‘‘(3)(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), each 
medical care case manager shall be assigned to manage not 
more than 17 members in an outpatient status. 
‘‘(B) The Secretary concerned may waive for up to 120 
days the requirement of subparagraph (A) if required due 
to unforeseen circumstances. 
‘‘(4)(A) The medical care case manager office at each 
facility shall be headed by a commissioned officer of appro-
priate rank and appropriate military occupation specialty, 
designator, or specialty code. 
‘‘(B) For purposes of subparagraph (A), an appro-
priate military occupation specialty, designator, or spe-
cialty code includes membership in the Army Medical 
Corps, Army Medical Service Corps, Army Nurse Corps, 
Navy Medical Corps, Navy Medical Service Corps, Navy 
Nurse Corps, or Air Force Medical Service. 
‘‘(5) The Secretary of Defense shall establish a stand-
ard training program and curriculum for medical care case 
managers. Successful completion of the training program 
is required before a person may assume the duties of a med-
ical care case manager. 
‘‘(b) SERVICE MEMBER ADVOCATE.—(1) A member in 
an outpatient status shall be assigned a service member ad-
vocate. 
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‘‘(2) The duties of the service member advocate shall 
include— 
‘‘(A) communicating with the member and with 
the member’s family or other individuals designated 
by the member; 
‘‘(B) assisting with oversight of the member’s 
welfare and quality of life; and 
‘‘(C) assisting the member in resolving problems 
involving financial, administrative, personnel, transi-
tional, and other matters. 
‘‘(3)(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), each 
service member advocate shall be assigned to not more than 
30 members in an outpatient status. 
‘‘(B) The Secretary concerned may waive for up to 120 
days the requirement of subparagraph (A) if required due 
to unforeseen circumstances. 
‘‘(4) The service member advocate office at each facility 
shall be headed by a commissioned officer of appropriate 
rank and appropriate military occupation specialty, desig-
nator, or specialty code in order to handle service-specific 
personnel and financial issues. 
‘‘(5) The Secretary of Defense shall establish a stand-
ard training program and curriculum for service member 
advocates. Successful completion of the training program 
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is required before a person may assume the duties of a serv-
ice member advocate. 
‘‘(6) A service member advocate shall continue to per-
form the duties described in paragraph (2) with respect to 
a member until the member is returned to duty or separated 
or retired from the armed forces. 
‘‘(c) SEMIANNUAL SURVEYS BY SECRETARIES CON-
CERNED.—The Secretary concerned shall conduct a semi-
annual survey of members in an outpatient status at instal-
lations under the Secretary’s supervision. The survey shall 
include, at a minimum, the members’ assessment of the 
quality of medical care at the facility, the timeliness of med-
ical care at the facility, the adequacy of living facilities 
and other quality of life programs, the adequacy of case 
management support, and the fairness and timeliness of the 
physical disability evaluation system. The survey shall be 
conducted in coordination with installation medical com-
manders and authorities, and shall be coordinated with 
such commanders and authorities before submission to the 
Secretary. 
‘‘(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) The term ‘member in an outpatient status’ 
means a member of the armed forces assigned to a 
military medical treatment facility as an outpatient 
or to a unit established for the purpose of providing 
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command and control of members receiving medical 
care as outpatients. 
‘‘(2) The term ‘disability evaluation system’ 
means the Department of Defense system or process 
for evaluating the nature of and extent of disabilities 
affecting members of the armed forces (other than the 
Coast Guard) and comprised of medical evaluation 
boards, physical evaluation boards, counseling of 
members, and final disposition by appropriate per-
sonnel authorities, as operated by the Secretaries of 
the military departments, and, in the case of the 
Coast Guard, a similar system or process operated by 
the Secretary of Homeland Security.’’. 
(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec-
tions at the beginning of such chapter is amended by 
adding at the end the following new item: 
‘‘1074l. Management of medical and dental care: members assigned to receive care 
in an outpatient status.’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Section 1074l of title 10, 
United States Code, as added by subsection (a), shall take 
effect 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
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SEC. 102. ESTABLISHMENT OF TOLL-FREE HOT LINE FOR 
REPORTING DEFICIENCIES IN MEDICAL-RE-
LATED SUPPORT FACILITIES AND EXPEDITED 
RESPONSE TO REPORTS OF DEFICIENCIES. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Chapter 80 of title 10, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following 
new section: 
‘‘§ 1567. Identification and investigation of defi-
ciencies in adequacy, quality, and state of 
repair of medical-related support facili-
ties 
‘‘(a) TOLL-FREE HOT LINE.—The Secretary of De-
fense shall establish and maintain a toll-free telephone num-
ber (commonly referred to as a ‘hot line’) at which personnel 
are accessible at all times to collect, maintain, and update 
information regarding possible deficiencies in the adequacy, 
quality, and state of repair of medical-related support fa-
cilities. The Secretary shall widely disseminate information 
regarding the existence and availability of the toll-free tele-
phone number to members of the armed forces and their 
dependents. 
‘‘(b) INVESTIGATION AND RESPONSE PLAN.—Not later 
than 96 hours after a report of deficiencies in the adequacy, 
quality, or state of repair of a medical-related support facil-
ity is received by way of the toll-free telephone number or 
other source, the Secretary of Defense shall ensure that— 
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