II 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3800 

To provide for the enhancement of command climate assessments in the 

Armed Forces in order to improve the assessment of matters in connection with military family readiness, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 21, 2020 

Mr. BLUMENTHAL (for himself and Mrs. GILLIBRAND) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 

Armed Services 

A BILL 

To provide for the enhancement of command climate assessments in the Armed Forces in order to improve the 

assessment of matters in connection with military family 

readiness, 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 ‘‘Command Account5 ability for Military Family Readiness Act’’. 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
2 

•S 3800 IS

1 SEC. 2. ENHANCEMENT OF COMMAND CLIMATE ASSESS2 MENTS FOR MILITARY FAMILY READINESS 

3 PURPOSES. 

4 (a) SPECIFICATION OF COMMAND PERSONNEL SUB5 JECT TO ASSESSMENT FOR MILITARY FAMILY READINESS

6 RESPONSIBILITIES.—Not later than 90 days after the 

7 date of the enactment of this Act, each Secretary of a mili8 tary department shall specify, for the Armed Forces under 

9 the jurisdiction of such Secretary, the command personnel 

10 of units and installations who shall be subject to a com11 mand climate assessment that takes into account the dis12 charge by such personnel of leadership responsibilities for 

13 support of military family readiness among the personnel 

14 of such units and installations. 

15 (b) TRAINING AND GUIDANCE.—Commencing not 

16 later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of 

17 this Act, each Secretary of a military department shall 

18 provide individuals serving as command personnel speci19 fied pursuant to subsection (a) in the Armed Forces under 

20 the jurisdiction of such Secretary with training, guidance, 

21 and other information to ensure that such command per22 sonnel are equipped to encourage and support military 

23 family readiness among the personnel within the unit or 

24 installation commanded by such personnel, including— 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
3 

•S 3800 IS

1 (1) guidance on the direction of military fami2 lies to family readiness resources available at such 

3 unit or installation; 

4 (2) guidance on the provision of information to 

5 military families on programs for military family 

6 readiness that are available military Department7 wide or Department of Defense-wide; and 

8 (3) such other training, guidance, and other in9 formation as such Secretary considers appropriate. 

10 (c) INCLUSION OF SUPPORT FOR MILITARY FAMILY

11 READINESS IN COMMAND CLIMATE ASSESSMENTS.— 

12 Each command climate assessment with respect to a mili13 tary unit or installation that is conducted after the date 

14 specified in subsection (e) shall include an assessment of 

15 the extent to which the commander personnel at such unit 

16 or installation specified pursuant to subsection (a) encour17 age and support military family readiness, including with 

18 respect to the following factors that contribute to military 

19 family readiness: 

20 (1) Command and unit leadership efforts to 

21 welcome new military families to the installation 

22 concerned and ensure that such families are imme23 diately connected with any resources necessary to ac24 climatize to such installation. 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
4 

•S 3800 IS

1 (2) Command and unit leadership support for 

2 military families experiencing challenges with mili3 tary family housing, including any military family 

4 housing under the alternative authority for acquisi5 tion and improvement of military housing under sub6 chapter IV of chapter 169 of title 10, United States 

7 Code (commonly referred to as the ‘‘Military Hous8 ing Privatization Initiative’’). 

9 (3) Command and unit leadership efforts to in10 form military spouses of employment opportunities, 

11 including access to any apprenticeship, on-the-job 

12 training, internship, or educational opportunities of13 fered on or off the installation concerned, and pro14 vide follow-on support to members of the unit con15 cerned and their family members with respect to 

16 such opportunities. 

17 (4) Command and unit leadership support for 

18 military families seeking child care opportunities, in19 cluding support for children with special needs and 

20 support for new parents seeking support programs, 

21 whether on or off the installation concerned. 

22 (5) Command and unit leadership support for 

23 military families during deployment and training ex24 ercises of the unit concerned. 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
5 

•S 3800 IS

1 (6) Command and unit leadership support for 

2 military spouses during pregnancy and after child3 birth, particularly during instances when members of 

4 the unit are deployed or away at training at the time 

5 of birth. 

6 (7) Command and unit leadership support for 

7 military families preparing to transition into civilian 

8 life, including facilitation of the completion of the 

9 Transition Assistance Program (TAP) and access to 

10 programs under section 1143(e) of title 10, United 

11 States Code (commonly referred to as ‘‘Job Train12 ing, Employment Skills, Apprenticeships and Intern13 ships (JTEST–AI)’’ or ‘‘Skill Bridge’’). 

14 (8) Command unit leadership support for mili15 tary families seeking access to health care and men16 tal health resources. 

17 (9) Command unit leadership support for mili18 tary families experiencing food insecurity and seek19 ing nutrition assistance program support. 

20 (d) INCLUSION OF MILITARY SPOUSES IN CLIMATE

21 ASSESSMENTS.—Each command climate assessment with 

22 respect to a military unit or installation that is conducted 

23 after the date specified in subsection (e) shall include, as 

24 relevant, surveys of spouses of members of the Armed 

25 Forces of such unit or installation on matters of such comVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:12 Jun 13, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3800.IS S3800

kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
6 

•S 3800 IS

1 mand climate assessment that are relevant to military 

2 spouses, military families, and military family readiness. 

3 (e) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The requirements in sub4 sections (c) and (d) shall apply with respect to command 

5 climate assessments conducted on or after the date speci6 fied by the Secretary of Defense for purposes of this sec7 tion, which date may not be later than one year after the 

8 date of the enactment of this Act. 

9 (f) REPORTS.— 

10 (1) REPORTS ON ACTIONS TAKEN TO COM11 PLY.—Not later than one year after the date of the 

12 enactment of this Act, each Secretary of a military 

13 department shall submit to the Committees on 

14 Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Rep15 resentatives a report on the actions taken by such 

16 Secretary to carry out the requirements of this sec17 tion, including a copy of the enhanced command cli18 mate assessments to be conducted for the Armed 

19 Forces under the jurisdiction of such Secretary in20 corporating revisions necessary to comply with the 

21 requirements in subsections (c) and (d). 

22 (2) REPORTS ON FIRST ASSESSMENTS.—Not 

23 later than 18 months after the date of the enact24 ment of this Act, each Secretary of a military de25 partment shall submit to the Committees on Armed 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
7 

•S 3800 IS

1 Services of the Senate and the House of Representa2 tives a report on the results of the command climate 

3 assessments conducted for the Armed Forces under 

4 the jurisdiction of such Secretary as of the date of 

5 such report in compliance with the requirements in 

6 subsections (c) and (d), including the data obtained 

7 through such assessments and a summary evaluation 

8 of such assessments and data. 

Æ 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS