I 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3990 
To reduce sexual assault and domestic violence involving members of the 
Armed Forces and their family members and partners through enhanced 
programs of prevention and deterrence, enhanced programs of victims 
services, and strengthened provisions for prosecution of assailants, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 29, 2007 
Ms. SLAUGHTER (for herself, Mr. ALLEN, Mr. BACA, Ms. BALDWIN, Ms. 
BERKLEY, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Mrs. CAPPS, Mr. 
COSTA, Mr. CROWLEY, Ms. DELAURO, Ms. ESHOO, Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA, 
Mr. FARR, Mr. FILNER, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. HIRONO, Mr. HONDA, Mr. 
INSLEE, Mrs. MALONEY of New York, Mr. MARKEY, Ms. MATSUI, Ms. 
MCCOLLUM of Minnesota, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. MICHAUD, Mr. MOORE 
of Kansas, Mr. NADLER, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Ms. NORTON, Mr. POE, Ms. 
LORETTA SANCHEZ of California, Mr. SHAYS, Ms. SOLIS, Mr. TIERNEY, 
Mr. WU, Ms. SUTTON, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Ms. KILPATRICK, Mr. 
ROTHMAN, Mr. CARNEY, Mr. DICKS, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, and Mr. AL 
GREEN of Texas) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committees on the 
Judiciary and Veterans’ Affairs, for a period to be subsequently deter-
mined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To reduce sexual assault and domestic violence involving 
members of the Armed Forces and their family members 
and partners through enhanced programs of prevention 
and deterrence, enhanced programs of victims services, 
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and strengthened provisions for prosecution of assailants, 
and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Military Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Act’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
TITLE I—VICTIMS’ ADVOCATE PROGRAMS IN THE DEPARTMENT 
OF DEFENSE 
Subtitle A—Definitions 
Sec. 101. Definitions relating to sexual assault, domestic violence, etc., in the 
military. 
Subtitle B—Office of Victims’ Advocate and Department of Defense 
Interdisciplinary Council 
Sec. 111. Office of the Victims’ Advocate. 
Sec. 112. Department of Defense Interdisciplinary Council. 
Sec. 113. Conforming repeal. 
Subtitle C—National and International Hotlines Awareness, Prevention, and 
Intervention Campaign 
Sec. 121. Awareness, prevention, and intervention campaign. 
Subtitle D—Prevention and Intervention Training 
Sec. 131. Prevention and intervention training contracts. 
Subtitle E—Biennial Conference on Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence 
Sec. 141. Establishment. 
Sec. 142. Conference activities. 
Sec. 143. Conference participants. 
Subtitle F—Memorandums of Understanding With Civil Organizations 
Sec. 151. Agreements with civilian organizations. 
TITLE II—RIGHTS, RESTITUTION, TREATMENT, AND SERVICES 
FOR VICTIMS 
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Subtitle A—Protection of Persons Reporting Sexual Assault or Domestic 
Violence 
Sec. 201. Protection of communications between victims and advocates. 
Sec. 202. Victim service organization privilege and health care professional 
privilege in cases arising under Uniform Code of Military Jus-
tice. 
Subtitle B—Medical Care and Treatment for Victims of Sexual and Domestic 
Violence 
Sec. 211. Enhanced Department of Defense treatment capacity. 
Sec. 212. Community level program. 
Sec. 213. Transition to veterans health care for victims or perpetrators of do-
mestic violence, sexual assault, family violence, or stalking. 
Subtitle C—Military-Civilian Shelter Programs 
Sec. 221. Enhanced capacity of the Department of Defense for shelter pro-
grams and services. 
Subtitle D—Victim’s Rights and Restitution 
Sec. 231. Military law enforcement and victims’ rights. 
Sec. 232. Availability of incident reports. 
Sec. 233. Victim advocates and victims’ rights. 
Sec. 234. Restitution. 
Sec. 235. Records of military justice actions. 
Sec. 236. Technical amendments relating to fatality review panels. 
TITLE III—REPORTING, PROSECUTION, AND TREATMENT OF 
PERPETRATORS 
Subtitle A—Reporting of Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, and Stalking 
Within the Department of Defense 
Sec. 301. Complaints of sexual assault and domestic violence. 
Sec. 302. Response of military law enforcement officials to domestic violence in-
cidents. 
Sec. 303. Investigation of sexual and domestic violence cases involving Depart-
ment of Defense personnel. 
Subtitle B—Crimes Related to Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence 
CHAPTER 1—FEDERAL CRIMINAL CODE 
Sec. 311. Assimilative crimes. 
Sec. 312. Jurisdiction for sexual assault and domestic violence offenses com-
mitted outside the United States. 
Sec. 313. Travel and transportation. 
CHAPTER 2—UNIFORM CODE OF MILITARY JUSTICE 
Sec. 316. Domestic violence and family violence. 
Sec. 317. Protective orders. 
Subtitle C—Treatment Services for Perpetrators 
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Sec. 321. Enhanced capacity of the Department of Defense for treatment serv-
ices for perpetrators. 
Sec. 322. Sex offender treatment program. 
TITLE IV—COUNSELING AND TREATMENT PROGRAMS OF 
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 
Sec. 401. Research on best practices to overcome stigma related to military sex-
ual trauma. 
Sec. 402. Training for Department of Veterans Affairs primary care providers. 
Sec. 403. Pilot program on ways to identify veterans who are victims of mili-
tary sexual trauma. 
Sec. 404. Pilot program on treatment of active-duty military personnel through 
facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs. 
TITLE V—OTHER MATTERS 
Subtitle A—Administration Matters 
Sec. 501. Performance evaluations and benefits. 
Sec. 502. Closure of Article 32 investigations in cases of sexual assault or do-
mestic violence. 
Subtitle B—Enhancement of Armed Forces Domestic Security Act 
Sec. 511. Amendments to Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. 
Subtitle C—Research on Prevalence, Needs Assessment, Services, and 
Accountability 
Sec. 521. Research on sexual assault, domestic violence, and family violence in 
the Armed Forces. 
Sec. 522. Research on institutional procedures for reporting sexual assault, do-
mestic violence, and family violence in the Armed Forces. 
Sec. 523. Research on dating violence associated with the Armed Forces. 
Sec. 524. Research on child maltreatment, abuse, and homicide in the Armed 
Forces. 
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TITLE 
I—VICTIMS’ 
ADVOCATE 
PROGRAMS IN THE DEPART-
MENT OF DEFENSE 
Subtitle A—Definitions 
SEC. 101. DEFINITIONS RELATING TO SEXUAL ASSAULT, 
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, ETC., IN THE MILI-
TARY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 1 of title 10, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new section: 
‘‘§ 102. Definitions relating to sexual assault, domes-
tic violence, etc. 
‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS RELATING
TO CONDUCT.—The 
following definitions apply in this title: 
‘‘(1) SEXUAL ASSAULT.—The term ‘sexual as-
sault’ has the meaning given that term in section 
2003(6) of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and 
Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796gg–2(6)). 
‘‘(2) DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.—The term ‘domes-
tic violence’ has the meaning given that term in sec-
tion 2003 of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control 
and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796gg– 
2). 
‘‘(3) FAMILY VIOLENCE.—The term ‘family vio-
lence’ has the meaning given that term in section 
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320(1) of the Family Violence Prevention and Serv-
ices Act (42 U.S.C. 10421(1)). 
‘‘(4) STALKING.—The term ‘stalking’ has the 
meaning given that term in section 40002(a) of the 
Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 
13925(a)). 
‘‘(5) SEXUAL VIOLENCE.—The term ‘sexual vio-
lence’ means any of the following: 
‘‘(A) Sexual abuse. 
‘‘(B) Sexual assault. 
‘‘(C) Sexual battery. 
‘‘(D) Rape. 
‘‘(6) SEXUAL HARASSMENT.—The term ‘sexual 
harassment’ means any conduct involving sexual 
harassment that— 
‘‘(A) in the case of conduct of a person 
who is subject to the provisions of chapter 47 
of this title (the Uniform Code of Military Jus-
tice), comprises a violation of a provision of 
subchapter X of such chapter (relating to puni-
tive articles of such Code) or an applicable reg-
ulation, directive, or guideline regarding sexual 
harassment that is prescribed by the Secretary 
of Defense or the Secretary of a military de-
partment; and 
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‘‘(B) in the case of an employee of the De-
partment of Defense or a family member sub-
ject to the jurisdiction of the Secretary of De-
fense or of the Secretary of a military depart-
ment, comprises a violation of a regulation, di-
rective, or guideline that is applicable to such 
employee or family member. 
‘‘(7) DATING VIOLENCE.—The term ‘dating vio-
lence’ means violence committed by a person who is 
or has been in a social relationship of a romantic or 
intimate nature with the victim. 
‘‘(b) DEFINITIONS RELATING TO VICTIMS.—The fol-
lowing definitions apply in this title: 
‘‘(1) VICTIM.—The term ‘victim’ means a per-
son who is a victim of sexual assault, domestic vio-
lence, family violence, stalking, or sexual misconduct 
committed— 
‘‘(A) by or upon a member of the armed 
forces; 
‘‘(B) by or upon a family member of a 
member of the armed forces; 
‘‘(C) by or upon a person who shares a 
child in common with a member of the armed 
forces; 
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‘‘(3) PARTNER.—The term ‘partner’ means any 
of the following: 
‘‘(A) A person who is or has been in a so-
cial relationship of a romantic or intimate na-
ture with another. 
‘‘(B) A person who shares a child in com-
mon with another person. 
‘‘(C) A person who is cohabiting with or 
has cohabited as a spouse by regularly residing 
in the household. 
‘‘(D) A person similarly situated to a 
spouse. 
‘‘(E) A former spouse. 
‘‘(c) DEFINITIONS RELATING TO PROGRAMS AND OR-
GANIZATIONS.—The following definitions apply in this 
title: 
‘‘(1) VICTIMS’ 
ADVOCATES
PROGRAM.—The 
term ‘victims’ advocates program’ means a program 
established within a military department pursuant to 
section 1814(a) of this title. 
‘‘(2) FAMILY ADVOCACY PROGRAM.—The term 
‘family advocacy program’ has the meaning provided 
in Department of Defense Directive 6400.1, issued 
by the Office of Family Policy of the Department of 
Defense established by section 1781 of this title. 
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‘‘(3) VICTIM
SERVICES
ORGANIZATION.—The 
term ‘victim services organization’ means an organi-
zation (whether public or private) that provides ad-
vice, counseling, or assistance to victims of domestic 
violence, family violence, dating violence, stalking, or 
sexual assault, or to the families of such victims. 
‘‘(d) OTHER.—The following definitions apply in this 
title: 
‘‘(1) 
PERSONALLY
IDENTIFYING
INFORMA-
TION.—The term ‘personally identifying information’ 
has the meaning given that term in section 1816(b) 
of this title. 
‘‘(2) ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION.—The term 
‘electronic communication’ has the meaning given 
that term in paragraph (12) of section 2510 of title 
18. 
‘‘(3) 
TRANSITIONAL
HOUSING.—The 
term 
‘transitional housing’ includes short-term housing 
and has the meaning given that term in section 
424(b) of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance 
Act (42 U.S.C. 11384(b)). 
‘‘(4) COMPLAINT.—The term ‘complaint’, with 
respect to an allegation of family violence, sexual as-
sault, stalking, or domestic violence, includes a re-
port of such allegation. 
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‘‘(5) MILITARY
LAW
ENFORCEMENT
OFFI-
CIAL.—The term ‘military law enforcement official’ 
means a person authorized under regulations gov-
erning the armed forces to apprehend persons sub-
ject to chapter 47 of this title (the Uniform Code of 
Military Justice) or to trial thereunder. 
‘‘(e) PROOF OF RELATIONSHIP.—For purposes of 
subsection (a)(7) (relating to dating violence) and sub-
section (b)(3) (relating to partners), the existence of a re-
lationship as described in that subsection shall be deter-
mined based on a consideration of— 
‘‘(1) the length of the relationship; 
‘‘(2) the type of relationship; and 
‘‘(3) the frequency of interaction between the 
persons involved in the relationship.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding 
at the end the following new item: 
‘‘Sec. 102. Definitions relating to sexual assault, domestic violence, etc.’’. 
(c) INCORPORATION FOR THIS ACT.—The provisions 
of section 102 of title 10, United States Code, as added 
by subsection (a), apply to the provisions of this Act not 
enacted as an amendment to such title. 
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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 prevention 
of and response to domestic violence, family violence, sexual as-
sault 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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family violence, sexual assault, or stalking, as otherwise 
authorized by law, including— 
‘‘(1) rape evidence kits; 
‘‘(2) DNA testing; 
‘‘(3) sexually transmitted diseases screening and 
treatment, including Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C screen-
ing and treatment; 
‘‘(4) HIV screening and treatment; 
‘‘(5) pregnancy testing; 
‘‘(6) methods of pregnancy prevention approved by 
the Food and Drug Administration; 
‘‘(7) reproductive health services; and 
‘‘(8) other mental and physiological results of the do-
mestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking. 
‘‘(d) GENERAL COORDINATION FUNCTIONS.—The 
Director shall coordinate programs and activities of the 
military departments relative to services and treatment for 
victims of domestic violence, family violence, sexual as-
sault, and stalking. 
‘‘(e) EVALUATION
AND
REVIEW
RESPONSIBIL-
ITIES.—The Director shall carry out the following ongoing 
evaluations and reviews: 
‘‘(1) Evaluation of the policies and protocols es-
tablished by the military departments providing serv-
ices and treatment referred to in subsection (e), with 
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a view towards the rights of victims of domestic vio-
lence, family violence, sexual assault, and stalking. 
‘‘(2) Evaluation of the programs established by 
the military departments providing services to vic-
tims of domestic violence, family violence, sexual as-
sault, and stalking. 
‘‘(3) Evaluation of the delivery of services of 
the military departments that provide services and 
treatment to victims of domestic violence, family vio-
lence, sexual assault, and stalking through funds 
provided by the Department of Defense, Department 
of Justice, or Department of Health and Human 
Services. 
‘‘(4) Annual review of the facilities of the De-
partment of Defense providing services to victims of 
domestic violence, family violence, sexual assault, or 
stalking. 
‘‘(5) Annual review of the National Domestic 
Violence Hotline, the National Sexual Assault Hot-
line, and the American Women Overseas Hotline rel-
ative to projects for military personnel, families, and 
partners and for victims of domestic violence, family 
violence, sexual assault, or stalking. 
‘‘(6) Annual review of the victim witness assist-
ance programs within the Department of Defense. 
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‘‘(7) Review of information from an individual 
(and of any investigation resulting from the submis-
sion of such information) indicating that a victim 
may be in need of, or would benefit from, assistance 
from a victim advocate. 
‘‘(f) EDUCATION
AND
TRAINING
RESPONSIBIL-
ITIES.—(1) The Director shall conduct, or provide for the 
conduct of, training and shall provide technical assistance 
related to domestic violence, family violence, sexual as-
sault, and stalking within the military departments. Such 
training shall be mandatory, as prescribed by the Director, 
except to the extent necessary due to military exigencies. 
‘‘(2) The Director shall develop curricula for manda-
tory training of personnel, including first responders, secu-
rity forces, law enforcement, medical personnel, command 
staff, military justice personnel, and military criminal in-
vestigators. 
‘‘(3) The Director shall conduct education and out-
reach programs. Such programs shall include the develop-
ment and distribution of brochures, booklets, posters, and 
handbooks outlining hotlines, services, contact informa-
tion, policies, and protocols for victims. 
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‘‘§ 1813. Office of the Victims’ Advocate: comprehen-
sive policy on prevention of and response 
to domestic violence, family violence, sex-
ual assault and stalking involving mem-
bers of the Armed Forces and their fami-
lies and partners 
‘‘(a) RESPONSIBILITY.—The Secretary of Defense, 
acting through the Director of the Office, shall implement 
the comprehensive policy developed pursuant to subsection 
(c), subject to such modifications as the Secretary con-
siders advisable. 
‘‘(b) APPLICATION OF COMPREHENSIVE POLICY TO 
MILITARY DEPARTMENTS.—The Secretary shall ensure 
that, to the maximum extent practicable, the policy imple-
mented pursuant to subsection (a) is implemented uni-
formly by the Secretaries of the military departments. 
‘‘(c) POLICY.—(1) The Director shall recommend to 
the Secretary of Defense a comprehensive policy on pre-
vention of and response to domestic violence, family vio-
lence, sexual assault and stalking involving members of 
the armed forces and their families and partners. The 
comprehensive policy should be as uniform as practicable 
throughout the Department of Defenses and shall, to the 
extent feasible, incorporate and strengthen policies pre-
viously in existence. 
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‘‘(2) To the extent feasible, the comprehensive policy 
shall set forth policies and procedures with respect to each 
of domestic violence, family violence, sexual assault, and 
stalking in each of the following areas: 
‘‘(A) Prevention measures. 
‘‘(B) Education and training on prevention and 
response. 
‘‘(C) Investigation of complaints by command 
and law enforcement personnel. 
‘‘(D) Medical treatment of victims. 
‘‘(E) Confidential reporting of incidents. 
‘‘(F) Victim advocacy and response. 
‘‘(G) Oversight by commanders of administra-
tive and disciplinary actions in response to substan-
tiated incidents. 
‘‘(H) Disposition of victims, including review by 
appropriate authority of administrative separation 
actions involving victims. 
‘‘(I) Disposition of members of the armed 
forces accused of domestic violence, family violence, 
sexual assault, or stalking. 
‘‘(J) Liaison and collaboration with civilian 
agencies on the provision of services to victims. 
‘‘(K) Uniform collection of data on the inci-
dence of complaints of domestic violence, family vio-
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lence, sexual assault, and stalking and on discipli-
nary actions taken in those cases, with such data to 
be disaggregated by service and by major installa-
tion. 
‘‘(3) The comprehensive policy shall include for each 
of the military departments the following: 
‘‘(A) A program to promote awareness of the 
incidence of domestic violence, family violence, sex-
ual assault, and stalking involving members of the 
armed forces. 
‘‘(B) A program to provide victim advocacy and 
intervention for members of the armed forces who 
are victims of domestic violence, family violence, sex-
ual assault, and stalking, which program shall make 
available, at military installations and in deployed lo-
cations, victims advocates who are readily available 
to intervene on behalf of such victims. 
‘‘(C) Procedures for members of the armed 
forces to follow in the case of an incident of domes-
tic violence, family violence, sexual assault, or stalk-
ing involving a member of the armed forces, includ-
ing— 
‘‘(i) procedures for confidential reporting 
and for seeking services with victim advocates; 
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forces and their family members and partners who are vic-
tims of any of the following: 
‘‘(1) Crime. 
‘‘(2) Sexual, physical, or emotional abuse. 
‘‘(3) Discrimination or harassment based on 
race, gender, ethnic background, national origin, or 
religion. 
‘‘(c) ASSISTANCE.—(1) Under a victims’ advocates 
program established under subsection (a), individuals 
working in the program shall principally serve the inter-
ests of a victim by initiating action to provide the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(A) Crisis intervention. 
‘‘(B) Screening and evaluation of the needs of 
victims of domestic violence, family violence, sexual 
assault, and stalking. 
‘‘(C) Information on safe and confidential ways 
to seek assistance to address domestic violence, fam-
ily violence, sexual assault, and stalking. 
‘‘(D) Information on available services within 
the military departments and civilian communities. 
‘‘(E) Assistance in obtaining the services re-
ferred to in subparagraph (D), including medical 
treatment for injuries. 
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‘‘(F) Appropriate referrals to military and civil-
ian community-based domestic violence programs 
and sexual assault victim service providers with the 
capacity to support servicemembers, family mem-
bers, or partners. 
‘‘(G) Information on legal rights and resources 
for personnel, family members, or partners in both 
the military and civilian programs. 
‘‘(H) Development and coordination of a safety 
plan with appropriate assistance and intervention 
components including, law enforcement, command, 
and Family Advocacy Program. 
‘‘(I) Advocacy for victims specified in subsection 
(b), including assistance in obtaining and entering 
no contact orders from military commands or orders 
of protection from a court of appropriate jurisdic-
tion, respectively. 
‘‘(J) Information on benefits, including Depart-
ment of Defense transitional compensation, victims 
of crime compensation, and veterans’ benefits. 
‘‘(K) Coordination among services, including 
medical, legal, and psychological counseling. 
‘‘(L) Education. 
‘‘(M) Transportation. 
‘‘(N) Pre-trial, trial, and post-trial support. 
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‘‘(2) Under a victims’ advocates program established 
under subsection (a), an individual working in the pro-
gram as a victim advocate shall carry out the following 
functions: 
‘‘(A) Serve as a voting member of the case re-
view committee of the Department of Defense for 
any case to which the victim advocate is assigned. 
‘‘(B) Serve as a liaison with civilian community- 
based service providers. 
‘‘(C) Provide for confidential handling of all 
documents or conversations relative to victim care, 
services, benefits, and treatment. 
‘‘(D) Provide advocacy for the expressed inter-
est and safety of a victim during testimony in a 
court-martial or civilian judicial system. 
‘‘(E) Provide follow-up to all identified victims 
(including those who have declined services) three 
months following initial contact to ascertain whether 
further intervention is, or is not, warranted. 
‘‘(F) Provide other appropriate assistance. 
‘‘(3) Services under such a program in the case of 
an individual who is a victim of family violence (including 
sexual, physical, and emotional abuse) shall be provided 
principally through the Office. 
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‘‘(d) STAFFING.—The Secretary of Defense, acting 
through the Director of the Office, shall provide for the 
assignment of personnel (military or civilian) on a full- 
time basis to victims’ advocates programs established 
under subsection (a). The Secretary, acting through the 
Director, shall ensure that sufficient numbers of such full- 
time personnel are assigned to those programs to enable 
the programs to be carried out effectively, including the 
assignment of victim advocates to deployed units. 
‘‘§ 1815. Office of the Victims’ Advocate: access 
‘‘(a) ACCESS TO SENIOR OFFICIALS.—The Director 
of the Office shall have direct and prompt access to any 
of the following when necessary for any purpose pertaining 
to the performance of the Director’s duties: 
‘‘(1) The Judge Advocate General of the Army, 
Navy, or Air Force or the Staff Judge Advocate to 
the Commandant of the Marine Corps. 
‘‘(2) The Surgeon General of the Army, Navy, 
or the Air Force. 
‘‘(3) The Chief of Chaplains of the Army, Navy, 
or the Air Force. 
‘‘(4) The senior general or flag officer of one of 
the Armed Forces with responsibility specifically for 
personnel. 
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‘‘(b) ACCESS TO INFORMATION.—The Director shall 
have direct and prompt access to the following: 
‘‘(1) The name and location of a victim receiv-
ing services, treatment, or other assistance under 
the jurisdiction of a military department. 
‘‘(2) Any written report of sexual assault, sex-
ual misconduct, domestic violence, family violence, or 
stalking prepared by a military department. 
‘‘(3) Victim case files, subject to the informed, 
written, and time-sensitive authorization of the vic-
tim, in records of law enforcement, criminal inves-
tigative organizations, health care providers, and 
command and Family Advocacy Programs, as may 
be necessary to carry out the responsibilities of the 
Office. 
‘‘(c) FAILURE TO PROVIDE AUTHORIZATION.—The 
failure of a victim to provide authorization under sub-
section (b)(3) shall not interfere with a case moving for-
ward. 
‘‘(d) CONFIDENTIALITY.—To the extent that any in-
formation covered by subsection (b) provides the name and 
address of an individual who is the subject of a confiden-
tial proceeding, that name and address (and related infor-
mation that has the effect of identifying that individual) 
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may not be released to the public without the informed 
written consent of such individual. 
‘‘§ 1816. Office of the Victims’ Advocate: confiden-
tiality 
‘‘(a) CONFIDENTIALITY.—(1) Except as provided in 
paragraph (2), in order to ensure the safety of victims of 
domestic violence, family violence, sexual assault, sexual 
misconduct, or stalking and their families, the Director 
shall protect the confidentiality and privacy of persons re-
ceiving services. The Director may not disclose any per-
sonally identifying information or individual information 
collected in connection with services requested, used, or 
denied through its programs. The Director may not reveal 
individual victim information without the informed, writ-
ten, reasonably time-limited consent of the person (or in 
the case of unemancipated minor, the minor and the par-
ent or guardian) about whom information is sought. 
‘‘(2) If release of information referred to in para-
graph (1) is compelled by law or by court order, the Direc-
tor shall make reasonable attempts to provide notice to 
victims affected by the disclosure of the information. If 
such personally identifying information is or will be re-
vealed, the Director shall take steps necessary to protect 
the privacy and safety of the persons affected by the re-
lease of the information. 
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‘‘(3) The Director may share nonpersonally identi-
fying data in the aggregate regarding services to victims 
and nonpersonally identifying demographic information in 
order to comply with reporting, evaluation, or data collec-
tion requirements of the armed forces or of Federal, State, 
or local or tribal government or the government of the Dis-
trict of Columbia or any territory or commonwealth. 
‘‘(4) The Director may share court-generated infor-
mation contained in secure, governmental registries for 
purposes of enforcement of protection orders. 
‘‘(b) PERSONALLY IDENTIFYING INFORMATION.—In 
this section, the term ‘personally identifying information’ 
means the following information about an individual: 
‘‘(1) A first and last name. 
‘‘(2) A home or other physical address, includ-
ing street name and name of city or town. 
‘‘(3) An email address or other online contact 
information, such as an instant messaging user iden-
tifier or a screen name, that reveals the individual’s 
email address. 
‘‘(4) A telephone number. 
‘‘(5) A Social Security Number. 
‘‘(6) An Internet Protocol (IP) address or host 
name that identifies an individual. 
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‘‘(7) A persistent identifier, such as a customer 
number held in a cookie or processor serial number, 
that is combined with other available data that iden-
tifies an individual. 
‘‘(8) If the individual is a member or former 
member of the armed forces— 
‘‘(A) the status of the individual as a 
member of an active component or reserve com-
ponent or as a veteran; 
‘‘(B) the individual’s current or most re-
cent grade, rate, or rank; 
‘‘(C) the individual’s current or most re-
cent duty station or deployment status; and 
‘‘(D) the individual’s current or most re-
cent unit at a level below regiment (or the 
equivalent), numbered air force (or the equiva-
lent), or numbered fleet (or the equivalent). 
‘‘(9) Any other information, including grade 
point average, date of birth, academic or occupa-
tional assignments or interests, athletic or extra-
curricular interests, racial or ethnic background, or 
religious affiliation, that, in combination with infor-
mation specified in any of paragraphs (1) through 
(8), would serve to identify an individual. 
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‘‘§ 1817. Office of the Victims’ Advocate: victim pro-
tection actions 
‘‘(a) ORDERS OF PROTECTION.—The Director of the 
Office of the Victims’ Advocate, when authorized by a vic-
tim of sexual misconduct, sexual assault, family violence, 
domestic violence, or stalking, shall assist the victim in 
obtaining from any military command a military no-con-
tact order or from a court of appropriate jurisdiction an 
order of protection, respectively, to safeguard the victim 
from additional physical or emotional harm. 
‘‘(b) REMOVAL OF AN ALLEGED OFFENDER.—If the 
Director determines that it is appropriate to do so in order 
to ensure the safety of a victim, the Director may request 
from the appropriate commanding officer an order for the 
relocation or reassignment of an alleged offender who is 
a member of the armed forces during an investigation, dis-
ciplinary action, or court-martial in order to ensure the 
safety of a victim. 
‘‘§ 1818. Office of the Victims’ Advocate: victims advo-
cates whistleblower protections 
‘‘(a) WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTIONS.—(1) No per-
son may restrict a victim advocate within the Department 
of Defense in communicating with a victim or survivor of 
domestic violence, sexual assault, family violence, or stalk-
ing. 
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‘‘(2) Paragraph (1) does not apply to a communica-
tion that is unlawful. 
‘‘(b) PROHIBITION
OF RETALIATORY PERSONNEL 
ACTIONS.—No person may take or threaten to take an 
unfavorable personnel action, or withhold or threaten to 
withhold a favorable personnel action, against a victim ad-
vocate as a reprisal for— 
‘‘(1) providing services to victims and survivors 
of domestic violence, sexual assault, family violence, 
intimate partner violence, or stalking; 
‘‘(2) a communication to a Member of Congress 
or an Inspector General; 
‘‘(3) a communication with a military law en-
forcement officer or official, a military criminal in-
vestigator, a judge advocate, or an officer in the 
chain of command; 
‘‘(4) a communication with civilian law enforce-
ment, county, State, or United States attorneys, 
court officials, probation officers, or victim service 
providers; or 
‘‘(5) any other person or organization, including 
any person or organization in the chain of command, 
in the course of providing services to a victim or sur-
vivor. 
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‘‘(c) PROHIBITED PERSONNEL ACTIONS.—Any ac-
tion prohibited by subsection (b), including the threat to 
take any unfavorable action and the withholding or threat 
to withhold any favorable action, shall be considered for 
the purposes of this section to be a personnel action pro-
hibited by this section. 
‘‘(d) INVESTIGATION OF ALLEGATIONS OF PROHIB-
ITED PERSONNEL ACTIONS.—(1) If a victim advocate 
submits to an Inspector General an allegation that a per-
sonnel action prohibited by subsection (b) has been taken 
or threatened against the victim advocate with respect to 
a communication described in paragraph (2), the Inspec-
tor General shall take the action required in this section. 
‘‘(2) A communication described in this paragraph is 
a communication in which the victim advocate reasonably 
believes constitutes evidence of any of the following: 
‘‘(A) A violation of law or regulation, including 
a law or regulation prohibiting domestic violence, 
sexual assault, family violence, or stalking. 
‘‘(B) Gross mismanagement, an abuse of au-
thority, or a substantial danger to community safety 
or public health. 
‘‘(3)(A) If the Inspector General receiving such an 
allegation is an Inspector General within a military de-
partment, that Inspector General shall promptly notify the 
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Inspector General of the Department of Defense of the 
allegation. Such notification shall be made in accordance 
with regulations prescribed under subsection (e). 
‘‘(B) An Inspector General of the Department of De-
fense receiving an allegation as described in this section 
shall expeditiously determine, in accordance with regula-
tions prescribed under subsection (e), whether there is suf-
ficient evidence to warrant an investigation of the allega-
tion. 
‘‘(C) Upon determining that an investigation of an 
allegation under this section is warranted, the Inspector 
General making the determination shall expeditiously in-
vestigate the allegation. 
‘‘(4) The Inspector General of the Department of De-
fense shall ensure that the Inspector General conducting 
the investigation of an allegation under this subsection is 
outside the immediate chain of command of both the vic-
tim advocate submitting the allegation and the individual 
or individuals alleged to have taken the retaliatory action. 
‘‘(5) Upon receiving an allegation under this sub-
section, the Inspector General shall conduct a separate in-
vestigation of the information that the victim advocate 
making the allegation believes constitutes evidence of 
wrongdoing as described in subparagraph (A) or (B) of 
paragraph (2) if there previously has not been such an 
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Defense shall provide for appropriate procedural protec-
tions for the subject of any investigation carried out under 
the provisions of this section, including a process of appeal 
and review of investigative findings. 
‘‘(2) The Secretary shall provide in the regulations 
that a violation of the prohibition by a person subject to 
chapter 47 of this title is punishable as a violation of sec-
tion 892 of this title (article 92 of the Uniform Code of 
Military Justice). 
‘‘§ 1819. Office of the Victims’ Advocate: annual as-
sessment 
‘‘(a) DATA COMPLIANCE AND REPORTING.—The Di-
rector of the Office of the Victims’ Advocate shall annually 
compile data collected during the preceding year by the 
military departments relating to incidents of domestic vio-
lence, family violence, sexual assault, and stalking. The 
data shall be compiled pursuant to policies set forth by 
the Director. 
‘‘(b) ASSESSMENT
OF
POLICIES
AND
PROCE-
DURES.—Not later than January 15 each year, the Direc-
tor shall conduct an assessment of the implementation 
during the preceding fiscal year of the policies and proce-
dures of the military departments on the prevention of and 
response to domestic violence, family violence, sexual as-
sault, and stalking involving members of the armed forces 
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in order to determine the effectiveness of such policies and 
procedures during such fiscal year. 
‘‘(c) PERSONNEL ANALYSIS.—The annual assess-
ment under subsection (b) shall include a review of per-
sonnel, including staffing levels, assignments, accessibility, 
availability, training, and duties of victim advocates, vic-
tim witness liaisons, sexual assault nurse examiners, and 
others considered appropriate by the Director assigned to 
assist victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, family 
violence, and stalking. The assessment shall include a re-
view of personnel assigned to deployed units, along with 
recommendations to enhance availability, accessibility, and 
training for such personnel. 
‘‘(d) ASSESSMENT OF STATUTES AND DIRECTIVES.— 
In order to enhance the foundation of law and policy with-
in the military departments in response to domestic vio-
lence, family violence, sexual assault, and stalking, the an-
nual assessment under subsection (b) shall include a re-
view of— 
‘‘(1) chapter 47 of this title (the Uniform Code 
of Military Justice), the provisions of law in force at 
the time of the assessment that were originally en-
acted by the Victims’ Rights and Restitution Act or 
the Violence Against Women Act, and other Federal 
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statutes applicable to domestic violence, sexual as-
sault, family violence, and stalking; 
‘‘(2) directives of the military departments; and 
‘‘(3) regulations of the military departments 
considered appropriate by the Director. 
‘‘§ 1820. Office of the Victims’ Advocate: annual re-
port 
‘‘(a) ANNUAL REPORT.—(1) Not later than January 
15 of each year, the Director shall submit to the Secretary 
of Defense a report on domestic violence, family violence, 
sexual assault, and stalking involving members of the 
Armed Forces during the preceding year. 
‘‘(2) Each report under paragraph (1) shall include 
the following: 
‘‘(A) The most recent compilation of data under 
section 1819(a) of this title; together with a com-
parison of that data (or subsets of that data) with 
comparable data from the civilian sector. 
‘‘(B) The results of the most recent assessment 
under section 1819(b) of this title. 
‘‘(C) The number of incidents of domestic vio-
lence, family violence, sexual assault, and stalking 
committed by or upon members of the armed forces 
that were reported to military officials during the 
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year covered by the report and the number of the 
cases so reported that were substantiated. 
‘‘(D) A summary of the types of cases and the 
disciplinary action taken in each type of case. 
‘‘(E) The policies, procedures, and processes 
implemented by the military departments during the 
year covered by the report in response to incidents 
of domestic violence, family violence, sexual assault, 
and stalking involving members of the armed forces. 
‘‘(F) A plan for the actions that are to be taken 
in the fiscal year following the fiscal year covered by 
the report on the prevention of and response to do-
mestic violence, family violence, sexual assault, and 
stalking involving members of the armed forces. 
‘‘(b) TRANSMISSION OF REPORT TO CONGRESSIONAL 
COMMITTEES.—The Secretary of Defense shall transmit 
to the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate and 
the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Rep-
resentatives each annual report submitted to the Secretary 
under subsection (a), together with the comments of the 
Secretary on such report. The Secretary shall transmit the 
report for any year not later than March 15 of the fol-
lowing year. 
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‘‘§ 1821. Requirements on use of funds 
‘‘(a) REQUIREMENTS.—Of the amounts appropriated 
to carry out the functions of the Office for any fiscal year, 
the Secretary— 
‘‘(1) shall use not less than 20 percent for pro-
grams addressing domestic violence, family violence, 
sexual assault, and stalking that are operated by, or 
in partnership with, civilian victim services; and 
‘‘(2) shall use not less than 5 percent for tech-
nical assistance and training to be provided by orga-
nizations having demonstrated expertise in devel-
oping collaborative community and system responses 
to domestic violence, family violence, sexual assault, 
and stalking. 
‘‘(b) TECHNICAL
ASSISTANCE
AND
TRAINING.— 
Technical assistance and training under subsection (a)(2) 
may be offered to the elements of the Armed Forces, in-
stallations, or commands in the process of developing com-
munity responses, whether they are receiving funds under 
this section or not.’’ 
(b) TRANSITION PROVISIONS.— 
(1) COMPREHENSIVE POLICY.—The policy re-
quired by section 1812(a) of title 10, United States 
Code, as added by subsection (a), shall be prescribed 
by the Secretary of Defense not later than the end 
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of the 120-day period beginning on the date of the 
enactment of this Act. 
(2) WHISTLEBLOWER
PROTECTION
REGULA-
TIONS.—The regulations required by section 1817(e) 
of title 10, United States Code, as added by sub-
section (a), shall be prescribed by the Secretary of 
Defense not later than 120 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act. 
(3) FIRST ANNUAL REPORT.—The first report 
under subsection (a) of section 1819(a) of such title, 
as added by subsection (a)— 
(A) shall be submitted to the Secretary of 
Defense not later than April 1 of the year after 
the year in which this Act is enacted (notwith-
standing the date specified in that subsection); 
and 
(B) shall be transmitted by the Secretary 
to the Committee on Armed Services of the 
Senate and Committee on Armed Services of 
the House of Representatives pursuant to sub-
section (b) of that section not later than May 
1 of that year (notwithstanding the date speci-
fied in that subsection). 
(c) CLERICAL AMENDMENTS.—The tables of chap-
ters at the beginning of subtitle A, and at the beginning 
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of part II of subtitle A, of title 10, United States Code, 
are amended by inserting after the item relating to chap-
ter 88 the following new item: 
‘‘90. Office of the Victims’ Advocate ........................................................ 1811’’. 
SEC. 112. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE INTERDISCIPLINARY 
COUNCIL. 
(a) CODIFICATION AND REVISION OF COUNCIL ES-
TABLISHED UNDER PUBLIC LAW 103–337.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 7 of title 10, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following new section: 
‘‘§ 185. 
Department 
of 
Defense 
Interdisciplinary 
Council 
‘‘(a) DEPARTMENT
OF DEFENSE COUNCIL.—The 
Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Director of 
the Office of the Victims’ Advocate of the Department of 
Defense, shall establish a Department of Defense inter-
disciplinary council to coordinate and oversee victims’ ad-
vocates programs of the Department of Defense and to 
oversee the efforts of the Department of Defense to pre-
vent and respond to violence against women and men. 
‘‘(b) COMPOSITION.—(1) The Council shall consist of 
12 members, appointed by the Secretary of Defense. The 
Council shall include members appointed from each of the 
Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps and shall in-
clude an equal number of personnel of the Department 
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of Defense and persons from outside the Department of 
Defense. The six members appointed as personnel of the 
Department of Defense may include retired members of 
the Armed Forces. 
‘‘(2) The six members appointed from outside the De-
partment of Defense may be appointed from other Federal 
departments and agencies, from State and local agencies, 
and from the private sector, but may not be members of 
the Armed Forces in a retired status. 
‘‘(3) The Secretary shall ensure that membership in-
cludes at least one judge advocate. 
‘‘(4) Each member of the Interdisciplinary Council 
appointed from outside the Department of Defense— 
‘‘(A) shall be an individual who has dem-
onstrated expertise and experience in the fields of 
sexual assault, domestic violence, family violence, or 
stalking, as well as expertise and experience in civil-
ian-military cooperation; or 
‘‘(B) shall be appointed from one of the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(i) The Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention of the Department of Health and 
Human Services. 
‘‘(ii) Civilian law enforcement. 
‘‘(iii) A judicial policy organization. 
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‘‘(iv) A national crime victim organization. 
‘‘(v) A victim service organization. 
‘‘(vi) A survivor of domestic violence, sex-
ual assault, family violence, or stalking in which 
the perpetrator was a member of the Armed 
Forces. 
‘‘(5) Members of the Interdisciplinary Council shall 
serve for a period of three years. The membership of the 
Interdisciplinary Council shall be rotated by composition 
and appointments as defined in paragraphs (1), (2), and 
(4) every three years. 
‘‘(c) CO-CHAIRS.—There shall be two co-chairs of the 
Interdisciplinary Council. One of the co-chairs shall be 
designated by the Secretary of Defense at the time of ap-
pointment from among the Department of Defense per-
sonnel on the Interdisciplinary Council. The other co-chair 
shall be selected among the members appointed from out-
side the Department of Defense by those members. 
‘‘(d) ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT.—(1) Each member 
of the Interdisciplinary Council who is a member of the 
Armed Forces or a civilian officer or employee of the 
United States shall serve without compensation (other 
than compensation to which entitled as a member of the 
Armed Forces or an officer or an employee of the United 
States, as the case may be). Other members of the Inter-
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disciplinary Council shall be appointed in accordance with, 
and subject to, section 3161(d) of title 5, but shall serve 
without pay. 
‘‘(2) The Director of the Office of the Victims’ Advo-
cate, under the direction of the Secretary of Defense, shall 
provide oversight of the Interdisciplinary Council. The Of-
fice of the Victims’ Advocate shall provide the Inter-
disciplinary Council with personnel facilities and other ad-
ministrative support as necessary for the performance of 
the Interdisciplinary Council’s duties. 
‘‘(e) MILITARY DEPARTMENT LIAISONS.—The Sec-
retary of each military department shall select a represent-
ative of that department to serve as a liaison between the 
Interdisciplinary Council and that military department. 
Each such representative shall be responsible for ensur-
ing— 
‘‘(1) that communications made at the Inter-
disciplinary Council are transmitted to military per-
sonnel; and 
‘‘(2) that the Interdisciplinary Council is aware 
of problems in the military departments related to 
domestic violence, family violence, sexual assault, 
and stalking. 
‘‘(f) INSTALLATION VISITS.—The Director of the Of-
fice of the Victims’ Advocate shall coordinate with the Sec-
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retaries of the military departments to provide for visits 
by members of the Interdisciplinary Council to military in-
stallations.’’. 
(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: 
‘‘185. Department of Defense Interdisciplinary Council.’’. 
(b) DEADLINE FOR INITIAL APPOINTMENTS.—Mem-
bers of the Interdisciplinary Council under section 185 of 
title 10, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), 
shall be appointed not later than 90 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act. 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than 18 months after the 
date on which all members of the Interdisciplinary Council 
under section 185 of title 10, United States Code, as 
added by subsection (a), have been appointed, the Inter-
disciplinary Council shall submit to the Secretary of De-
fense a report recommending specific ways in which the 
Office of the Victims’ Advocate and victim advocates may 
more effectively address matters relative to sexual assault, 
domestic violence, family violence, and stalking committed 
by or upon servicemembers. The report shall include an 
assessment of, and recommendations concerning, the fol-
lowing: 
(1) Victim safety programs. 
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(2) Confidentiality of communications for vic-
tims. 
(3) Offender accountability. 
(4) Prevention of sexual assault, domestic vio-
lence, family violence, and stalking. 
(5) Collaboration among military organizations 
with responsibility or jurisdiction with respect to 
sexual assault, domestic violence, family violence, 
and stalking. 
(6) Coordination between military and civilian 
communities including service organizations and law 
enforcement with respect to sexual assault, domestic 
violence, family violence and stalking. 
(7) Adaptation of best professional practices 
within the civilian communities with respect to sex-
ual assault, domestic violence, family violence and 
stalking. 
(8) Data collection, case management, and 
tracking. 
(9) Curricula and training including standard-
ized training for armed forces personnel and commu-
nity-based advocates, organizations, and service pro-
viders. 
(10) Standardization of guidelines, directives, 
and statutes. 
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(11) Other issues identified by the Interdiscipli-
nary Council. 
SEC. 113. CONFORMING REPEAL. 
Section 534 of the National Defense Authorization 
Act for Fiscal Year 1995 (10 U.S.C. 113 note) is repealed. 
Subtitle 
C—National 
and 
Inter-
national 
Hotlines 
Awareness, 
Prevention, 
and 
Intervention 
Campaign 
SEC. 121. AWARENESS, PREVENTION, AND INTERVENTION 
CAMPAIGN. 
(a) CONTRACTS AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary of De-
fense, acting through the Director of the Office of the Vic-
tims’ Advocate, may enter into contracts with appropriate 
entities to support the crisis intervention services of the 
Department of Defense for victims of domestic violence, 
sexual assault, family violence, and stalking in the Depart-
ment of Defense. 
(b) PURPOSE OF CONTRACT.—A contract under sub-
section (a) shall provide for the entity awarded the con-
tract to perform the following functions, to the extent pro-
vided in the contract: 
(1) Include in the services provided under the 
contract the availability of a toll-free telephone num-
ber (commonly referred to as an ‘‘800’’ number). 
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(2) Ensure that information about services and 
resources available to military personnel, families, 
and partners— 
(A) is revised and updated as appropriate; 
(B) is made available to the Office of the 
Victims’ Advocate and other Department of De-
fense entities for distribution and posting at ap-
propriate facilities within the Department of 
Defense; and 
(C) is made available through appropriate 
public information services. 
(3) Provide free and confidential support serv-
ices for members of the Armed Forces and their 
families and partners for the purpose of developing 
and strengthening prevention and intervention poli-
cies for assistance to servicemembers, family mem-
bers, and partners experiencing domestic violence, 
family violence, sexual assault, and stalking. 
(4) Develop and implement policies regarding 
appropriate, safe responses and referral procedures 
for servicemembers, family members, and partners 
experiencing domestic violence, family violence, sex-
ual assault, and stalking. 
(5) Provide linguistically and culturally appro-
priate services, or linkages to existing services in the 
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community, as needed to address the needs of vic-
tims and survivors associated with the Armed 
Forces. 
(6) Provide the necessary staffing for respond-
ing to the needs of servicemembers, family members, 
and partners who are experiencing domestic violence, 
family violence, sexual assault, or stalking, such as 
a resource person or liaison who is either on-site or 
on-call and who possesses demonstrated experience 
as a service provider to victims associated with the 
Armed Forces. 
(c) APPLICATIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—An entity that desires to re-
ceive a contract under this section shall submit to 
the Secretary an application at such time, in such 
manner, and containing such information as the Sec-
retary may require, consistent with the requirements 
in this section. 
(2) QUALIFICATIONS.—To be awarded such a 
contract, an entity must demonstrate in its applica-
tion under paragraph (1) that it has a history or ex-
perience that is relevant to the purposes of the con-
tract. 
(d) CONSIDERATIONS.—(1) In providing information 
on services, resources, counseling, and advocacy available 
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to members of the Armed Forces and their family mem-
bers and partners, the Secretary shall ensure that the per-
sonnel who provide assistance under this section are 
trained to provide to persons who have experienced sexual 
assault, domestic violence, family violence, and stalking in-
formation about the services, care, and treatment relating 
to domestic violence, family violence, sexual assault, and 
stalking available in the communities in which the victim 
resides, including care and services available under pro-
grams of the Department of Defense and the Department 
of Veterans Affairs and from non-military and non-veteran 
agencies and organizations. 
(2) The Secretary shall ensure that the telephone as-
sistance service shall be operated in a manner that pro-
tects the confidentiality of persons who place a call to the 
service. 
(3) The Secretary shall ensure that the telephone as-
sistance service provides immediate access to a trained 
counselor. The Secretary may not utilize call-back services 
or answering services. 
(4) The Secretary shall ensure that information about 
the availability of the telephone assistance service is visibly 
posted in medical facilities, commissary and exchange fa-
cilities, and Family Advocacy Program and Victims’ Advo-
cate Program facilities of the Department and is adver-
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tised through public service announcements and pam-
phlets, and by other means. 
(e) DURATION OF CONTRACT.—The Secretary shall 
enter into any contract under this section for a period of 
one year. The contract may be renewed. 
(f) CONFIDENTIALITY.—The Secretary shall include 
in a contract under this section confidentiality provisions 
based on the provisions of section 1816(a) of title 10, 
United States Code, as added by section 111. 
(g) NONSUPPLANTATION.—Any Federal funds re-
ceived under this section shall be used to supplement, and 
not to supplant, non-Federal funds that would otherwise 
be available for activities funded under this section. 
(h) NO MATCHING FUNDS.—For the purposes of this 
section, a nonprofit, nongovernmental victim services pro-
gram receiving funds under this section may not be re-
quired as a condition of receiving an award of a contract 
under this section to provide matching funds. 
(i) REPORTS.—An entity receiving funds under this 
section shall submit to the Secretary every six months a 
report that describes— 
(1) how the funds were used, including the ex-
tent to which members of the Armed Forces and 
their family members and partners were provided 
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services and a description of the services provided, 
including the number of cases responded to; 
(2) the adequacy of staff training and services 
to meet the needs of members of the Armed Forces 
and their family members and partners for services 
under the contract; and 
(3) the existence of barriers faced by the entity 
to address the needs of members of the Armed 
Forces and their family members and partners. 
Subtitle D—Prevention and 
Intervention Training 
SEC. 131. PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION TRAINING 
CONTRACTS. 
(a) AWARDS AUTHORIZED.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense, 
acting through the Director of the Office of the Vic-
tims’ Advocate, shall enter into contracts under this 
section with eligible entities for the purposes of pro-
viding training and technical assistance to the De-
partment of Defense relative to prevention of domes-
tic violence, sexual assault, family violence, and 
stalking. 
(2) DEFINITIONS.—In this section, the term 
‘‘eligible entity’’ means an entity that is— 
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(A) a public or nonprofit private organiza-
tion having demonstrated expertise in preven-
tion, intervention, developing community col-
laboration, and system response to domestic vi-
olence, sexual assault, family violence, and 
stalking; or 
(B) a community-based organization expe-
rienced in providing services to servicemembers, 
family members, or partners who experience do-
mestic violence, sexual assault, family violence, 
or stalking. 
(b) USES OF FUNDS.—An entity awarded a contract 
pursuant to subsection (a) shall— 
(1) provide training in the dynamics of domes-
tic violence, sexual assault, family violence, and 
stalking, including safety, risk assessment, potential 
lethality, and appropriate interventions; 
(2) 
provide 
education 
programs 
for 
servicemembers, family members, or partners that 
are linguistically and culturally appropriate and are 
designed to meet any unique needs of the population 
by adapting and implementing existing curricula; 
(3) provide media center materials and edu-
cational materials to the population that address the 
needs and concerns of servicemembers, family mem-
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bers, or partners who experience domestic violence, 
sexual assault, or stalking and the impact of the vio-
lence by identifying, adapting, and disseminating ap-
propriate existing materials; and 
(4) conduct evaluations to assess the impact of 
programs and policies assisted under this section in 
order to enhance the development of those programs. 
(c) APPLICATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity that de-
sires to receive a contract under this section shall 
submit to the Secretary an application at such time, 
in such manner, and containing such information as 
the Secretary may require, consistent with the re-
quirements described in this section. 
(2) CONTENT.—An application submitted pur-
suant to paragraph (1) shall— 
(A) outline and describe how training and 
other activities will be undertaken to promote 
prevention, intervention, and collaboration; 
(B) identify the members of the organiza-
tion who will be responsible for carrying out the 
training; 
(C) ensure that communities or agencies 
affected by the training are adequately rep-
resented in the development of the application, 
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training, and follow on activities to be under-
taken and that they have a significant role in 
evaluating the success of the project; 
(D) include documentation of any history 
of training between military entities, domestic 
violence, sexual assault, or stalking service pro-
viders, courts, law enforcement agencies, com-
munity-based programs, and other entities; 
(E) provide assurances that training and 
other activities will be provided to all types of 
staff, will address appropriate practices for in-
vestigation, follow-up, screening, intake, assess-
ment, and provision of services addressing the 
safety needs of victims of domestic violence, 
sexual assault, family violence, or stalking; 
(F) describe how the training and activities 
will enhance or ensure the safety and security 
of servicemembers, families, and partners where 
both domestic violence and sexual assault oc-
curs by providing appropriate resources, protec-
tion, and support to victims; 
(G) outline methods and means partici-
pating entities will use to ensure that all serv-
ices are provided in a linguistically and cul-
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turally competent manner and will use commu-
nity-based supports and resources; and 
(H) outline the protocols, policies, and pro-
cedures participating entities will develop and 
adopt to ensure the confidentiality of victims. 
(d) DURATION OF CONTRACTS.—The Secretary shall 
enter into a contract under this section for a period of 
one year. Such a contract may be renewed. 
(e) REPORTS.—An entity receiving funds under this 
section shall submit to the Secretary every six months a 
report that describes, at a minimum— 
(1) how the funds under the program were 
used, including the extent to which military per-
sonnel, family members, or partners were served; 
(2) the adequacy of staff training and services 
to ensure that the needs of servicemembers, family 
members, or partners are met; and 
(3) the existence of barriers the entity faces to 
more fully addressing the needs of servicemembers, 
family members, or partners. 
(f) REQUIREMENT.— 
(1) Of the amounts appropriated to carry out 
this section for any fiscal year, the Secretary— 
(A) shall use not less than 20 percent for 
programs addressing domestic violence and sex-
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ual assault that are operated by, or in partner-
ship with, civilian victim services; and 
(B) shall use not less than 5 percent for 
technical assistance and training to be provided 
by organizations having demonstrated expertise 
in developing collaborative community and sys-
tem responses to domestic violence, sexual as-
sault, and stalking. 
(2) Technical assistance and training under 
paragraph (1)(B) may be offered to the elements of 
the Armed Forces, installations, or commands in the 
process of developing community responses, whether 
they are receiving funds under this section or not. 
Subtitle E—Biennial Conference on 
Sexual Assault and Domestic Vi-
olence 
SEC. 141. ESTABLISHMENT. 
Not later than one year after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, and every two years thereafter, the Sec-
retary of Defense, acting through the Director of the Of-
fice of the Victims’ Advocate of the Department of De-
fense, shall convene a national conference to review cur-
rent policies for prevention of, and response to, domestic 
violence, sexual assault, family violence, and stalking in-
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volving members of the Armed Forces and to make rec-
ommendations for changes, as warranted, to those policies. 
SEC. 142. CONFERENCE ACTIVITIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The conferences under this sub-
title shall provide a forum for the civilian leadership of 
the Department of Defense, military commanders, family 
advocacy personnel, military criminal investigators, mili-
tary law enforcement personnel, and security forces to 
consider problems, policies, and recommendations relating 
to domestic violence, sexual assault, family violence, and 
stalking involving members of the Armed Forces. 
(b) FIRST CONFERENCE.— 
(1) CONSIDERATION OF PRIOR REPORTS.—Ac-
tivities of the first conference under this subtitle 
shall include consideration of the reports and rec-
ommendations of the following: 
(A) The Department of Defense Task 
Force on the Care of Sexual Assault Victims. 
(B) The Department of Defense Task 
Force on Domestic Violence. 
(C) The Department of Defense Task 
Force of Sexual Harassment and Misconduct at 
the Military Academies. 
(2) STRATEGIC
PLAN.—Activities of the first 
conference under this subtitle shall include a discus-
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