I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2146 

To expand and enhance programs and activities of the Department of Defense 

for prevention of and response to domestic abuse and child abuse and 

neglect among military families, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 23, 2021 

Mr. JOYCE of Ohio (for himself and Ms. KUSTER) introduced the following 

bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services 

A BILL 

To expand and enhance programs and activities of the Department of Defense for prevention of and response to 

domestic abuse and child abuse and neglect among military families, 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 ‘‘Military Family Vio5 lence Prevention Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. REPORTS ON STAFFING LEVELS FOR THE FAMILY 

2 ADVOCACY PROGRAMS. 

3 Not later than six months after the deployment of 

4 the Military Community and Family Policy (MC&FP) 

5 Family Advocacy Program Staffing Tool, and every year 

6 thereafter, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to Con7 gress a report setting forth the following: 

8 (1) Current staffing levels for the Family Advo9 cacy Programs (FAPs) of the Armed Forces at each 

10 installation so staffed. 

11 (2) Recommendations for ideal staffing levels 

12 for the Family Advocacy Programs, as identified by 

13 the staffing tool, set forth, at the election of the Sec14 retary, by Armed Force or by installation. 

15 SEC. 3. SHARING AMONG THE ARMED FORCES OF DATA ON 

16 INCIDENTS REPORTED TO THE FAMILY AD17 VOCACY PROGRAMS. 

18 Commencing not later than one year after the date 

19 of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense 

20 shall ensure that appropriate statistical data on incidents 

21 reported to the Family Advocacy Programs (FAPs) of the 

22 Armed Forces is shared among and across the Armed 

23 Forces. 


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1 SEC. 4. ENHANCEMENT OF ACTIVITIES FOR AWARENESS OF 

2 MILITARY FAMILIES REGARDING FAMILY AD3 VOCACY PROGRAMS AND OTHER SIMILAR 

4 SERVICES. 

5 (a) PILOT PROGRAM ON INFORMATION ON FAPS FOR

6 FAMILIES ENROLLING IN DEERS.—The Secretary of De7 fense shall carry out a pilot program to assess the feasi8 bility and advisability of various mechanisms to inform 

9 families about the Family Advocacy Programs (FAPs) and 

10 resiliency training of the Armed Forces during their en11 rollment in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting 

12 System (DEERS). The matters assessed by the pilot pro13 gram shall include the following: 

14 (1) An option for training of family members 

15 on the Family Advocacy Programs. 

16 (2) The provision to families of information on 

17 the resources available through the Family Advocacy 

18 Programs. 

19 (3) The availability through the Family Advo20 cacy Programs of both restricting and unrestricted 

21 reporting on incidents of domestic abuse. 

22 (4) The provision to families of information on 

23 the Military OneSource program of the Department 

24 of Defense. 

25 (5) The provision to families of information on 

26 resources relating to domestic abuse and child abuse 


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1 and neglect that are available through local commu2 nity service organizations. 

3 (6) The availability of the Military and Family 

4 Life Counseling Program. 

5 (b) OUTREACH ON FAP AND SIMILAR SERVICES FOR

6 MILITARY FAMILIES.—Each Secretary of a military de7 partment shall improve the information available to mili8 tary families under the jurisdiction of such Secretary that 

9 are the victim of domestic abuse or child abuse and neglect 

10 in order to provide such families with comprehensive infor11 mation on the services available to such families in connec12 tion with such violence and abuse and neglect. The infor13 mation so provided shall include a complete guide to the 

14 following: 

15 (1) The Family Advocacy Program of the 

16 Armed Force or military department concerned. 

17 (2) Military law enforcement services, including 

18 the process following a report of an incidence of do19 mestic abuse or child abuse or neglect. 

20 (3) Other applicable victim services. 


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1 SEC. 5. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON 

2 WOMEN IN THE SERVICES REPORT ON INI3 TIAL ENTRY POINTS FOR SUPPORT FOR MILI4 TARY FAMILIES IN CONNECTION WITH DO5 MESTIC ABUSE. 

6 Not later than one year after the date of the enact7 ment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit 

8 to the congressional defense committees a report setting 

9 forth the results of a study, conducted by the Defense De10 partment Advisory Committee on Women in the Services 

11 (DACOWITS) for purposes of the report, on initial entry 

12 points (including anonymous entry points) for use by 

13 members of military families in seeking support for domes14 tic abuse or child abuse and neglect, including online chat 

15 rooms and other support, text-based support, and applica16 tions on smartphones. 

17 SEC. 6. IMPROVEMENT OF COLLABORATION IN DOMESTIC 

18 ABUSE PREVENTION SERVICES. 

19 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 

20 date of the enactment of this Act, Department of Defense 

21 Instruction 6400.01, relating to the Family Advocacy Pro22 gram (FAP) of the Department of Defense, shall be modi23 fied to enhance collaboration among the programs and 

24 components specified in subsection (b) for the purpose of 

25 leveraging the expertise and resources of such programs 

26 and components to order to improve the availability and 


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1 scope of domestic abuse prevention services for military 

2 families. 

3 (b) PROGRAMS AND COMPONENTS.—The programs 

4 and components specified in this subsection are the fol5 lowing: 

6 (1) The Family Advocacy Program. 

7 (2) The Sexual Assault Prevention and Re8 sponse Officer (SAPRO) of the Department of De9 fense. 

10 (3) the Defense Suicide Prevention Office 

11 (DSPO). 

12 (4) The Defense Equal Opportunity Manage13 ment Institute (DEOMI). 

14 (5) The TRICARE Management Activity 

15 (TMA). 

16 (6) The substance abuse prevention programs 

17 and components of the Armed Forces. 

18 (7) Such other programs and components of the 

19 Department of Defense as the Secretary of Defense 

20 considers appropriate. 


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1 SEC. 7. DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY TO AUTHORIZE EX2 CEPTIONAL ELIGIBILITY FOR CERTAIN BENE3 FITS TO DEPENDENTS OF MEMBERS OR 

4 FORMER MEMBERS SEPARATED FOR DE5 PENDENT ABUSE. 

6 Section 1059(m)(4) of title 10, United States Code, 

7 is amended by inserting ‘‘below the assistant Secretary 

8 level. Any exercise of such delegated authority shall be re9 ported to the Secretary concerned on a quarterly basis’’ 

10 after ‘‘may not be delegated’’. 

11 SEC. 8. INSPECTOR GENERAL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DE12 FENSE REPORT ON BEST PRACTICES IN PRE13 VENTION AND RESPONSE TO DOMESTIC 

14 ABUSE AND CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT 

15 AMONG MILITARY FAMILIES. 

16 (a) REPORT REQUIRED.—Not later than 120 days 

17 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Inspector 

18 General of the Department of Defense shall submit to the 

19 Secretary of Defense, and to the congressional defense 

20 committees, a report on best practices among military in21 stallations in prevention and response to domestic abuse 

22 and child abuse and neglect among military families. 

23 (b) ELEMENTS.—The report required by subsection 

24 (a) shall include the following: 

25 (1) An identification and assessment of best 

26 practices among military installations in prevention 


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1 and response to domestic abuse and child abuse and 

2 neglect among military families in connection with 

3 the following: 

4 (A) Installation leadership. 

5 (B) Communication between the Family 

6 Advocacy Program and the installation com7 mand team. 

8 (C) Elimination of or reduction in barriers 

9 to effective incident response. 

10 (2) Recommendations for mechanisms, at the 

11 installation, Armed Force, and military department 

12 level, to identify and assess lessons learned through 

13 programs, projects, and activities for prevention and 

14 response to domestic abuse and child abuse and ne15 glect among military families. 

16 (3) An identification and assessment of re17 sources in communities surrounding military instal18 lations that could assist in prevention and response 

19 to domestic abuse and child abuse and neglect 

20 among military families. 

21 (4) An assessment of the benefits of 

22 bidirectional relationships involving the community 

23 resources identified pursuant to paragraph (3). 

24 (5) Recommendations for memoranda of under25 standing, or other formal relationships, between inVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:20 May 20, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2146.IH H2146

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1 stallations and surrounding communities on the 

2 shared use of resources identified pursuant to para3 graph (3), including recommendations on mecha4 nisms for expediting entry into such memoranda of 

5 understanding. 

6 (6) Such other matters regarding best practices 

7 among military installations in prevention and re8 sponse to domestic abuse and child abuse and ne9 glect among military families as the Inspector Gen10 eral considers appropriate. 

11 (c) GUIDANCE AUTHORIZED IN LIGHT OF REPORT.— 

12 Each Secretary of a military department may issue guid13 ance for commanders of installations under the jurisdic14 tion of such Secretary on best practices in prevention and 

15 response to domestic abuse and child abuse and neglect 

16 among military families at such installations in light of 

17 the matters included in the report of the Inspector General 

18 under subsection (a). 

19 SEC. 9. CONGRESSIONAL DEFENSE COMMITTEES DEFINED. 

20 In this Act, the term ‘‘congressional defense commit21 tees’’ has the meaning given that term in section 

22 101(a)(16) of title 10, United States Code. 

Æ 


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