I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 9044 

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

for prevention of and response to domestic violence and child abuse 

and neglect among military families, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 21, 2020 

Mr. JOYCE of Ohio (for himself and Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire) 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 violence 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 Domestic 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 INFOR16 MATION ON INCIDENTS REPORTED TO THE 

17 FAMILY ADVOCACY 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 information on incidents re21 ported 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) of 

10 the Armed Forces during their enrollment in the Defense 

11 Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS). The 

12 matters assessed by the pilot program shall include the 

13 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 violence or child 

22 abuse and neglect. 

23 (4) The provision to families of information on 

24 the Military OneSource program of the Department 

25 of Defense. 


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1 (5) The provision to families of information on 

2 resources relating to domestic violence and child 

3 abuse and neglect that are available through local 

4 community service organizations. 

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 violence or child abuse and ne10 glect in order to provide such families with comprehensive 

11 information on the services available to such families in 

12 connection with such violence and abuse and neglect. The 

13 information so provided shall include a complete guide to 

14 the 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 violence 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 VIOLENCE. 

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 violence or child abuse and neglect, including online 

15 chat rooms and other support, text-based support, and ap16 plications on smartphones. 

17 SEC. 6. IMPROVEMENT OF COLLABORATION IN DOMESTIC 

18 VIOLENCE 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 violence 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. INSPECTOR GENERAL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DE2 FENSE REPORT ON BEST PRACTICES IN PRE3 VENTION AND RESPONSE TO DOMESTIC VIO4 LENCE AND CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT 

5 AMONG MILITARY FAMILIES. 

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

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

8 General of the Department of Defense shall submit to the 

9 Secretary of Defense, and to the congressional defense 

10 committees, a report on best practices among military in11 stallations in prevention and response to domestic violence 

12 and child abuse and neglect among military families. 

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

14 (a) shall include the following: 

15 (1) An identification and assessment of best 

16 practices among military installations in prevention 

17 and response to domestic violence and child abuse 

18 and neglect among military families in connection 

19 with the following: 

20 (A) Installation leadership. 

21 (B) Communication between the Family 

22 Advocacy Program and the installation com23 mand team. 

24 (C) Elimination of or reduction in barriers 

25 to effective incident response. 


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1 (2) Recommendations for mechanisms, at the 

2 installation, Armed Force, and military department 

3 level, to identify and assess lessons learned through 

4 programs, projects, and activities for prevention and 

5 response to domestic violence and child abuse and 

6 neglect among military families. 

7 (3) An identification and assessment of re8 sources in communities surrounding military instal9 lations that could assist in prevention and response 

10 to domestic violence and child abuse and neglect 

11 among military families. 

12 (4) An assessment of the benefits of bidirection13 al relationships involving the community resources 

14 identified pursuant to paragraph (3). 

15 (5) Recommendations for memoranda of under16 standing, or other formal relationships, between in17 stallations and surrounding communities on the 

18 shared use of resources identified pursuant to para19 graph (3), including recommendations on mecha20 nisms for expediting entry into such memoranda of 

21 understanding. 

22 (6) Such other matters regarding best practices 

23 among military installations in prevention and re24 sponse to domestic violence and child abuse and neVerDate Sep 11 2014 19:07 Jan 18, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H9044.IH H9044

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1 glect among military families as the Inspector Gen2 eral considers appropriate. 

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

4 Each Secretary of a military department may issue guid5 ance for commanders of installations under the jurisdic6 tion of such Secretary on best practices in prevention and 

7 response to domestic violence and child abuse and neglect 

8 among military families at such installations in light of 

9 the matters included in the report of the Inspector General 

10 under subsection (a). 

11 SEC. 8. CONGRESSIONAL DEFENSE COMMITTEES DEFINED. 

12 In this Act, the term ‘‘congressional defense commit13 tees’’ has the meaning given that term in section 

14 101(a)(16) of title 10, United States Code. 

Æ 


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