Strengthening Families in the Military Service Act of 1999

Summary: Strengthening Families in the Military Service Act of 1999 - Directs the Secretary of Defense to establish and carry out a program to provide, at no cost to the recipient, supplemental foods and nutrition education to: (1) low-income pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women, infants, and children up to five years old of military families stationed outside the United States; and (2) eligible civilians serving with, employed by, or accompanying the armed forces outside the United States.  Directs the Secretary to operate the program in a manner similar to the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children established under the Child Nutrition Act of 1966. 
Directs the inspectors general of the military departments and Department of Defense to investigate and monitor implementation of the program. 
Requires a program implementation report from the Secretary to the congressional defense and agricultural committees. 
Provides program funding for FY 2000 through 2002.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Strengthening Families in the 
Military Service Act of 1999''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
            (1) prenatal care and proper nutrition for pregnant women 
        reduces the incidence of birth abnormalities and low birth 
        weight among infants;
            (2) proper nutrition for infants and young children has 
        very positive health and growth benefits; and
            (3) women, infants, and children of military families 
        stationed outside the United States are potentially at 
        nutritional risk.
    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to ensure that women, 
infants, and children of military families stationed outside the United 
States receive supplemental foods and nutrition education if they 
generally would be eligible to receive supplemental foods and nutrition 
education provided in the United States under the special supplemental 
nutrition program for women, infants, and children established under 
section 17 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786).

SEC. 3. SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION BENEFITS FOR WOMEN, INFANTS, AND 
              CHILDREN OF MILITARY FAMILIES STATIONED OUTSIDE THE 
              UNITED STATES.

    Section 1060a of title 10, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsection (f) as subsection (h); and
            (2) by striking subsections (a) through (e) and inserting 
        the following:
    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary of Defense, in consultation with 
the Secretary of Agriculture, shall establish and carry out a program 
to provide, at no cost to the recipient, supplemental foods and 
nutrition education to--
            ``(1) low-income pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding 
        women, infants, and children up to 5 years of age of military 
        families of the armed forces of the United States stationed 
        outside the United States (and its territories and 
        possessions); and
            ``(2) eligible civilians serving with, employed by, or 
        accompanying the armed forces outside the United States (and 
        its territories and possessions).
    ``(b) Administration.--Except as otherwise provided in this 
section, the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary 
of Agriculture, shall operate the program under this section in a 
manner that is similar to the special supplemental nutrition program 
for women, infants, and children established under section 17 of the 
Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786).
    ``(c) Regulations.--The Secretary of Defense, in consultation with 
the Secretary of Agriculture, shall promulgate regulations to carry out 
this section that are as similar as practicable to regulations 
promulgated to carry out the special supplemental nutrition program for 
women, infants, and children established under section 17 of the Child 
Nutrition Act of 1966, but that take into account--
            ``(1) the need to use military personnel to carry out 
        functions under the program established under this section, 
        including functions relating to supplemental foods, nutrition 
        education, eligibility determinations, oversight, enforcement, 
        auditing, financial management, application reviews, delivery 
        of benefits and program information, handling of local 
        operations and administration, and reporting and recordkeeping;
            ``(2) the need to limit participation to certain military 
        installations to ensure efficient program operations using 
        funds made available to carry out this section;
            ``(3) the availability in foreign countries of exchange 
        stores, commissary stores, and other sources of supplemental 
        foods; and
            ``(4) other factors or circumstances determined appropriate 
        by the Secretary of Defense, including the need to phase-in 
        program operations during fiscal year 2000.
    ``(d) Administrative Responsibility.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary of Defense shall be 
        responsible for the implementation, management, and operation 
        of the program established under this section, including 
        ensuring the proper expenditure of funds made available to 
        carry out this section.
            ``(2) Investigation and monitoring.--The Inspectors General 
        of the Armed Forces and the Department of Defense shall 
        investigate and monitor the implementation of this section.
    ``(e) Records.--The Secretary of Defense shall require that such 
accounts and records (including medical records) be maintained as are 
necessary to enable the Secretary of Defense to--
            ``(1) determine whether there has been compliance with this 
        section; and
            ``(2) determine and evaluate the adequacy of benefits 
        provided under this section.
    ``(f) Report.--
            ``(1) In general.--Not later than March 1, 2001, the 
        Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of 
        Agriculture, shall submit a report describing the 
        implementation of this section to--
                    ``(A) the Committee on Agriculture of the House of 
                Representatives;
                    ``(B) the Committee on Armed Services of the House 
                of Representatives;
                    ``(C) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and 
                Forestry of the Senate; and
                    ``(D) the Committee on Armed Services of the 
                Senate.
            ``(2) Contents of report.--The report under paragraph (1) 
        shall include a description of participation rates, typical 
        food packages, health and nutrition assessment procedures, 
        eligibility determinations, management difficulties, and 
        benefits of the program established under this section.
    ``(g) Funding.--
            ``(1) In general.--Out of any funds in the Treasury not 
        otherwise appropriated, the Secretary of the Treasury shall 
        provide to the Secretary of Defense to carry out this section--
                    ``(A) $8,000,000 for fiscal year 2000;
                    ``(B) $12,000,000 for fiscal year 2001; and
                    ``(C) $12,000,000 for fiscal year 2002.
            ``(2) Receipt and acceptance.--The Secretary of Defense 
        shall be entitled to receive the funds and shall accept the 
        funds, without further appropriation.''.