I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3015 
To amend title 10, United States Code, to enhance the prevention of sexual 
assault and related offenses in the Armed Forces, to enhance protections 
of victims of such offenses, to improve the investigation and prosecution 
of such offenses, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 23, 2019 
Mr. TURNER (for himself, Mrs. DAVIS of California, and Ms. STEFANIK) in-
troduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Armed Services 
A BILL 
To amend title 10, United States Code, to enhance the 
prevention of sexual assault and related offenses in the 
Armed Forces, to enhance protections of victims of such 
offenses, to improve the investigation and prosecution 
of such offenses, 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 
‘‘Combating Military Sexual Assault Act’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
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Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
TITLE I—PREVENTION AND TRAINING ON SEXUAL ASSAULT IN 
THE ARMED FORCES 
Sec. 101. Training for commanders in the Armed Forces on their role in all 
stages of military justice in connection with sexual assault. 
Sec. 102. Training for Sexual Assault Initial Disposition Authorities on exercise 
of disposition authority for sexual assault and collateral of-
fenses. 
Sec. 103. Three-year extension of Defense Advisory Committee on Investiga-
tion, Prosecution, and Defense of Sexual Assault in the Armed 
Forces. 
Sec. 104. Military department grants on research on sexual assault prevention 
and reduction efforts at institutions of higher education. 
Sec. 105. Report on expansion of the Close Airman Support team approach of 
the Air Force to the other Armed Forces. 
TITLE II—SUPPORT OF VICTIMS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT IN THE 
ARMED FORCES 
Sec. 201. Expansion of responsibilities of commanders for victims of sexual as-
sault committed by another member of the Armed Forces. 
Sec. 202. Availability of Special Victims’ Counsel and Special Victim Prosecu-
tors at military installations. 
Sec. 203. Preservation of recourse to Restricted Report on sexual assault for 
victims of sexual assault being investigated following certain 
victim or third-party communications. 
Sec. 204. Treatment of information in Catch a Serial Offender Program for 
certain purposes. 
Sec. 205. Report on expansion of Air Force safe to report policy across the 
Armed Forces. 
TITLE III—INVESTIGATION OF SEXUAL ASSAULT IN THE ARMED 
FORCES AND RELATED MATTERS 
Sec. 301. Expansion of pre-referral matters reviewable by military judges and 
military magistrates in the interest of efficiency in military jus-
tice. 
Sec. 302. Increase in number of digital forensic examiners for the military 
criminal investigation organizations. 
Sec. 303. Pilot programs on defense investigators in the military justice system. 
Sec. 304. Report on mechanisms to enhance the integration and synchroni-
zation of activities of Special Victim Investigation and Prosecu-
tion personnel with activities of military criminal investigation 
organizations. 
TITLE IV—PROSECUTION MATTERS 
Sec. 401. Punitive article in the Uniform Code of Military Justice on sexual 
harassment affecting the duties, work, or career of a member 
of the Armed Forces. 
Sec. 402. Non-binding guidelines on sentences of confinement for convictions of 
offenses under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. 
TITLE V—OTHER MATTERS 
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Sec. 501. Survey of members of the Armed Forces on their experiences with 
military investigations and military justice. 
Sec. 502. Annual report on military protective orders. 
Sec. 503. Privacy Act exclusion for courts-martial to allow for public access to 
dockets, filings, and court records. 
Sec. 504. Report on standardization among the military departments in collec-
tion and presentation of information on matters within the 
military justice system. 
TITLE 
I—PREVENTION 
AND 
TRAINING 
ON 
SEXUAL 
AS-
SAULT 
IN 
THE 
ARMED 
FORCES 
SEC. 101. TRAINING FOR COMMANDERS IN THE ARMED 
FORCES ON THEIR ROLE IN ALL STAGES OF 
MILITARY JUSTICE IN CONNECTION WITH 
SEXUAL ASSAULT. 
(a) IN
GENERAL.—The training provided com-
manders in the Armed Forces shall include comprehensive 
training on the role of commanders in all stages of mili-
tary justice in connection with sexual assaults by members 
of the Armed Forces against other members of the Armed 
Forces. 
(b) ELEMENTS TO BE COVERED.—The training pro-
vided pursuant to subsection (a) shall include training on 
the following: 
(1) The role of commanders in each stage of 
the military justice process in connection with sexual 
assault committed by a member of the Armed 
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SEC. 102. TRAINING FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT INITIAL DIS-
POSITION AUTHORITIES ON EXERCISE OF 
DISPOSITION AUTHORITY FOR SEXUAL AS-
SAULT AND COLLATERAL OFFENSES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The training for Sexual Assault 
Initial Disposition Authorities (SAIDAs) on the exercise 
of disposition authority under chapter 47, United States 
Code (the Uniform Code of Military Justice), with respect 
to cases for which disposition authority is withheld to such 
Authorities by the April 20, 2012, memorandum of the 
Secretary of Defense, or any successor memorandum, shall 
include comprehensive training on the exercise by such 
Authorities of such authority with respect to such cases 
in order to enhance the capabilities of such Authorities 
in the exercise of such authority and thereby promote con-
fidence and trust in the military justice process with re-
spect to such cases. 
(b) MEMORANDUM OF SECRETARY OF DEFENSE.— 
The April 20, 2012, memorandum of the Secretary of De-
fense referred to in subsection (a) is the memorandum of 
the Secretary of Defense entitled ‘‘Withholding Initial Dis-
position Authority Under the Uniform Code of Military 
Justice in Certain Sexual Assault Cases’’ and dated April 
20, 2012. 
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SEC. 103. THREE-YEAR EXTENSION OF DEFENSE ADVISORY 
COMMITTEE ON INVESTIGATION, PROSECU-
TION, AND DEFENSE OF SEXUAL ASSAULT IN 
THE ARMED FORCES. 
(a) EXTENSION.—Subsection (f)(1) of section 546 of 
the Carl Levin and Howard P. ‘‘Buck’’ McKeon National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 (Public 
Law 113–291; 10 U.S.C. 1561 note) is amended by strik-
ing ‘‘5 years’’ and inserting ‘‘8 years’’. 
(b) ANNUAL REPORT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subsection (e) of such sec-
tion is amended by inserting ‘‘until the Advisory 
Committee terminates under subsection (f)’’ after 
‘‘March 30 each year’’. 
(2) STATUTORY
CONSTRUCTION.—The annual 
report described in section 546(e) of such Act, as 
amended by paragraph (1), shall be required to be 
submitted during the period specified in such sec-
tion, as so amended, notwithstanding section 
1061(d)(1) of the National Defense Authorization 
Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–328; 10 
U.S.C. 111 note) or any other provision of law. 
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SEC. 104. MILITARY DEPARTMENT GRANTS ON RESEARCH 
ON SEXUAL ASSAULT PREVENTION AND RE-
DUCTION EFFORTS AT INSTITUTIONS OF 
HIGHER EDUCATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Each Secretary of a military de-
partment shall, using amounts described in subsection (f), 
make one or more grants to appropriate non-Federal pub-
lic or private entities for research on sexual assault pre-
vention and reduction efforts at institutions of higher edu-
cation for purposes of identifying best practices among 
such efforts for dissemination to, and use at, the military 
service academies and other institutions of higher edu-
cation in order to enhance prevention or reduction of inci-
dents of sexual assault among students of such institu-
tions. 
(b) REQUIREMENTS AND LIMITATIONS.— 
(1) COMPETITIVE AWARD.—Any grant awarded 
pursuant to subsection (a) shall be awarded on a 
competitive basis. 
(2) AMOUNT
OF
GRANTS.—The aggregate 
amounts of grants awarded by a Secretary pursuant 
to subsection (a) in any fiscal year may not exceed 
$llllllll. 
(c) USE OF GRANT AMOUNTS.—An entity awarded 
a grant pursuant to subsection (a) shall use the grant 
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amount for research for purposes specified in that sub-
section. 
(d) REPORT.—Each grant awarded pursuant to sub-
section (a) shall require the recipient to submit to the Sec-
retary of the military department concerned a report on 
the results of the research undertaken by the recipient 
using such grant. 
(e) USE OF RESULTS.— 
(1) SHARING OF RESULTS.—Each Secretary of 
a military department shall share the results of re-
search undertaken through grants awarded by such 
Secretary pursuant to subsection (a) with the other 
Secretaries of the military departments. The purpose 
of such sharing shall be for the Secretaries of the 
military department to jointly determine best prac-
tices among sexual assault prevention and reduction 
efforts at institutions of higher education. 
(2) USE AT MILITARY SERVICE ACADEMIES.— 
Each Secretary of a military department shall use 
best practices identified pursuant to paragraph (1) 
at the military service academy under the jurisdic-
tion of such Secretary, modified as such Secretary 
considers appropriate for the unique circumstances 
of such military service academy. 
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(3) FURTHER
DISSEMINATION.—The Secre-
taries of the military department shall jointly dis-
seminate to institutions of higher education the fol-
lowing: 
(A) The best practices identified pursuant 
to paragraph (1). 
(B) Such other information on sexual as-
sault prevention and reduction efforts at insti-
tutions of higher education as the Secretaries 
jointly consider appropriate in light of the re-
search undertaken through grants awarded pur-
suant to subsection (a). 
(f) FUNDING.—Amounts for grants under this sec-
tion in a fiscal year shall be derived from amounts author-
ized to be appropriated for that fiscal year for military 
personnel. 
SEC. 105. REPORT ON EXPANSION OF THE CLOSE AIRMAN 
SUPPORT TEAM APPROACH OF THE AIR 
FORCE TO THE OTHER ARMED FORCES. 
(a) REPORT REQUIRED.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretaries 
of the military departments shall jointly submit to the 
Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the 
House of Representatives a report setting forth an assess-
ment of the Secretaries of the feasibility and advisability 
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of expanding the Close Airman Support (CAS) team ap-
proach of the Air Force to the other Armed Forces under 
the jurisdiction of such Secretaries. 
(b) CLOSE AIRMAN SUPPORT TEAM APPROACH.— 
The Close Airman Support team approach of the Air 
Force referred to in subsection (a) is an approach by 
which personnel associated with an Air Force squadron, 
and led by a senior enlisted member of the squadron, take 
actions to improve relationships and communication 
among members of the squadron in order to promote posi-
tive social behaviors among such members as a squadron, 
including an embrace of proactive pursuit of needed assist-
ance. 
(c) SCOPE OF REPORT.—If the Secretaries determine 
that expansion of the Close Airman Support team ap-
proach to the other Armed Forces is feasible and advis-
able, the report under subsection (a) shall include a de-
scription of the manner in which the approach will be car-
ried out in the other Armed Forces, including the manner, 
if any, in which the approach will be modified in the other 
Armed Forces to take into account the unique cir-
cumstances of such Armed Forces. 
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TITLE II—SUPPORT OF VICTIMS 
OF SEXUAL ASSAULT IN THE 
ARMED FORCES 
SEC. 201. EXPANSION OF RESPONSIBILITIES OF COM-
MANDERS FOR VICTIMS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT 
COMMITTED BY ANOTHER MEMBER OF THE 
ARMED FORCES. 
(a) NOTIFICATION OF VICTIMS OF EVENTS IN MILI-
TARY JUSTICE PROCESS.— 
(1) 
NOTIFICATION
REQUIRED.—The 
com-
mander of a member of the Armed Forces who is 
the alleged victim of sexual assault committed by an-
other member of the Armed Forces shall provide no-
tification to such alleged victim of every key or other 
significant event in the military justice process in 
connection with the investigation, prosecution, and 
confinement of such other member for sexual as-
sault. 
(2) DOCUMENTATION.—Each commander de-
scribed in paragraph (1) shall create and maintain 
appropriate documentation on any notification pro-
vided as described in that paragraph. 
(b) DOCUMENTATION OF VICTIM’S PREFERENCE ON 
JURISDICTION IN PROSECUTION.—In the case of a mem-
ber of the Armed Forces who is the alleged victim of sex-
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ual assault committed by another member of the Armed 
Forces who is subject to prosecution for such offense both 
by court-martial under chapter 47 of title 10, United 
States Code (the Uniform Code of Military Justice), and 
by a civilian court under State law, the commander of such 
alleged victim shall create and maintain appropriate docu-
mentation of the expressed preference, if any, of such al-
leged victim for prosecution of such offense by court-mar-
tial or by a civilian court as provided for by Rule 306(e) 
of the Rules for Court-Martial. 
(c) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary of Defense shall 
prescribe in regulations the requirements applicable to 
each of the following: 
(1) Notifications under subsection (a)(1). 
(2) Documentation under subsection (a)(2). 
(3) Documentation under subsection (b). 
SEC. 202. AVAILABILITY OF SPECIAL VICTIMS’ COUNSEL 
AND SPECIAL VICTIM PROSECUTORS AT MILI-
TARY INSTALLATIONS. 
(a) DEADLINE FOR AVAILABILITY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—If an individual specified in 
paragraph (2) is not available at a military installa-
tion for access by a member of the Armed Forces 
who requests access to such an individual, such an 
individual shall be made available at such installa-
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tion for access by such member by not later than 48 
hours after such request. 
(2) INDIVIDUALS.—The individuals specified in 
this paragraph are the following: 
(A) Special Victims’ Counsel (SVC). 
(B) Special Victim Prosecutor (SVP). 
(b) REPORT ON CIVILIAN SUPPORT OF SVCS.—Not 
later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of 
this Act, each Secretary of a military department shall 
submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Sen-
ate and the House of Representatives a report setting 
forth the assessment of such Secretary of the feasibility 
and advisability of establishing and maintaining at each 
installation under the jurisdiction of such Secretary with 
a Special Victims’ Counsel one or more civilian positions 
for the purpose of— 
(1) providing support to such Special Victims’ 
Counsel; and 
(2) ensuring continuity and the preservation of 
institutional knowledge in transitions between the 
service of individuals as Special Victims’ Counsel at 
such installation. 
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SEC. 203. PRESERVATION OF RECOURSE TO RESTRICTED 
REPORT ON SEXUAL ASSAULT FOR VICTIMS 
OF SEXUAL ASSAULT BEING INVESTIGATED 
FOLLOWING CERTAIN VICTIM OR THIRD- 
PARTY COMMUNICATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—A member of the Armed Forces 
who is the victim of a sexual assault that is or may be 
investigated as a result of a communication described in 
subsection (b) may elect to have the member’s reporting 
on such sexual assault be treated as a Restricted Report 
without regard to the party initiating or receiving such 
communication. 
(b) COMMUNICATION.—A communication described 
in this subsection is a communication on a sexual assault 
as follows: 
(1) By the member concerned to a member of 
the Armed Forces in the chain of command of such 
member, whether a commissioned officer or a non-
commissioned officer. 
(2) By the member concerned to military law 
enforcement personnel or personnel of a military 
criminal investigation organization (MCIO). 
(3) By any individual other than the member 
concerned. 
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SEC. 204. TREATMENT OF INFORMATION IN CATCH A SE-
RIAL OFFENDER PROGRAM FOR CERTAIN 
PURPOSES. 
(a) EXCLUSION FROM FOIA.—Section 552 of title 
5, United States Code (commonly referred to as the 
‘‘Freedom of Information Act’’), shall not apply to any 
report for purposes of the Catch a Serial Offender 
(CATCH) Program. 
(b) PRESERVATION OF RESTRICTED REPORT.—The 
transmittal or receipt in connection with the Catch a Se-
rial Offender Program of a report on a sexual assault that 
is treated as a Restricted Report shall not operate to ter-
minate its treatment or status as a Restricted Report. 
SEC. 205. REPORT ON EXPANSION OF AIR FORCE SAFE TO 
REPORT 
POLICY 
ACROSS 
THE 
ARMED 
FORCES. 
(a) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense 
shall, in consultation with the Secretaries of the military 
departments and the Secretary of Homeland Security, 
submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Sen-
ate and the House of Representatives a report setting 
forth an assessment of the feasibility and advisability of 
expanding the applicability of the safe to report policy de-
scribed in subsection (b) so that the policy applies across 
the Armed Forces. 
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