I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2811 
To improve oversight of privatized military housing provided by the Depart-
ment of Defense to members of the Armed Forces and their families, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 16, 2019 
Mr. PANETTA (for himself, Mr. HUDSON, Mr. BROWN of Maryland, Mr. CAR-
TER of Texas, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Mr. HECK, Ms. ESHOO, Mrs. 
HARTZLER, Mr. TAYLOR, and Mr. WALTZ) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services 
A BILL 
To improve oversight of privatized military housing provided 
by the Department of Defense to members of the Armed 
Forces and their families, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Better Military Hous-
ing Act of 2019’’. 
SEC. 2. OVERSIGHT OF PRIVATIZED MILITARY HOUSING. 
(a) ENHANCING HEALTH, SAFETY, AND QUALITY OF 
PRIVATIZED MILITARY HOUSING.— 
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(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than one year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary of Defense shall develop and implement a 
plan to address health, safety, and quality issues at 
privatized military housing. 
(2) NEW
PROCESSES, POSITIONS, AND
OF-
FICES.—The plan developed and implemented under 
paragraph (1) may include new processes for report-
ing challenges, as well as proposals for new positions 
or offices responsible for oversight of privatized mili-
tary housing contracts. 
(3) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary shall con-
sult with the Secretaries of the military depart-
ments, members of the Armed Forces and their fam-
ilies, and organizations that support members of the 
Armed Forces and their families in the development 
of the plan under paragraph (1). 
(4) REQUIREMENTS FOR NEW PROCESSES.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—At a minimum, the new 
processes included in the plan under paragraph 
(1) shall include the following elements: 
(i) Ensuring that members of the 
Armed Forces and their families may re-
port concerns regarding privatized military 
housing without concern of reprisal from 
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the military chain of command or the land-
lord of such housing, which may include— 
(I) establishing a confidential 
hotline; or 
(II) providing access to military 
housing advocates who will maintain 
confidentiality. 
(ii) Ensuring military leadership from 
installation commanders to the Secretaries 
of the military departments are regularly 
updated on outstanding issues at priva-
tized military housing facilities, including 
the time landlords are taking to resolve 
work order requests and respond to queries 
by tenants regarding work orders. 
(iii) To the extent practicable, estab-
lishing standardized metrics throughout 
the Department of Defense for evaluating 
housing health risks, quality, and safety. 
(iv) To the extent practicable, estab-
lishing common provisions that could be in-
corporated into tenancy agreements for 
privatized military housing throughout the 
Department. 
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(v) Improvements in carrying out 
oversight of privatized military housing 
contracts, which may include aligning in-
centive fee payments to health, safety, and 
quality metrics. 
(vi) Improvements in training for the 
offices of installation commanders and 
housing offices concerning responsibilities, 
authorities, and processes related to over-
sight of privatized military housing. 
(B) ADDITIONAL RESOURCES.—To the ex-
tent the new processes included in the plan 
under paragraph (1) require additional re-
sources, the Secretary shall request such re-
sources in the following fiscal year budget. 
(5) REPORT AND BRIEFING.—Not later than 
one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary of Defense and the Secretaries of the 
military departments shall— 
(A) submit to the congressional defense 
committees a report on the processes developed 
under the plan under paragraph (1) and any re-
sources needed to implement outstanding ele-
ments of such plan; and 
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(B) brief the congressional defense com-
mittees on such processes developed and such 
resources needed. 
(b) INFORMATION
FOR
TENANTS
AND
LAND-
LORDS.—Upon a tenant entering into a tenancy agree-
ment for a housing unit provided by the Department of 
Defense under a privatized military housing contract, the 
Secretary of Defense shall provide to the tenant informa-
tion on— 
(1) the rights of tenants, including recourse and 
actions, to include a ‘‘Tenants Bill of Rights’’; 
(2) the expectations of the Department regard-
ing reporting by tenants of maintenance, health, or 
safety issues relating to the housing unit; 
(3) the expectations of the Department regard-
ing the maintaining by landlords of certain stand-
ards relating to the condition, health, and safety of 
the housing unit; 
(4) a clear and comprehensive accounting of the 
rights and responsibilities of tenants and landlords 
relating to maintenance of the housing unit; and 
(5) a comprehensive maintenance, repair, and 
remediation history of the housing unit. 
(c) INSPECTOR GENERAL OVERSIGHT INSPECTIONS 
OF PRIVATIZED MILITARY HOUSING.—Not later than one 
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year after the date of the enactment of this Act, and not 
less frequently than annually thereafter, the Inspector 
General of the Department of Defense shall— 
(1) conduct an inspection of the oversight by 
the Department of privatized military housing at not 
fewer than 15 randomly selected installations of the 
Department; and 
(2) publish on a website of the Department 
available to the public a summary of the results of 
those inspections. 
(d) STUDY
ON POTENTIAL IMPROVEMENTS
FOR 
PRIVATIZED MILITARY HOUSING.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense 
shall conduct a study on ways to improve privatized 
military housing and the oversight and execution of 
privatized military housing contracts to improve 
housing conditions for members of the Armed 
Forces and their families who are stationed at in-
stallations of the Department of Defense. 
(2) ELEMENTS.—The study required by para-
graph (1) shall include an assessment of policy op-
tions for the Department to achieve the following ob-
jectives: 
(A) The use of privatized military housing 
contracts of shorter duration. 
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(B) The use of market incentives or other 
means to increase the availability of privatized 
military housing options for tenants on or out-
side of an installation, including the use of two 
or more landlords at a single installation, and 
including possibilities for increased housing op-
tions in communities where few options cur-
rently exist. 
(C) The use of technology applications to 
simplify, streamline, and improve transparency 
in the privatized military housing work order 
system. 
(D) The creation of a Special Housing Ad-
vocate— 
(i) to provide counsel to tenants of 
privatized military housing; and 
(ii) to independently represent the in-
terests of tenants before those of landlords. 
(E) Such other potential improvements to 
privatized military housing as the Secretary 
considers appropriate. 
(3) PARTNERSHIP.—The Secretary shall enter 
into a partnership with a Federally funded research 
and development center to conduct the study under 
paragraph (1). 
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(4) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
shall submit to the congressional defense committees 
a report on the findings of the study under para-
graph (1). 
(e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) CONGRESSIONAL DEFENSE COMMITTEES.— 
The term ‘‘congressional defense committees’’ has 
the meaning given that term in section 101(16) of 
title 10, United States Code. 
(2) LANDLORD.—The term ‘‘landlord’’ means 
an eligible entity or lessor who owns, manages, or is 
otherwise responsible for a housing unit under a 
privatized military housing contract. 
(3) 
PRIVATIZED
MILITARY
HOUSING.—The 
term ‘‘privatized military housing’’ means housing 
provided under subchapter IV of chapter 169 of title 
10, United States Code. 
(4) PRIVATIZED
MILITARY
HOUSING
CON-
TRACT.—The term ‘‘privatized military housing con-
tract’’ means a ground lease and all associated docu-
mentation between the Secretary of a military de-
partment and a landlord to provide privatized mili-
tary housing. 
Æ 
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