II 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4545 

To establish the Department of Defense-Department of Veterans Affairs 

Discharge Review Board Committee, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 18, 2022 

Mr. PETERS (for himself and Mr. ROUNDS) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To establish the Department of Defense-Department of Veterans Affairs Discharge Review Board Committee, and 

for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Discharge Review 

5 Board Outreach Improvement Act of 2022’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE-DEPARTMENT OF VET7 ERANS AFFAIRS DISCHARGE REVIEW BOARD 

8 COMMITTEE. 

9 (a) ESTABLISHMENT OF JOINT EXECUTIVE COM10 MITTEE.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—There is established an 

2 interagency committee to advise the Under Secretary 

3 of Defense for Personnel and Readiness and the 

4 Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs on matters re5 lating to the review boards under section 1553 of 

6 title 10, United States Code. 

7 (2) DESIGNATION.—The interagency committee 

8 established under paragraph (1) shall be known as 

9 the ‘‘Department of Defense-Department of Vet10 erans Affairs Discharge Review Board Committee’’ 

11 (hereinafter in this section referred to as the ‘‘Com12 mittee’’). 

13 (b) MEMBERSHIP.—The Committee shall be com14 posed of the following: 

15 (1) The Under Secretary of Defense for Per16 sonnel and Readiness, the Assistant Secretary of 

17 Manpower and Reserve Affairs for each of the mili18 tary services, and such other officers and employees 

19 of the Department of Defense as the Secretary of 

20 Defense may designate. 

21 (2) The Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs 

22 and such other officers and employees of the Depart23 ment of Veterans Affairs as the Secretary of Vet24 erans Affairs may designate. 

25 (c) ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary and 

2 the Deputy Secretary shall jointly determine the size 

3 and structure of the Committee, as well as the ad4 ministrative and procedural guidelines for the oper5 ation of the Committee. 

6 (2) SUBCOMMITTEES.—The Committee may es7 tablish subcommittees to assist the Committee in 

8 carrying out subsections (d) and (e), including the 

9 following: 

10 (A) A subcommittee on outreach and edu11 cation. 

12 (B) A subcommittee on training for mem13 bers of the review boards under section 1553 of 

14 title 10, United States Code. 

15 (3) SUPPORT.—The Under Secretary and the 

16 Deputy Secretary shall jointly supply appropriate 

17 staff and resources to provide administrative support 

18 and services for the Committee. Support for such 

19 purposes shall be provided at a level that the Under 

20 Secretary and the Deputy Secretary jointly deter21 mine sufficient for the efficient operation of the 

22 Committee, including any subcommittees established 

23 under paragraph (2). 

24 (d) RECOMMENDATIONS.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Committee shall provide 

2 the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Vet3 erans Affairs with recommendations on the strategic 

4 direction for the joint coordination and sharing ef5 forts between and within the Department of Defense 

6 and the Department of Veterans Affairs on matters 

7 regarding the review boards described in subsection 

8 (a)(1). 

9 (2) ANNUAL REPORT.—Not less frequently than 

10 once each year, the Committee shall submit to the 

11 two Secretaries and to Congress an annual report 

12 containing such recommendations regarding the re13 view boards described in subsection (a)(1) as the 

14 Committee considers appropriate. 

15 (e) FUNCTIONS.—In order to enable the Committee 

16 to make recommendations in its annual report under sub17 section (c)(2), the Committee shall do the following: 

18 (1) Review existing policies, procedures, and 

19 practices regarding reviews under section 1553 of 

20 title 10, United States Code, with respect to matters 

21 that pertain to the coordination and sharing of re22 sources between the Department of Defense and the 

23 Department of Veterans Affairs. 

24 (2) Identify changes in policies, procedures, and 

25 practices that, in the judgment of the Committee, 


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1 would promote mutually beneficial coordination, use, 

2 or exchange of use of services and resources of the 

3 two Departments, with the goal of improving the 

4 quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of the review 

5 boards under section 1553 of such title for veterans, 

6 members of the Armed Forces, individuals who re7 tired from service in the Armed Forces, and their 

8 families through an enhanced partnership between 

9 the two Departments. 

10 (3) Identify and assess further opportunities for 

11 the coordination and collaboration between the De12 partments that, in the judgment of the Committee, 

13 would positively affect the review process under sec14 tion 1553 of such title. 

15 (4) Review the implementation of activities de16 signed to promote the coordination and sharing of 

17 resources between the Departments for matters re18 lating to the review process under section 1553 of 

19 such title. 

20 (5) Identify and assess strategies, which either 

21 or both Departments may implement, that would in22 crease outreach to former members of the Armed 

23 Forces described in subsection (d)(3)(B) of section 


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1 1553 of such title who may qualify for relief under 

2 such section. 

Æ 


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