I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3120 
To improve the review and effectiveness of the cost of living adjustments 
to pay and benefits for members of the Armed Forces and civilian 
employees of the Department of Defense whose permanent duty station 
is located in the 19th Congressional District of California, and for 
other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 30, 2025 
Mr. PANETTA introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight 
and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by 
the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall with-
in the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To improve the review and effectiveness of the cost of living 
adjustments to pay and benefits for members of the 
Armed Forces and civilian employees of the Department 
of Defense whose permanent duty station is located in 
the 19th Congressional District of California, and for 
other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. REPORT ON COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that— 
(1) United States military personnel and De-
partment of Defense civilians should be financially 
supported as they face frequent relocation over the 
course of their service, including in high-cost areas 
that can place financial burdens on these personnel; 
(2) the United States should provide for the 
basic needs of these personnel, including by offset-
ting the rising costs of goods and services, which are 
considerable in the sate of California, where the 
overall cost of living is markedly higher than the na-
tional average, including for housing, transportation, 
groceries, and healthcare; 
(3) the current means of calculating cost of liv-
ing adjustment rates (in this section referred to as 
‘‘COLA’’) may provide inaccurate or incomplete 
data, which is a concern as the cost of living in the 
19th congressional district of California may exceed 
the 107 percent index used to determine COLA 
rates; and 
(4) the means for calculating COLA should be 
periodically reviewed to ensure accuracy and make 
certain that the United States appropriately cares 
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for military personnel and civilian employees of the 
Department of Defense. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary of De-
fense for Personnel and Readiness shall submit to the 
Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the 
House of Representatives a report on cost of living adjust-
ment calculations for purposes of pay and benefits for 
members of the Armed Forces and civilian employees of 
the Department of Defense whose permanent duty station 
is located in the 19th Congressional District of California. 
Such report shall include— 
(1) an explanation of the methods used to col-
lect data and the factors used to determine such cost 
of living adjustment; 
(2) an assessment of the appropriateness of in-
cluding in the calculation of such cost of living ad-
justment the presence of military commissaries or 
exchanges; 
(3) the evaluation of the Under Secretary of— 
(A) whether any locations within the 19th 
Congressional District of California should be 
considered a high-cost area for purposes of 
chapter 67 of volume 7A of the Department of 
Defense Financial Management Regulation; 
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(B) whether the existence of a military 
commissary in Monterey, California, provides 
substantial financial support that affects the 
determination of a cost of living adjustment; 
and 
(C) the advisability of providing certain 
areas within the 19th Congressional District of 
California with an increased cost of living ad-
justment; and 
(4) a comparison of the factors that contribute 
to a determination of the cost of living adjustments 
that are applied to Monterey, California, and Santa 
Clara, California. 
Æ 
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