166 
service marks identifying the Academy, subject to 
the approval of the Secretary of the Air Force. 
‘‘(2) LIMITATIONS.—No such licensing, mar-
keting, or sponsorship agreement may be entered 
into if it would reflect unfavorably on the ability of 
the Department of the Air Force, any of its employ-
ees, or any member of the armed forces to carry out 
any responsibility or duty in a fair and objective 
manner, or if the Secretary determines that the use 
of the trademark or service mark would compromise 
the integrity or appearance of integrity of any pro-
gram of the Department of the Air Force, or any in-
dividual involved in such a program.’’. 
SEC. 555. REPORT ON TUITION ASSISTANCE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Army shall, 
not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, submit to the Committees on Armed Services 
of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report 
on the requirement of the Army, effective January 1, 
2014, that members of the Army may become eligible for 
the Army’s tuition assistance program only after serving 
a period of 1 year after completing certain training 
courses, such as advance individual training, officer can-
didate school, and the basic officer leader course.
167 
(b) CONTENTS.—The report under subsection (a) 
shall include the Secretary’s— 
(1) evaluation of the potential savings in costs 
resulting from requiring all service members to wait 
a period of 1 year after training described in sub-
section (a) before becoming eligible for the Army’s 
tuition assistance program; 
(2) evaluation of the impact that the 1-year 
waiting period described in subsection (a) will have 
on recruitment for the National Guard; and 
(3) explanation of the extent to which the quali-
ties of the National Guard, including the role of col-
lege students and college-bound students in the Na-
tional Guard, were considered before reaching the 
decision to require all service members to wait a pe-
riod of 1 year before becoming eligible for the 
Army’s tuition assistance program.
168 
Subtitle G—Defense Dependents’ 
Education 
SEC. 561. CONTINUATION OF AUTHORITY TO ASSIST LOCAL 
EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES THAT BENEFIT DE-
PENDENTS OF MEMBERS OF THE ARMED 
FORCES AND DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE CI-
VILIAN EMPLOYEES. 
(a) ASSISTANCE TO SCHOOLS WITH SIGNIFICANT 
NUMBERS OF MILITARY DEPENDENT STUDENTS.—Of the 
amount authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 2015 
by section 301 and available for operation and mainte-
nance for Defense-wide activities as specified in the fund-
ing table in section 4301, $25,000,000 shall be available 
only for the purpose of providing assistance to local edu-
cational agencies under subsection (a) of section 572 of 
the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 
2006 (Public Law 109–163; 20 U.S.C. 7703b). 
(b) LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY DEFINED.—In 
this section, the term ‘‘local educational agency’’ has the 
meaning given that term in section 8013(9) of the Ele-
mentary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
7713(9)).
169 
SEC. 562. AUTHORITY TO EMPLOY NON-UNITED STATES 
CITIZENS AS TEACHERS IN DEPARTMENT OF 
DEFENSE OVERSEAS DEPENDENTS’ SCHOOL 
SYSTEM. 
Section 2(2)(A) of the Defense Department Overseas 
Teachers Pay and Personnel Practices Act (20 U.S.C. 
901(2)(A)) is amended by inserting before the comma at 
the end the following: ‘‘or, in the case of a teaching posi-
tion that involves instruction in the host-nation language, 
a local national when a citizen of the United States is not 
reasonably available to provide such instruction’’. 
SEC. 563. EXPANSION OF FUNCTIONS OF THE ADVISORY 
COUNCIL ON DEPENDENTS’ EDUCATION TO 
INCLUDE DOMESTIC DEPENDENT ELEMEN-
TARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS. 
(a) EXPANSION OF FUNCTIONS.—Subsection (c) of 
section 1411 of the Defense Dependents’ Education Act 
of 1978 (20 U.S.C. 929) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘, and of the 
domestic dependent elementary and secondary school 
system established under section 2164 of title 10, 
United States Code,’’ after ‘‘of the defense depend-
ents’ education system’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (2), by inserting ‘‘and in the 
domestic dependent elementary and secondary school 
system’’ before the comma at the end.
170 
(b) 
MEMBERSHIP
OF
COUNCIL.—Subsection 
(a)(1)(B) of such section is amended— 
(1) by inserting ‘‘and the domestic dependent 
elementary and secondary schools established under 
section 2164 of title 10, United States Code’’ after 
‘‘the defense dependents’ education system’’; and 
(2) by inserting ‘‘either’’ before ‘‘such system’’. 
SEC. 564. SUPPORT FOR EFFORTS TO IMPROVE ACADEMIC 
ACHIEVEMENT AND TRANSITION OF MILI-
TARY DEPENDENT STUDENTS. 
The Secretary of Defense may make grants to non-
profit organizations that provide services to improve the 
academic achievement of military dependent students, in-
cluding those nonprofit organizations whose programs 
focus on improving the civic responsibility of military de-
pendent students and their understanding of the Federal 
Government through direct exposure to the operations of 
the Federal Government. 
SEC. 565. AMENDMENTS TO THE IMPACT AID IMPROVE-
MENT ACT OF 2012. 
Section 563(c) of National Defense Authorization Act 
for Fiscal Year 2013 (Public Law 112–239; 126 Stat. 
1748; 20 U.S.C. 6301 note) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1)—
171 
(A) by striking ‘‘2-year’’ and inserting ‘‘5- 
year’’; and 
(B) by inserting before the period at the 
end the following, ‘‘, except that amendment 
made by subsection (b) to subparagraph (B) of 
section 8002(b)(3) of the Elementary and Sec-
ondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
7702(b)(3)(B)) shall be effective for a 2-year 
period beginning on the date of enactment of 
this Act’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (4)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘The amendments’’ and in-
serting the following: 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The amendments’’; 
(B) by inserting ‘‘and subparagraph (B) of 
this paragraph’’ after ‘‘subsection (b)’’; 
(C) by striking ‘‘2-year’’ and inserting ‘‘5- 
year’’; 
(D) by inserting ‘‘and such subparagraph’’ 
after ‘‘such subsection’’ each place it appears; 
and 
(E) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(B) SPECIAL RULE.—For the period be-
ginning January 3, 2015, and ending January 
2, 
2017, 
subparagraph 
(B) 
of 
section
172 
8002(b)(3) of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education 
Act 
of 
1965 
(20 
U.S.C. 
7702(b)(3)(B)) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘ ‘(B) SPECIAL RULE.—In the case of Fed-
eral property eligible under this section that is 
within the boundaries of two or more local edu-
cational agencies that are eligible under this 
section, any of such agencies may ask the Sec-
retary to calculate (and the Secretary shall cal-
culate) the taxable value of the eligible Federal 
property that is within its boundaries by— 
‘‘ ‘(i) first calculating the per-acre 
value of the eligible Federal property sepa-
rately for each eligible local educational 
agency that shares the Federal property, 
as provided in subparagraph (A)(ii); 
‘‘ ‘(ii) then averaging the resulting 
per-acre values of the eligible Federal 
property from each eligible local edu-
cational agency that shares the Federal 
property; and 
‘‘ ‘(iii) then applying the average per- 
acre value to determine the total taxable 
value of the eligible Federal property under
173 
subparagraph (A)(iii) for the requesting 
local educational agency.’.’’. 
Subtitle H—Decorations and 
Awards 
SEC. 571. MEDALS FOR MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES 
AND CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES OF THE DEPART-
MENT OF DEFENSE WHO WERE KILLED OR 
WOUNDED IN AN ATTACK INSPIRED OR MOTI-
VATED BY A FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZA-
TION. 
(a) PURPLE HEART.— 
(1) AWARD.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 57 of title 10, 
United States Code, is amended by inserting 
after section 1129 the following new section: 
‘‘§ 1129a. Purple Heart: members killed or wounded 
in attacks inspired or motivated by for-
eign terrorist organizations 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of the award of the 
Purple Heart, the Secretary concerned shall treat a mem-
ber of the armed forces described in subsection (b) in the 
same manner as a member who is killed or wounded as 
a result of an international terrorist attack against the 
United States.
174 
‘‘(b) COVERED MEMBERS.—A member described in 
this subsection is a member on active duty who was killed 
or wounded in an attack inspired or motivated by a foreign 
terrorist organization in circumstances where the death or 
wound is the result of an attack targeted on the member 
due to such member’s status as a member of the armed 
forces, unless the death or wound is the result of willful 
misconduct of the member. 
‘‘(c) FOREIGN
TERRORIST
ORGANIZATION
DE-
FINED.—In this section, the term ‘foreign terrorist organi-
zation’ means an entity designated as a foreign terrorist 
organization by the Secretary of State pursuant to section 
219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
1189).’’. 
(B) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of 
sections at the beginning of chapter 57 of such 
title is amended by inserting after the item re-
lating to section 1129 the following new item: 
‘‘1129a. Purple Heart: members killed or wounded in attacks inspired or moti-
vated by foreign terrorist organizations.’’. 
(2) RETROACTIVE EFFECTIVE DATE AND APPLI-
CATION.— 
(A) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments 
made by paragraph (1) shall take effect as of 
September 11, 2001.
175 
(B) REVIEW OF CERTAIN PREVIOUS INCI-
DENTS.—The Secretaries concerned shall un-
dertake a review of each death or wounding of 
a member of the Armed Forces that occurred 
between September 11, 2001, and the date of 
the enactment of this Act under circumstances 
that could qualify as being the result of an at-
tack described in section 1129a of title 10, 
United States Code (as added by paragraph 
(1)), to determine whether the death or wound-
ing qualifies as a death or wounding resulting 
an attack inspired or motivated by a foreign 
terrorist organization for purposes of the award 
of the Purple Heart pursuant to such section 
(as so added). 
(C) ACTIONS FOLLOWING REVIEW.—If the 
death or wounding of a member of the Armed 
Forces reviewed under subparagraph (B) is de-
termined to qualify as a death or wounding re-
sulting from an attack inspired or motivated by 
a foreign terrorist organization as described in 
section 1129a of title 10, United States Code 
(as so added), the Secretary concerned shall 
take appropriate action under such section to 
award the Purple Heart to the member.
176 
(D) SECRETARY CONCERNED DEFINED.— 
In this paragraph, the term ‘‘Secretary con-
cerned’’ has the meaning given that term in 
section 101(a)(9) of title 10, United States 
Code. 
(b) SECRETARY OF DEFENSE MEDAL FOR THE DE-
FENSE OF FREEDOM.— 
(1) REVIEW OF THE NOVEMBER 5, 2009, AT-
TACK AT FORT HOOD, TEXAS.—If the Secretary con-
cerned determines, after a review under subsection 
(a)(2)(B) regarding the attack that occurred at Fort 
Hood, Texas, on November 5, 2009, that the death 
or wounding of any member of the Armed Forces in 
that attack qualified as a death or wounding result-
ing from an attack inspired or motivated by a for-
eign terrorist organization as described in section 
1129a of title 10, United States Code (as added by 
subsection (a)), the Secretary of Defense shall make 
a determination as to whether the death or wound-
ing of any civilian employee of the Department of 
Defense or civilian contractor in the same attack 
meets the eligibility criteria for the award of the 
Secretary of Defense Medal for the Defense of Free-
dom.
177 
(2) AWARD.—If the Secretary of Defense deter-
mines under paragraph (1) that the death or wound-
ing of any civilian employee of the Department of 
Defense or civilian contractor in the attack that oc-
curred at Fort Hood, Texas, on November 5, 2009, 
meets the eligibility criteria for the award of the 
Secretary of Defense Medal for the Defense of Free-
dom, the Secretary shall take appropriate action to 
award the Secretary of Defense Medal for the De-
fense of Freedom to the employee or contractor. 
SEC. 572. RETROACTIVE AWARD OF ARMY COMBAT ACTION 
BADGE. 
(a) AUTHORITY TO AWARD.—The Secretary of the 
Army may award the Army Combat Action Badge (estab-
lished by order of the Secretary of the Army through 
Headquarters, Department of the Army Letter 600–05– 
1, dated June 3, 2005) to a person who, while a member 
of the Army, participated in combat during which the per-
son personally engaged, or was personally engaged by, the 
enemy at any time during the period beginning on Decem-
ber 7, 1941, and ending on September 18, 2001 (the date 
of the otherwise applicable limitation on retroactivity for 
the award of such decoration), if the Secretary determines 
that the person has not been previously recognized in an 
appropriate manner for such participation.
178 
(b) PROCUREMENT OF BADGE.—The Secretary of 
the Army may make arrangements with suppliers of the 
Army Combat Action Badge so that eligible recipients of 
the Army Combat Action Badge pursuant to subsection 
(a) may procure the badge directly from suppliers, thereby 
eliminating or at least substantially reducing administra-
tive costs for the Army to carry out this section. 
SEC. 573. REPORT ON NAVY REVIEW, FINDINGS, AND AC-
TIONS PERTAINING TO MEDAL OF HONOR 
NOMINATION OF MARINE CORPS SERGEANT 
RAFAEL PERALTA. 
Not later than 30 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Secretary of the Navy shall submit 
to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and 
House of Representatives a report describing the Navy re-
view, findings, and actions pertaining to the Medal of 
Honor nomination of Marine Corps Sergeant Rafael 
Peralta. The report shall account for all evidence sub-
mitted with regard to the case. 
SEC. 574. RECOGNITION OF WERETH MASSACRE OF 11 AF-
RICAN-AMERICAN SOLDIERS OF THE UNITED 
STATES ARMY DURING THE BATTLE OF THE 
BULGE. 
Congress officially recognizes the dedicated service 
and ultimate sacrifice on behalf of the United States of
179 
the 11 African-American soldiers of the 333rd Field Artil-
lery Battalion of the United States Army who were mas-
sacred in Wereth, Belgium, during the Battle of the Bulge 
on December 17, 1944. 
SEC. 575. REPORT ON ARMY REVIEW, FINDINGS, AND AC-
TIONS PERTAINING TO MEDAL OF HONOR 
NOMINATION 
OF 
CAPTAIN 
WILLIAM 
L. 
ALBRACHT. 
Not later than 30 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Secretary of the Army shall— 
(1) conduct a review of the initial review, find-
ings, and actions undertaken by the Army in connec-
tion with the Medal of Honor nomination of Captain 
William L. Albracht; and 
(2) submit to the Committees on Armed Serv-
ices of the Senate and the House of Representatives 
a report describing the results of the review required 
by this section, including an accounting of all evi-
dence submitted with regard to the nomination.
180 
Subtitle I—Miscellaneous 
Reporting Requirements 
SEC. 581. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE REVIEW AND REPORT 
ON PREVENTION OF SUICIDE AMONG MEM-
BERS OF UNITED STATES SPECIAL OPER-
ATIONS FORCES. 
(a) REVIEW REQUIRED.—The Secretary of Defense, 
acting through the Under Secretary of Defense for Per-
sonnel and Readiness and the Assistant Secretary of De-
fense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict, 
shall conduct a review of Department of Defense efforts 
regarding the prevention of suicide among members of 
United States Special Operations Forces and their de-
pendents. 
(b) CONSULTATION.—In conducting the review under 
subsection (a), the Secretary of Defense shall consult with, 
and consider the recommendations of, the Office of Suicide 
Prevention, the Secretaries of the military departments, 
the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations 
and Low Intensity Conflict, and the United States Special 
Operations Command regarding the feasibility of imple-
menting, for members of United States Special Operations 
Forces and their dependents, particular elements of the 
Department of Defense suicide prevention policy developed 
pursuant to section 533 of the National Defense Author-
181 
ization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 (Public Law 112–81; 10 
U.S.C. 1071 note) and section 582 of the National De-
fense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 (Public Law 
112–239. 10 U.S.C. 1071 note). 
(c) ELEMENTS OF REVIEW.—The review conducted 
under subsection (a) shall specifically include an assess-
ment of each of the following: 
(1) Current Armed Forces and United States 
Special Operations Command policy guidelines on 
the prevention of suicide among members of United 
States Special Operations Forces and their depend-
ents. 
(2) Current and direct Armed Forces and 
United States Special Operations Command suicide 
prevention programs and activities for members of 
United States Special Operations Forces and their 
dependents, including programs provided by the De-
fense Health Program and the Office of Suicide Pre-
vention and programs supporting family members. 
(3) Current Armed Forces and United States 
Special Operations Command strategies to reduce 
suicides among members of United States Special 
Operations Forces and their dependents, including 
the cost of such strategies across the future years 
defense program.
182 
(4) Current Armed Forces and United States 
Special Operations Command standards of care for 
suicide prevention among members of United States 
Special Operations Forces and their dependents, in-
cluding training standards for behavioral health care 
providers to ensure that such providers receive train-
ing on clinical best practices and evidence-based 
treatments as information on such practices and 
treatments becomes available. 
(5) The integration of mental health screenings 
and suicide risk and prevention efforts for members 
of United States Special Operations Forces and 
their dependents into the delivery of primary care 
for such members and dependents. 
(6) The standards for responding to attempted 
or completed suicides among members of United 
States Special Operations Forces and their depend-
ents, including guidance and training to assist com-
manders in addressing incidents of attempted or 
completed suicide within their units. 
(7) The standards regarding data collection for 
individual members of United States Special Oper-
ations Forces and their dependents, including re-
lated factors such as domestic violence and child 
abuse.
183 
(8) The means to ensure the protection of pri-
vacy of members of United States Special Oper-
ations Forces and their dependents who seek or re-
ceive treatment related to suicide prevention. 
(9) The need to differentiate members of 
United States Special Operations Forces and their 
dependents from members of conventional forces and 
their dependents in the development and delivery of 
the Department of Defense suicide prevention pro-
gram. 
(10) Such other matters as the Secretary of 
Defense considers appropriate in connection with the 
prevention of suicide among members of United 
States Special Operations Forces and their depend-
ents. 
(d) SUBMISSION OF REPORT.—Not later than 90 
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on 
Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Represent-
atives a report containing the results of the review con-
ducted under subsection (a).
184 
SEC. 582. INSPECTOR GENERAL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF 
DEFENSE REVIEW OF SEPARATION OF MEM-
BERS OF THE ARMED FORCES WHO MADE UN-
RESTRICTED REPORTS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT. 
(a) REVIEW REQUIRED.—The Inspector General of 
the Department of Defense shall conduct a review— 
(1) to identify all members of the Armed Forces 
who, since January 1, 2002, were separated from 
the Armed Forces after making an unrestricted re-
port of sexual assault; 
(2) to determine the circumstances of and 
grounds for each such separation, including— 
(A) whether the separation was in retalia-
tion for or influenced by the identified member 
making an unrestricted report of sexual assault; 
and 
(B) whether the identified member re-
quested an appeal; and 
(3) if an identified member was separated on 
the grounds of having a personality or adjustment 
disorder, to determine whether the separation was 
carried out in compliance with Department of De-
fense Instruction 1332.14 and any other applicable 
Department of Defense regulations, directives, and 
policies.
185 
(b) SUBMISSION OF RESULTS AND RECOMMENDA-
TIONS.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the en-
actment of this Act, the Inspector General of the Depart-
ment of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed 
Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives 
the results of the review conducted under subsection (a), 
including such recommendations as the Inspector General 
of the Department of Defense considers necessary. 
SEC. 583. COMPTROLLER GENERAL REPORT REGARDING 
MANAGEMENT OF PERSONNEL RECORDS OF 
MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL GUARD. 
(a) REPORT REQUIRED.—Not later than April 1, 
2015, the Comptroller General of the United States shall 
submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Sen-
ate and the House of Representatives a report regarding 
the management of personnel records of members of the 
National Guard. 
(b) ELEMENTS OF REPORT.—In preparing the report 
under subsection (a), the Comptroller General shall con-
sider, at a minimum, the following: 
(1) The appropriate Federal role and responsi-
bility in the management of the records of National 
Guard members. 
(2) The extent to which selected States have 
digitized the records of National Guard members.
186 
(3) The extent to which those States and Fed-
eral agencies have entered into agreements to share 
the digitized records. 
(4) The extent to which Federal agencies face 
any constraints in their ability to effectively manage 
National Guard records. 
SEC. 584. STUDY ON GENDER INTEGRATION IN DEFENSE 
OPERATION PLANNING AND EXECUTION. 
(a) STUDY REQUIRED.—Not later than 30 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Chairman of 
the Joint Chiefs of Staff shall conduct a study concerning 
the integration of gender into the planning and execution 
of foreign operations of the Armed Forces at all levels. 
(b) ELEMENTS OF STUDY.—In conducting the study 
under subsection (a), the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs 
of Staff shall— 
(1) identify those elements of defense doctrine, 
if any, that should be revised to address attention to 
women and gender; 
(2) evaluate the need for a gender advisor 
training program, including the length of training, 
proposed curriculum, and location of training; 
(3) determine how to best equip military leader-
ship to integrate attention to women and gender 
across all lines of effort;
187 
(4) determine the extent to which personnel 
qualified to advise on women and gender are avail-
able within the Department of Defense, including 
development of a billet description for gender advi-
sors; and 
(5) evaluate where to assign gender advisors 
within operational commands from the strategic to 
tactical levels, with particular attention paid to as-
signing advisors to combatant commanders and serv-
ice chiefs. 
(c) SUBMISSION OF RESULTS.—Not later than 270 
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Chair-
man of the Joint Chiefs of Staff shall submit to the con-
gressional defense committees a report containing the re-
sults of the study conducted under subsection (a). The re-
port shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may in-
clude a classified annex. 
SEC. 585. DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF REPORT CON-
TAINING RESULTS OF REVIEW OF OFFICE OF 
DIVERSITY MANAGEMENT AND EQUAL OP-
PORTUNITY ROLE IN SEXUAL HARASSMENT 
CASES. 
Not later than June 1, 2015, the Secretary of De-
fense shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services 
of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report
188 
containing the results of the review conducted pursuant 
to section 1735 of the National Defense Authorization Act 
for Fiscal Year 2014 (Public Law 113–66; 127 Stat. 976). 
SEC. 586. COMPTROLLER GENERAL AND MILITARY DE-
PARTMENT REPORTS ON HAZING IN THE 
ARMED FORCES. 
(a) COMPTROLLER GENERAL REPORT.— 
(1) REPORT
REQUIRED.—Not later than one 
year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Comptroller General of the United States shall sub-
mit to the designated congressional committees a re-
port on the policies to prevent hazing, and systems 
initiated to track incidents of hazing, in each of the 
Armed Forces, including reserve components, officer 
candidate schools, military service academies, mili-
tary academy preparatory schools, and basic training 
and professional schools for enlisted members. 
(2) ELEMENTS.—The report required by para-
graph (1) shall include the following: 
(A) An evaluation of the definition of haz-
ing by the Armed Forces. 
(B) A description of the criteria used, and 
the methods implemented, in the systems to 
track incidents of hazing in the Armed Forces. 
(C) An assessment of the following:
189 
(i) The scope of hazing in each Armed 
Force. 
(ii) The policies in place and the 
training on hazing provided to members 
throughout the course of their careers for 
each Armed Force. 
(iii) The available outlets through 
which victims or witnesses of hazing can 
report hazing both within and outside their 
chain of command, and whether or not 
anonymous reporting is permitted. 
(iv) The actions taken to mitigate 
hazing incidents in each Armed Force. 
(v) The effectiveness of the training 
and policies in place regarding hazing. 
(vi) The number of alleged and sub-
stantiated incidents of hazing over the last 
five years for each Armed Force, the na-
ture of these cases and actions taken to 
address such matters through non-judicial 
and judicial action. 
(D) An evaluation of the additional ac-
tions, if any, the Secretary of Defense and the 
Secretary of Homeland Security propose to take
190 
to further address the incidence of hazing in 
the Armed Forces. 
(E) Such recommendations as the Comp-
troller General considers appropriate for im-
proving hazing prevention programs, policies, 
and other actions taken to address hazing with-
in the Armed Forces. 
(3) DESIGNATED CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES 
DEFINED.—In this subsection, the term ‘‘designated 
congressional committees’’ means— 
(A) the Committee on Armed Services, the 
Committee on Oversight and Government Re-
form, and the Committee on Commerce, Science 
and Transportation of the Senate; and 
(B) the Committee on Armed Services, the 
Committee on Oversight and Government Re-
form, and the Committee on Transportation 
and Infrastructure of the House of Representa-
tives. 
(b) MILITARY DEPARTMENT REPORTS.— 
(1) REPORTS REQUIRED.—Not later than 180 
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
each Secretary of a military department, in consulta-
tion with the Chief of Staff of each Armed Force 
under the jurisdiction of such Secretary, shall sub-
191 
mit to the Committees on Armed Services of the 
Senate and the House of Representatives a report 
containing an update to the hazing reports required 
by section 534 of the National Defense Authoriza-
tion Act for Fiscal Year 2013 (Public Law 112–239; 
126 Stat. 1726). 
(2) ELEMENTS.—Each report on an Armed 
Force required by paragraph (1) shall include the 
following: 
(A) A discussion of the policies of the 
Armed Force for preventing and responding to 
incidents of hazing, including discussion of any 
changes or newly implemented policies since the 
submission of the reports required by section 
534 of the National Defense Authorization Act 
for Fiscal Year 2013. 
(B) A description of the methods imple-
mented to track and report, including report 
anonymously, incidents of hazing in the Armed 
Force. 
(C) An assessment by the Secretary sub-
mitting such report of the following: 
(i) The scope of the problem of hazing 
in the Armed Force.
192 
(ii) The effectiveness of training on 
recognizing, reporting and preventing haz-
ing provided members of the Armed Force. 
(iii) The actions taken to prevent and 
respond to hazing incidents in the Armed 
Force since the submission of the reports 
under such section. 
(D) A description of the additional actions, 
if any, the Secretary submitting such report 
and the Chief of Staff of the Armed Force pro-
pose to take to further address the incidence of 
hazing in the Armed Force. 
SEC. 587. NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH 
STUDY OF RISK AND RESILIENCY OF UNITED 
STATES SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES AND 
EFFECTIVENESS OF PRESERVATION OF THE 
FORCE AND FAMILIES PROGRAM. 
(a) STUDY REQUIRED.—The Director of the National 
Institute of Mental Health shall conduct a study of the 
risk and resiliency of the United States Special Operations 
Forces and effectiveness of the United States Special Op-
erations Command’s Preservation of the Force and Fami-
lies Program on reducing risk and increasing resiliency.
194 
to the congressional defense committees a report con-
taining the results of the study conducted under sub-
section (a). 
Subtitle J—Other Matters 
SEC. 591. INSPECTION OF OUTPATIENT RESIDENTIAL FA-
CILITIES OCCUPIED BY RECOVERING SERV-
ICE MEMBERS. 
Section 1662(a) of the Wounded Warrior Act (title 
XVI of Public Law 110–181; 10 U.S.C. 1071 note) is 
amended by striking ‘‘inspected on a semiannual basis for 
the first two years after the enactment of this Act and 
annually thereafter’’ and inserting ‘‘inspected at least once 
every two years’’. 
SEC. 592. WORKING GROUP ON INTEGRATED DISABILITY 
EVALUATION SYSTEM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established within 
the Department of Veterans Affairs-Department of De-
fense Joint Executive Committee under section 320 of title 
38, United States Code, a Working Group (in this section 
referred to as the ‘‘Working Group’’) to evaluate and re-
form the Integrated Disability Evaluation System of the 
Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans 
Affairs. The Working Group shall be established under the 
Disability Evaluation System Working Group of the Joint 
Executive Committee.
195 
(b) PILOT PROGRAM.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Working Group shall 
carry out a pilot program that will co-locate the 
services and personnel of the Department of Defense 
and the Department of Veterans Affairs to create an 
integrated model that continues the improvement of 
the Integrated Disability Evaluation System process 
through— 
(A) increased process efficiencies, as deter-
mined by the Working Group; 
(B) the creation of a standardized form set 
described in subsection (c)(3); 
(C) the elimination of redundancies; 
(D) the improvement of existing process 
timelines of the Integrated Disability Evalua-
tion System; 
(E) increased service member satisfaction; 
and 
(F) the establishment of an information 
technology bridging solution described in sub-
section (c)(4). 
(2) DURATION.—The pilot program under para-
graph (1) shall be carried for a period not exceeding 
three years.
196 
(c) GOALS OF PILOT PROGRAM.—In carrying out the 
pilot program under subsection (b), the Working Group 
shall ensure the following: 
(1) The period beginning on the date on which 
an eligible member begins to participate in the pilot 
program and ending on the date on which the Sec-
retary of Veterans Affairs determines the disability 
rating of the member is not more than 295 days. 
(2) Employees of the Department of Defense 
and the Department of Veterans Affairs who carry 
out the pilot program are co-located in the same fa-
cility, to the extent practicable, to determine the effi-
ciencies provided by locating services of the Depart-
ments in the same location. 
(3) The elimination of redundant forms by cre-
ating and using a standardized electronic form set 
with respect to information that the Secretary of 
Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs both 
require for an eligible member participating in the 
pilot program. 
(4) The establishment of an information tech-
nology bridging solution between the existing E-ben-
efits program and the MYIDES dashboard to ensure 
that both such programs contain the information
197 
that is added to the claim of an eligible member par-
ticipating in the pilot program. 
(5) Using the solution established under para-
graph (4), eligible members participating in the pilot 
program are able to use the existing identification 
number of the member used by the Department of 
Defense to— 
(A) automatically track the status of the 
claim of the member, including with respect to 
the office of the Department of Defense or the 
Department of Veterans Affairs that is respon-
sible for the evaluation as of the date of access-
ing such solution; and 
(B) be informed of the estimated timeline 
of the evaluation of the claim. 
(6) Using the solution established under para-
graph (4), the Working Group and the Secretaries 
may— 
(A) identify the office and employee of the 
Department of Defense or the Department of 
Veterans Affairs who are responsible for the 
evaluation of a claim at any given time; and 
(B) track individual employees of the De-
partment of Defense and the Department of
198 
Veterans Affairs with respect to statistics meas-
uring quality and accuracy at the case level. 
(7) Eligible members who participate in the 
pilot program have the opportunity to use an exit 
survey (approved by the Secretary of Defense and 
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs) that informs the 
Working Group of the satisfaction of the member 
with respect to the pilot program. 
(d) ELIGIBLE MEMBERS.—A member of the Armed 
Forces who is being separated or retired from the Armed 
Forces for disability under chapter 61 of title 10, United 
States Code, is eligible to participate in the pilot program 
under subsection (b) if— 
(1) the member is referred to the Integrated 
Disability Evaluation System beginning on or after 
the date of the commencement of the pilot program 
by the specific medical authority of a military de-
partment; and 
(2) the evaluation of the member under the In-
tegrated Disability Evaluation System is processed 
at the disability rating activity site in Providence, 
Rhode Island. 
(e) TIMELINE.—By not later than 120 days after the 
date of the first meeting of the Working Group, the Work-
ing Group shall—
199 
(1) establish the pilot program under subsection 
(b); 
(2) establish standards for the products, soft-
ware, personnel, approved standardized electronic 
form set described in subsection (c)(3), and other 
matters required to carry out the pilot program; and 
(3) identify the security required for the infor-
mation systems of the pilot program. 
(f) LOCATION.—The pilot program established under 
subsection (b) shall be located at Walter Reed National 
Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. 
(g) COOPERATION.— 
(1) ASSIGNMENT.—The Secretary of Defense 
and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall assign 
employees of both Departments to the location speci-
fied in subsection (f) during the period in which the 
pilot program is carried out. 
(2) PRIORITIZATION.—As determined appro-
priate by the Department of Veterans Affairs-De-
partment of Defense Joint Executive Committee, 
employees of the Veterans Benefits Administration 
who rate claims for disability may be assigned to the 
pilot program under subsection (b) in a sufficient 
number to ensure that claims for disability that are 
approved are processed—
200 
(A) for proposed rating decision not later 
than 15 days after such approval; and 
(B) for notification of benefits and author-
ization of award not later than 30 days after 
separation from the Armed Forces. 
(h) TREATMENT IN CURRENT IDES.—If an eligible 
member who is participating in the pilot program under 
subsection (b) elects to instead participate in the Inte-
grated Disability Evaluation System, the Secretary of De-
fense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall evaluate 
the eligible member under the Integrated Disability Eval-
uation System by recognizing the date of the original 
claim of the member and without any penalty with respect 
to the priority of the member in such system. 
(i) REPORTS.— 
(1) QUARTERLY
REPORTS.—During each 90- 
day period during the period in which the Working 
Group carries out the pilot program under sub-
section (b), the Working Group shall submit to the 
Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Veterans Af-
fairs, and the Department of Veterans Affairs-De-
partment of Defense Joint Executive Committee a 
report on the status of the pilot program. The report 
shall include—
201 
(A) the average number of days that an el-
igible member participates in the pilot program 
before the Secretary of Veterans Affairs deter-
mines the disability rating of the member; 
(B) the extent to which forms have been 
eliminated pursuant to subsection (c)(3); 
(C) the extent to which the information 
technology bridging solution established pursu-
ant to subsection (c)(4) has improved informa-
tion sharing between the Departments; 
(D) the results of exit surveys described in 
subsection (c)(7); 
(E) the extent to which employees of the 
Department of Defense and the Department of 
Veterans Affairs have been co-located in the 
same facility under the pilot program; and 
(F) the determination of the Working 
Group, based on data collected during the 
course of the pilot program, with respect to the 
feasibility of increasing the efficiency of the 
program to decrease the number of days of the 
goal described in subsection (c)(1). 
(2) SUBMISSION
OF
QUARTERLY
REPORTS.— 
Not later than 30 days after the date on which the 
Working Group submits a report under paragraph
202 
(1), the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs shall jointly submit to the appro-
priate congressional committees such report. 
(3) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date on which the pilot program under sub-
section (b) is completed, the Working Group shall 
submit to the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs, and the Department of Veterans 
Affairs-Department of Defense Joint Executive 
Committee a report on the pilot program, including 
an analysis of the pilot program and any rec-
ommendations regarding whether the pilot program 
should be expanded. 
(4) SUBMISSION OF FINAL REPORT.—Not later 
than 30 days after the date on which the Working 
Group submits the report under paragraph (3), the 
Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs shall jointly submit to the appropriate con-
gressional committees such report. 
(j) MEMBERSHIP.— 
(1) NUMBER AND APPOINTMENT.—The Work-
ing Group shall be composed of 15 members ap-
pointed by the Department of Veterans Affairs-De-
partment of Defense Joint Executive Committee 
from among individuals who have subject matter ex-