and containing such information as such 
        Secretary may require.
            (2) Reapplication.--An employer may reapply for an Award, 
        regardless of whether the employer has been a previous 
        recipient of such Award.
    (d) Display on Web Site.--The Secretary shall make publically 
available on its Internet Web site the names of each recipient of the 
Award.
    (e) Presentation of Award.--The Secretary (or the Secretary's 
designee) shall present annually the Award to employers under this 
section.

SEC. 4. MILITARY FAMILY-FRIENDLY SPECIAL TASK FORCE.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established within the Department of 
Defense a Military Family-Friendly Special Task Force (hereafter 
referred to in this Act as the ``Task Force'').
    (b) Composition.--
            (1) In general.--The Task Force shall be composed of 9 
        members to be appointed as follows:
                    (A) The Secretary shall appoint one individual to 
                serve as the chairperson of the Task Force.
                    (B) The Secretary, in consultation with the 
                Secretary of Labor and based on recommendations made by 
                the majority and minority leaders of the Senate and the 
                Speaker and minority leader of the House of 
                Representatives, shall appoint--
                            (i) two members who shall be work-life 
                        experts; and
                            (ii) two members who shall be 
                        representatives of the general business 
                        community.
                    (C) The Secretary, based on recommendations made by 
                the majority and minority leaders of the Senate and the 
                Speaker and minority leader of the House of 
                Representatives, shall appoint--
                            (i) two members who shall be experts on the 
                        Armed Forces; and
                            (ii) two members who shall be 
                        representatives of families with one or more 
                        members serving in the Armed Forces.
            (2) Qualifications.--In appointing members of the Task 
        Force the Secretary shall ensure--
                    (A) that such members are individuals with 
                knowledge and experience in workplace flexibility 
                policies as such policies relate to services in and 
                support for the Armed Forces;
                    (B) that not more than 2 members appointed under 
                paragraph (1)(B) are from the same political party; and
                    (C) that not more than 2 members appointed under 
                paragraph (1)(C) are from the same political party.
            (3) Terms.--
                    (A) In general.--Except as provided under 
                subparagraphs (B) and (C), each member of the Task 
                Force shall be appointed for 2 years and may be 
                reappointed.
                    (B) Terms of initial appointees.--As designated by 
                the Secretary at the time of appointment, of the 
                members of the Task Force first appointed, 4 shall each 
                be appointed for a 1-year term and the remainder shall 
                each be appointed for a 2-year term.
                    (C) Vacancies.--Any member of the Task Force 
                appointed to fill a vacancy occurring before the 
                expiration of the term for which the member's 
                predecessor was appointed shall be appointed only for 
                the remainder of that term. A member may serve after 
                the expiration of that member's term until a successor 
                has taken office.
            (4) Limitation.--The Secretary may not appoint any Member 
        of Congress to the Task Force.
    (c) Duties.--The Task Force shall--
            (1) develop and review military-centered questions for 
        integration into the award model for determining which 
        applicant employers should receive an Award;
            (2) determine how such questions should be weighed in 
        making Award determinations what threshold should be used as 
        the minimum for making such Awards;
            (3) review responses to a sample of such questions posed as 
        part of any questionnaire used for purposes of making such 
        Awards;
            (4) consider private sector award models such as the 
        Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award or the Alfred P. Sloan 
        Award for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility;
            (5) determine criteria for the delivery of the Award; and
            (6) carry out any other activities determined appropriate 
        by the Secretary.
    (d) Operations.--
            (1) Meetings.--
                    (A) In general.--Except for the initial meeting of 
                the Task Force under subparagraph (B), the Task Force 
                shall meet at the call of the chairperson or a majority 
                of its members.
                    (B) Initial meeting.--The Task Force shall conduct 
                its first meeting not later than 90 days after the 
                appointment of all of its members.
            (2) Voting and rules.--A majority of members of the Task 
        Force shall constitute a quorum to conduct business. The Task 
        Force may establish by majority vote any other rules for the 
        conduct of the business of the Task Force, if such rules are 
        not inconsistent with this section or other applicable law.
            (3) Compensation and travel.--All members of the Task Force 
        shall be compensated at a rate equal to the daily equivalent of 
        the annual rate of basic pay prescribed for level IV of the 
        Executive Schedule under section 5315 of title 5, United States 
        Code, for each day (including travel time) during which such 
        member is engaged in the performance of duties of the Task 
        Force. The members of the Task Force shall be allowed travel 
        expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates 
        authorized for employees of agencies under subchapter 1 of 
        chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code, while away from 
        their homes or regular places of business in the performance of 
        services for the Task Force.

SEC. 5. REGULATIONS.

    The Secretary may prescribe regulations to carry out the purposes 
of this Act.