174 
sioned officer, and any other person designated under regu-
lations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense may admin-
ister any oath’’. 
SEC. 586. REPEAL OF REQUIREMENT FOR PERIODIC DE-
PARTMENT OF DEFENSE INSPECTOR GEN-
ERAL ASSESSMENTS OF VOTING ASSISTANCE 
COMPLIANCE AT MILITARY INSTALLATIONS. 
(a) REPEAL OF DUPLICATIVE ASSESSMENT REQUIRE-
MENT.—Section 1566 of title 10, United States Code, is 
amended by striking subsection (d). 
(b) REPEAL
OF EXPIRED PROVISION.—Subsection 
(g)(2) of such section is amended by striking the last sen-
tence. 
SEC. 587. PHYSICAL EVALUATION BOARDS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.— 
(1) PROCEDURAL REQUIREMENTS.—Chapter 61 
of title 10, United States Code, is amended by adding 
at the end the following new section: 
‘‘§ 1222. Physical evaluation boards 
‘‘(a) RESPONSE TO APPLICATIONS AND APPEALS.— 
The Secretary of each military department shall ensure, in 
the case of any member of the armed forces appearing before 
a physical evaluation board under that Secretary’s super-
vision, that documents announcing a decision of the board 
in the case convey the findings and conclusions of the board 
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in an orderly and itemized fashion with specific attention 
to each issue presented by the member in regard to that 
member’s case. The requirement under the preceding sen-
tence applies to a case both during initial consideration 
and upon subsequent consideration due to appeal by the 
member or other circumstance. 
‘‘(b) LIAISON OFFICER (PEBLO) REQUIREMENTS AND 
TRAINING.—(1) The Secretary of Defense shall prescribe 
regulations establishing — 
‘‘(A) a requirement for the Secretary of each 
military department to make available to members of 
the armed forces appearing before physical evaluation 
boards operated by that Secretary employees, des-
ignated as physical evaluation board liaison officers, 
to provide advice, counsel, and general information to 
such members on the operation of physical evaluation 
boards operated by that Secretary; and 
‘‘(B) standards and guidelines concerning the 
training of such physical evaluation board liaison of-
ficers. 
‘‘(2) The Secretary shall assess compliance by the Sec-
retary of each military department with physical evalua-
tion board liaison officer requirements and training stand-
ards and guidelines at least once every three years. 
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176 
‘‘(c) STANDARDIZED STAFF TRAINING
AND OPER-
ATIONS.—(1) The Secretary of Defense shall prescribe regu-
lations on standards and guidelines concerning the physical 
evaluation board operated by each of the Secretaries of the 
military departments with regard to— 
‘‘(A) assignment and training of staff; 
‘‘(B) operating procedures; and 
‘‘(C) consistency and timeliness of board deci-
sions. 
‘‘(2) The Secretary shall assess compliance with stand-
ards and guidelines prescribed under paragraph (1) by each 
physical evaluation board at least once every three years.’’. 
(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: 
‘‘1222.
Physical evaluation boards.’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Section 1222 of title 10, 
United States Code, as added by subsection (a), shall apply 
with respect to decisions rendered on cases commenced more 
than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 588. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR TRANSITIONAL ASSIST-
ANCE PROGRAM. 
(a) REQUIRED PARTICIPATION FOR CERTAIN MEM-
BERS.—Subsection (c) of section 1144 of title 10, United 
States Code, is amended to read as follows: 
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‘‘(c) PARTICIPATION.—(1) Except as provided in para-
graph (2), the Secretary of Defense shall require participa-
tion by members of the armed forces eligible for assistance 
under the program carried out under this section. 
‘‘(2) The Secretary of Defense need not require, but 
shall encourage and otherwise promote, participation in the 
program by the following members described in paragraph 
(1): 
‘‘(A) A member who has previously participated 
in the program. 
‘‘(B) A member who, upon discharge or release 
from active duty, is returning to— 
‘‘(i) a position of employment; or 
‘‘(ii) pursuit of an academic degree or other 
educational or occupational training objective 
that the members was pursuing when called or 
ordered to such active duty. 
‘‘(3) Members of the armed forces eligible for assistance 
under this section include— 
‘‘(A) members of the reserve components being 
separated from service on active duty for a period of 
more than 30 days; and 
‘‘(B) members of the National Guard being sepa-
rated from full-time National Guard duty. 
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178 
‘‘(4) The Secretary concerned shall ensure that com-
manders of members who are required to be provided assist-
ance under this section authorize the members to be pro-
vided such assistance during duty time.’’. 
(b) REQUIRED UPDATING OF MATERIALS.—Such sec-
tion is further amended by adding at the end the following 
new subsection: 
‘‘(e) UPDATING OF MATERIALS.—The Secretary con-
cerned shall, on a continuing basis, update the content of 
the materials used by the National Veterans Training Insti-
tute of the Department of Labor and the Secretary’s other 
materials that provide direct training support to personnel 
who carry out the program established in this section.’’. 
SEC. 589. REVISION IN GOVERNMENT CONTRIBUTIONS TO 
MEDICARE-ELIGIBLE RETIREE HEALTH CARE 
FUND. 
(a) MEDICARE ELIGIBLE RETIREE HEALTH CARE 
FUND.—Section 1111 of title 10, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘of the Depart-
ment of Defense’’; 
(2) in subsection (b), by adding at the end of the 
following new paragraph: 
‘‘(5) The term ‘members of the uniformed services 
on active duty’ does not include a cadet at the United 
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179 
States Military Academy, the United States Air Force 
Academy, or the Coast Guard Academy or a mid-
shipman at the United States Naval Academy.’’; and 
(3) in the last sentence of subsection (c)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘Secretary of Defense’’ and 
inserting ‘‘Secretary of the Treasury’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘section 1116(a)’’ and in-
serting ‘‘section 1116 of this title’’. 
(b) DETERMINATION
OF CONTRIBUTIONS
TO
THE 
FUND.—Section 1115 of such title is amended— 
(1) in the last sentence of subsection (a)— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘by the Secretary of the 
Treasury’’ after ‘‘Contributions to the Fund’’; 
and 
(B) by striking ‘‘section 1116(c)’’ and in-
serting ‘‘section 1116(a)(1)’’. 
(2) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), 
by striking the first sentence and inserting the 
following: ‘‘The Secretary of the Treasury, based 
on data provided by the Secretary of Defense, 
shall determine, before the beginning of each fis-
cal year, the amount that the Secretary of the 
Treasury shall contribute to the Fund during 
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180 
that fiscal year under section 1116(a)(2) of this 
title.’’; 
(B) in paragraph (1)(B), by inserting be-
fore the period at the end the following: ‘‘, but 
excluding any member who would be excluded for 
active-duty end strength purposes by section 
115(I) of this title’’; and 
(C) in paragraph (2)(B)— 
(I) by striking ‘‘Ready Reserve’’ and 
inserting ‘‘Selected Reserve’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘(other than members 
on full-time National Guard duty other 
than for training)’’; and 
(3) in subsection (c)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)(A), by inserting before 
the semicolon the following: ‘‘, but excluding any 
member who would be excluded for active-duty 
end strength purposes by section 115(I) of this 
title’’; 
(B) in paragraph (1)(B)— 
(I) by striking ‘‘Ready Reserve’’ and 
inserting ‘‘Selected Reserve’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘(other than members 
on full-time National Guard duty other 
than for training)’’; and 
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181 
(C) in paragraph (5), by inserting after 
‘‘(5)’’ the following new sentence: ‘‘The Secretary 
of Defense, before the beginning of each fiscal 
year, shall promptly provide data to the Sec-
retary of the Treasury regarding the actuarial 
valuations conducted under this subsection that 
would affect the contributions of the Secretary of 
the Treasury to the Fund for that fiscal year.’’. 
(c) PAYMENTS INTO THE FUND.—Section 1116 of such 
title is amended— 
(1) in the matter in subsection (a) preceding 
paragraph (1)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘after September 30, 2005’’; 
and 
(B) by striking ‘‘Treasury—’’ and inserting 
‘‘Treasury the following:’’; 
(2) by redesignating paragraph (2) of subsection 
(a) as paragraph (3); 
(3) by striking paragraph (1) of subsection (a) 
and inserting the following: 
‘‘(1) The amount determined to be required as 
the contribution to the Fund under subsection (a) of 
section 1115 of this title. 
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182 
‘‘(2) The amount determined to be required as 
the contribution to the Fund under subsection (b) of 
section 1115 of this title.’’; 
(4) in paragraph (3) of subsection (a) (as redes-
ignated by paragraph (2)), by capitalizing the first 
letter of the first word; 
(5) by transferring paragraphs (3), (4), and (5) 
of subsection (b) to the end of subsection (a) and re-
designating those paragraphs as paragraphs (4), (5), 
and (6), respectively; and 
(6) by striking subsection (b) (as amended by 
paragraph (5)) and subsections (c) and (d) and in-
serting the following new subsection (b): 
‘‘(b) No funds authorized or appropriated to the De-
partment of Defense may be used to fund, or otherwise pro-
vide for, the payments required by this section.’’. 
(d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by this 
section shall take effect with respect to payments under 
chapter 56 of title 10, United States Code, beginning with 
fiscal year 2008. 
SEC. 590. MILITARY CHAPLAINS. 
(a) UNITED STATES ARMY.—Section 3547 of title 10, 
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following new subsection: 
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183 
‘‘(c) Each chaplain shall have the prerogative to pray 
according to the dictates of the chaplain’s own conscience, 
except as must be limited by military necessity, with any 
such limitation being imposed in the least restrictive man-
ner feasible.’’. 
(b) UNITED STATES MILITARY ACADEMY.—Section 
4337 of such title is amended— 
(1) by inserting ‘‘(a)’’ before ‘‘There’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(b) The Chaplain shall have the prerogative to pray 
according to the dictates of the Chaplain’s conscience, except 
as must be limited by military necessity, with any such 
limitation being imposed in the least restrictive manner 
feasible.’’. 
(c) UNITED STATES NAVY AND MARINE CORPS.—Sec-
tion 6031 of such title is amended by adding at the end 
the following new subsection: 
‘‘(d) Each chaplain shall have the prerogative to pray 
according to the dictates of the chaplain’s own conscience, 
except as must be limited by military necessity, with any 
such limitation being imposed in the least restrictive man-
ner feasible.’’. 
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184 
(d) UNITED STATES AIR FORCE.—Section 8547 of 
such title is amended by adding at the end the following 
new subsection: 
‘‘(c) Each chaplain shall have the prerogative to pray 
according to the dictates of the chaplain’s own conscience, 
except as must be limited by military necessity, with any 
such limitation being imposed in the least restrictive man-
ner feasible.’’. 
(e) UNITED STATES AIR FORCE ACADEMY.—Section 
9337 of such title is amended— 
(1) by inserting ‘‘(a)’’ before ‘‘There’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(b) The Chaplain shall have the prerogative to pray 
according to the dictates of the Chaplain’s conscience, except 
as must be limited by military necessity, with any such 
limitation being imposed in the least restrictive manner 
feasible.’’. 
SEC. 591. REPORT ON PERSONNEL REQUIREMENTS FOR 
AIRBORNE ASSETS IDENTIFIED AS LOW-DEN-
SITY, HIGH-DEMAND AIRBORNE ASSETS. 
(a) REPORT REQUIRED.—Not later than 90 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of De-
fense shall submit to the Committee on Armed Services of 
the Senate and the Committee on Armed Services of the 
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185 
House of Representatives a report on personnel require-
ments for airborne assets identified as Low-Density, High- 
Demand Airborne Assets based on combatant commander 
requirements to conduct and sustain operations for the glob-
al war on terrorism. 
(b) MATTER TO BE INCLUDED.—The report shall in-
clude the following for each airborne asset identified as a 
Low-Density, High-Demand Airborne Asset: 
(1) The numbers of operations and maintenance 
crews to meet tasking contemplated to conduct oper-
ations for the global war on terrorism. 
(2) The current numbers of operations and 
maintenance crews. 
(3) If applicable, shortages of operations and 
maintenance crews. 
(4) Whether such shortages are addressed in the 
future-years defense program. 
(5) Whether end-strength increases are required 
to meet any such shortages. 
(6) Costs of personnel needed to address short-
falls. 
(7) If applicable, the number and types of equip-
ment needed to address training shortfalls. 
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