Subtitle B—Office of Victims’ Advo-
cate and Department of Defense 
Interdisciplinary Council 
SEC. 111. OFFICE OF THE VICTIMS’ ADVOCATE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Part II of subtitle A of title 10, 
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following new chapter: 
‘‘CHAPTER 90—OFFICE OF THE VICTIMS’ 
ADVOCATE 
‘‘Sec.
1811. Office of the Victims’ Advocate: establishment; Director. 
‘‘Sec.
1812. Office of the Victims’ Advocate: responsibilities. 
‘‘Sec.
1813. Office of the Victims’ Advocate: comprehensive policy on preven-
tion of and response to domestic violence, family violence, sex-
ual assault and stalking involving members of the armed forces 
and their families and partners. 
‘‘Sec.
1814. Victims’ advocates programs in the military departments. 
‘‘Sec.
1815. Office of the Victims’ Advocate: access. 
‘‘Sec.
1816. Office of the Victims’ Advocate: confidentiality. 
‘‘Sec.
1817. Office of the Victims’ Advocate: victim protection actions. 
‘‘Sec.
1818. Office of the Victims’ Advocate: victims advocates whistleblower 
protections. 
‘‘Sec.
1819. Office of the Victims’ Advocate: annual assessment. 
‘‘Sec.
1820. Office of the Victims’ Advocate: annual report. 
‘‘Sec.
1821. Requirements on use of funds. 
‘‘§ 1811. Office of the Victims’ Advocate: establish-
ment; Director 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is in the Office of the 
Secretary of Defense an Office of the Victims’ Advocate 
(hereinafter in this chapter referred to as the ‘Office’). 
‘‘(b) DIRECTOR.—(1) The head of the Office is a Di-
rector, who shall be a person with knowledge of victims’ 
rights, advocacy, social services, and Federal, State, and 
military systems. The Director shall oversee the victims’ 
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advocate programs and the family advocacy programs of 
the Department of Defense. 
‘‘(2) The Director shall be a person who is qualified 
by training and expertise to perform the responsibilities 
of the Director and who has a significant level of experi-
ence in advocacy for victims of sexual assault, domestic 
violence, family violence, and stalking. 
‘‘(3) The position of Director is a Senior Executive 
Service position. The Secretary of Defense shall designate 
the position as a career reserved position under section 
3132(b) of title 5. 
‘‘(4) The Secretary of Defense shall consult with the 
interdisciplinary council established under section 185 of 
this title in the appointment of the Director. 
‘‘(c) VICTIMS ADVOCATES.—(1) Victims advocates 
shall be assigned to, employed by, or contracted for by 
the Director and shall be assigned to the Director. 
‘‘(2) Victim advocates shall be qualified by training, 
expertise, and certification to perform the responsibilities 
of the position and possessing a significant level of knowl-
edge relative to the armed forces and experience in advo-
cacy for victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, fam-
ily violence, and stalking. 
‘‘(3) The victim advocates report to the Director or 
to the Director’s designee within the Office. 
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‘‘§ 1812. Office of the Victims’ Advocate: responsibil-
ities 
‘‘(a) GENERAL FUNCTIONS.—(1) The Office shall fa-
cilitate access to services for victims of domestic violence, 
family violence, sexual assault, and stalking. 
‘‘(2) The Office shall provide for victim advocates in 
the Department of Defense for purposes of victims’ advo-
cates programs of the Department. Victims advocates may 
be Department of Defense employees or contractor em-
ployees. The Director shall ensure that victim advocates 
receive or have received specialized training in the coun-
seling and support of victims. 
‘‘(b) QUALIFICATIONS OF VICTIM ADVOCATES.—In 
order to be employed as a victim advocate by the Depart-
ment of Defense or under a contract with the Department 
of Defense, an individual— 
‘‘(1) must have a degree in counseling or a re-
lated field or have one year of counseling experience, 
at least six months of which must have been in the 
counseling of sexual assault or domestic violence vic-
tims; and 
‘‘(2) must have had at least 60 hours of train-
ing as specified by regulations prescribed by the Di-
rector, including training in the following areas: 
‘‘(A) History of domestic violence and sex-
ual assault. 
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‘‘(B) Civil, criminal, and military law as it 
relates to domestic violence and sexual assault. 
‘‘(C) Societal attitudes. 
‘‘(D) Peer counseling techniques. 
‘‘(E) Housing. 
‘‘(F) Public and private assistance avail-
able to victims. 
‘‘(G) Financial resources for victims. 
‘‘(H) Safety and protection resources for 
victims. 
‘‘(I) Victim and transitional compensation. 
‘‘(J) Benefits. 
‘‘(K) Referral services available to victims. 
‘‘(L) Military culture and an under-
standing of how to operate within a military 
chain of command. 
‘‘(c) HEALTH CARE ASSISTANCE.—Upon request of 
a victim of domestic violence, family violence, sexual as-
sault, or stalking, the Director shall assist the victim in 
obtaining from any facility of the uniformed services or 
any other health care facility of the United States or, by 
contract, from any other source, medical services, coun-
seling, and other mental health services appropriate for 
treatment of injuries resulting from the domestic violence, 
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