A bill to enhance effective prosecution and defense in courts-martial, and for other purposes.

To enhance effective prosecution and defense in courts-martial, and for other purposes. 1. Enhancement of effective prosecution and defense in courts-martial and related matters (a) Additional element in program for effective prosecution and defense Subsection (a)(1) of section 542 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 ( Public Law 114–329 10 U.S.C. 827 or there is adequate supervision and oversight of trial counsel and defense counsel so detailed to ensure effective prosecution and defense in the court-martial (b) Assignment of civilian employees To supervise less experienced judge advocates in prosecution and defense Such section is further amended— (1) by redesignating subsections (c) and (d) as subsections (d) and (e), respectively; and (2) by inserting after subsection (b) the following new subsection (c): (c) Assignment of civilian employees To supervise less experienced judge advocates in prosecution and defense (1) Assignment authorized The Secretary concerned may assign the function of supervising and overseeing prosecution or defense in courts-martial by less experienced judge advocates to civilian employees of the military department concerned or the Department of Homeland Security, as applicable, who have extensive litigation expertise. (2) Status as supervisor A civilian employee assigned to supervise and oversee the prosecution or defense in a court-martial pursuant to this subsection is not required to be detailed to the case, but must be reasonably available for consultation during court-martial proceedings. . (c) Pilot programs on professional developmental process for judge advocates Subsection (d) of such section, as redesignated by subsection (b)(1) of this section, is amended— (1) in paragraph (1), striking establishing a military justice career track for judge advocates under the jurisdiction of the Secretary. (2) by redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph (5); and (3) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following new paragraph (4): (4) Elements Each pilot program shall include the following: (A) A military justice career track for judge advocates that leads to judge advocates with military justice expertise in the grade of colonel, or in the grade of captain in the case of judge advocates of the Navy, to prosecute and defend complex cases in military courts-martial. (B) The use of skill identifiers to identify judge advocates for participation in the pilot program from among judge advocates having appropriate skill and experience in military justice matters. (C) Guidance for promotion boards considering the selection for promotion of officers participating in the pilot program in order to ensure that judge advocates who are participating in the pilot program have the same opportunity for promotion as all other judge advocate officers being considered for promotion by such boards. (D) Such other matters as the Secretary concerned considers appropriate. .

Summary: This bill amends the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 to require of detailed trial and defense counsel in a court-martial that there be adequate supervision and oversight to ensure effective prosecution and defense in the court-martial. The military department concerned may assign the function of supervising and overseeing prosecution or defense in courts-martial by less experienced judge advocates to civilian employees of the department or the Department of Homeland Security, as applicable, who have extensive litigation experience. The bill revises requirements concerning pilot programs on the professional development process for judge advocates to direct the military department concerned to assess the feasibility and advisability of a military justice career track for judge advocates under the department's jurisdiction.