II 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1467 

To require a pilot program on information sharing between the Department 

of Defense and designated relatives and friends of members of the 

Armed Forces regarding the experiences and challenges of military service, particularly during and after overseas deployments, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 14, 2019 

Ms. SINEMA (for herself, Mr. TILLIS, and Mrs. GILLIBRAND) introduced the 

following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 

Armed Services 

A BILL 

To require a pilot program on information sharing between 

the Department of Defense and designated relatives and 

friends of members of the Armed Forces regarding the 

experiences and challenges of military service, particularly during and after overseas deployments, 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 ‘‘Sergeant Daniel 

5 Somers Network of Support Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM ON INFORMATION SHARING BE2 TWEEN DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AND DES3 IGNATED RELATIVES AND FRIENDS OF MEM4 BERS OF THE ARMED FORCES REGARDING 

5 THE EXPERIENCES AND CHALLENGES OF 

6 MILITARY SERVICE. 

7 (a) PILOT PROGRAM REQUIRED.— 

8 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year 

9 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec10 retary of Defense shall seek to enter into an agree11 ment with the American Red Cross to carry out a 

12 pilot program under which— 

13 (A) the American Red Cross— 

14 (i) encourages a member of the 

15 Armed Forces, upon the enlistment or ap16 pointment of such member, to designate up 

17 to 15 persons to whom information regard18 ing the military service of such member 

19 shall be disseminated using contact infor20 mation obtained under paragraph (5); and 

21 (ii) provides such persons, within 30 

22 days after the date on which such persons 

23 are designated under clause (i), the option 

24 to elect to receive such information regard25 ing military service; and 


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1 (B) the Secretary disseminates, not less 

2 frequently than quarterly, such information to 

3 such persons who elect to receive such informa4 tion under subparagraph (A)(ii). 

5 (2) TYPES OF INFORMATION.—The types of in6 formation to be disseminated by the Secretary to 

7 persons who elect to receive information under the 

8 pilot program shall include information regarding— 

9 (A) aspects of daily life and routine experi10 enced by members of the Armed Forces; 

11 (B) the challenges and stresses of military 

12 service, particularly during and after deploy13 ment as part of a contingency operation; 

14 (C) the services available to members of 

15 the Armed Forces and the dependents of such 

16 members to cope with the experiences and chal17 lenges of military service; 

18 (D) benefits administered by the Secretary 

19 for members of the Armed Forces and the de20 pendents of such members; 

21 (E) a toll-free telephone number through 

22 which such persons who elect to receive infor23 mation under the pilot program may request in24 formation regarding the program; and 


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1 (F) such other information as the Sec2 retary, in consultation with members of the 

3 Armed Forces and such persons who elect to re4 ceive information under the pilot program, de5 termines to be appropriate. 

6 (3) PRIVACY OF INFORMATION.—In carrying 

7 out the pilot program under paragraph (1), the Sec8 retary may not disseminate information under para9 graph (2) in violation of laws and regulations per10 taining to the privacy of members of the Armed 

11 Forces, including requirements pursuant to— 

12 (A) section 552a of title 5, United States 

13 Code; and 

14 (B) the Health Insurance Portability and 

15 Accountability Act of 1996 (Public Law 104– 

16 191). 

17 (4) NOTICE AND MODIFICATIONS.—In carrying 

18 out the pilot program under paragraph (1), the Sec19 retary shall, with respect to a member of the Armed 

20 Forces— 

21 (A) ensure that such member is notified of 

22 the ability to modify designations made by such 

23 member under paragraph (1)(A); and 


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1 (B) upon the request of a member, author2 ize such member to modify such designations at 

3 any time. 

4 (5) CONTACT INFORMATION.—In making a des5 ignation under the pilot program, a member of the 

6 Armed Forces shall provide necessary contact infor7 mation, specifically including an email address, to 

8 facilitate the dissemination of information regarding 

9 the military service of the member. 

10 (6) OPT-OUT OF PROGRAM.—In carrying out 

11 the pilot program under paragraph (1), the Sec12 retary shall, with respect to a person who has elect13 ed to receive information under such pilot program, 

14 cease disseminating such information to that person 

15 upon request of such person. 

16 (b) SURVEY AND REPORT ON PILOT PROGRAM.— 

17 (1) SURVEY.—Not later than two years after 

18 the date on which the pilot program commences, the 

19 Secretary, in consultation with the American Red 

20 Cross, shall administer a survey to persons who 

21 elected to receive information under the pilot pro22 gram for the purpose of receiving feedback regarding 

23 the quality of information disseminated under this 

24 section, including whether such information approVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:19 May 25, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1467.IS S1467

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1 priately reflects the military career progression of 

2 members of the Armed Forces. 

3 (2) REPORT.—Not later than three years after 

4 the date on which the pilot program commences, the 

5 Secretary shall submit to the congressional defense 

6 committees a report on the pilot program which in7 cludes— 

8 (A) the results of the survey administered 

9 under paragraph (1); 

10 (B) a determination as to whether the pilot 

11 program should be made permanent; and 

12 (C) recommendations as to modifications 

13 necessary to improve the program if made per14 manent. 

15 (3) CONGRESSIONAL DEFENSE COMMITTEES

16 DEFINED.—In this subsection, the term ‘‘congres17 sional defense committees’’ has the meaning given 

18 that term in section 101 of title 10, United States 

19 Code. 

20 (c) TERMINATION OF PILOT PROGRAM.—The pilot 

21 program shall terminate upon submission of the report re22 quired by subsection (b)(2). 

Æ 


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