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military legal assistance providers is not reasonably
available.’’.
SEC. 573. MODIFICATION OF AUTHORITIES ON SENIOR
MEMBERS OF THE JUDGE ADVOCATE GEN-
ERALS’ CORPS.
(a) DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY.—
(1) GRADE
OF
JUDGE
ADVOCATE
GENERAL.—
Subsection (a) of section 3037 of title 10, United
States Code, is amended by striking the third sentence
and inserting the following new sentence: ‘‘The Judge
Advocate General, while so serving, has the grade of
lieutenant general.’’.
(2) REDESIGNATION OF ASSISTANT JUDGE ADVO-
CATE GENERAL AS DEPUTY JUDGE ADVOCATE GEN-
ERAL.—Such section is further amended—
(A) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘Assistant
Judge Advocate General’’ each place it appears
and inserting ‘‘Deputy Judge Advocate General’’;
and
(B) in subsection (d), by striking ‘‘Assistant
Judge Advocate General’’ and inserting ‘‘Deputy
Judge Advocate General’’.
(3) CONFORMING AND CLERICAL AMENDMENTS.—
(A) The heading of such section is amended by strik-
ing ‘‘ASSISTANT JUDGE ADVOCATE GENERAL’’
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and inserting ‘‘DEPUTY JUDGE ADVOCATE GEN-
ERAL’’.
(B) The table of sections at the beginning of
chapter 305 of such title is amended in the item relat-
ing to section 3037 by striking ‘‘Assistant Judge Ad-
vocate General’’ and inserting ‘‘Deputy Judge Advo-
cate General’’.
(b) GRADE OF JUDGE ADVOCATE GENERAL OF THE
NAVY.—Section 5148(b) of such title is amended in sub-
section by striking the last sentence and inserting the fol-
lowing new sentence: ‘‘The Judge Advocate General, while
so serving, has the grade of vice admiral or lieutenant gen-
eral, as appropriate.’’.
(c) GRADE OF JUDGE ADVOCATE GENERAL OF THE
AIR FORCE.—Section 8037(a) of such title is amended by
striking the last sentence and inserting the following new
sentence: ‘‘The Judge Advocate General, while so serving,
has the grade of lieutenant general.’’.
(d) EXCLUSION FROM ACTIVE-DUTY GENERAL AND
FLAG OFFICER STRENGTH
AND DISTRIBUTION LIMITA-
TIONS.—Section 525(b) of such title is amended by adding
at the end the following new paragraph:
‘‘(9) An officer while serving as the Judge Advocate
General of the Army, the Judge Advocate General of the
Navy, or the Judge Advocate General of the Air Force is
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in addition to the number that would otherwise be per-
mitted for that officer’s armed force for officers serving on
active duty in grades above major general or rear admiral
under paragraph (1) or (2), as applicable.’’.
(e) LEGAL COUNSEL TO CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT
CHIEFS OF STAFF.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 5 of title 10, United
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new section:
‘‘§ 156. Legal Counsel to the Chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—There is a Legal Counsel to the
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
‘‘(b) SELECTION FOR APPOINTMENT.—Under regula-
tions prescribed by the Secretary of Defense, the officer se-
lected for appointment to serve as Legal Counsel to the
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff shall be recommended
by a board of officers convened by the Secretary of Defense
that, insofar as practicable, is subject to the procedures ap-
plicable to selection boards convened under chapter 36 of
this title.
‘‘(c) GRADE.—An officer appointed to serve as Legal
Counsel to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff shall,
while so serving, hold the grade of brigadier general or rear
admiral (lower half).
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‘‘(d) DUTIES.—The Legal Counsel of the Chairman of
the Joint Chiefs of Staff shall perform such legal duties in
support of the responsibilities of the Chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff as the Chairman may prescribe.’’.
(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec-
tions at the beginning of chapter 5 of such title is
amended by adding at the end the following new item:
‘‘156. Legal Counsel to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.’’.
Subtitle G—Military Family
Readiness
SEC. 581. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE MILITARY FAMILY
READINESS COUNCIL.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter I of chapter 88 of title
10, United States Code, is amended by inserting after sec-
tion 1781 the following new section:
‘‘§ 1781a. Department of Defense Military Family
Readiness Council
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—There is in the Department of De-
fense the Department of Defense Military Family Readiness
Council (hereafter in this section referred to as the ‘Coun-
cil’).
‘‘(b) MEMBERS.—(1) The members of the Council shall
be the following:
‘‘(A) The Under Secretary of Defense for Per-
sonnel and Readiness, who shall serve as chair of the
Council.
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‘‘(B) One representative of each of the Army, the
Navy, the Marine Corps, and the Air Force, who shall
be appointed by Secretary of Defense.
‘‘(C) Three individuals appointed by the Sec-
retary of Defense from among representatives of mili-
tary family organizations (including military family
organizations of families of members of the regular
components and of families of members of the reserve
components), of whom not less than two shall be mem-
bers of the family of an enlisted member of the armed
forces.
‘‘(D) In addition to the members appointed
under subparagraphs (B) and (C), eight individuals
appointed by the Secretary of Defense, of whom—
‘‘(i) one shall be a commissioned officer of
the Army or spouse of a commissioned officer of
the Army, and one shall be an enlisted member
of the Army or spouse of an enlisted member of
the Army, except that of the individuals ap-
pointed under this clause at any particular time,
one shall be a member of the Army and the other
shall be a spouse of a member of the Army;
‘‘(ii) one shall be a commissioned officer of
the Navy or spouse of a commissioned officer of
the Navy, and one shall be an enlisted member
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of the Navy or spouse of an enlisted member of
the Navy, except that of the individuals ap-
pointed under this clause at any particular time,
one shall be a member of the Navy and the other
shall be a spouse of a member of the Navy;
‘‘(iii) one shall be a commissioned officer of
the Marine Corps or spouse of a commissioned
officer of the Marine Corps, and one shall be an
enlisted member of the Marine Corps or spouse
of an enlisted member of the Marine Corps, ex-
cept that of the individuals appointed under this
clause at any particular time, one shall be a
member of the Marine Corps and the other shall
be a spouse of a member of the Marine Corps;
and
‘‘(iv) one shall be a commissioned officer of
the Air Force or spouse of a commissioned officer
of the Air Force, and one shall be an enlisted
member of the Air Force or spouse of an enlisted
member of the Air Force, except that of the indi-
viduals appointed under this clause at any par-
ticular time, one shall be a member of the Air
Force and the other shall be a spouse of a mem-
ber of the Air Force.
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‘‘(2) The term on the Council of the members appointed
under paragraph (1)(C) shall be three years.
‘‘(c) MEETINGS.—The Council shall meet not less often
than twice each year. Not more than one meeting of the
Council each year shall be in the National Capital Region.
‘‘(d) DUTIES.—The duties of the Council shall include
the following:
‘‘(1) To review and make recommendations to
the Secretary of Defense on the policy and plans re-
quired under section 1781b of this title.
‘‘(2) To monitor requirements for the support of
military family readiness by the Department of De-
fense.
‘‘(3) To evaluate and assess the effectiveness of
the military family readiness programs and activities
of the Department of Defense.
‘‘(e) ANNUAL REPORTS.—(1) Not later than February
1 each year, the Council shall submit to the Secretary of
Defense and the congressional defense committees a report
on military family readiness.
‘‘(2) Each report under this subsection shall include
the following:
‘‘(A) An assessment of the adequacy and effec-
tiveness of the military family readiness programs
and activities of the Department of Defense during
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the preceding fiscal year in meeting the needs and re-
quirements of military families.
‘‘(B) Recommendations on actions to be taken to
improve the capability of the military family readi-
ness programs and activities of the Department of De-
fense to meet the needs and requirements of military
families, including actions relating to the allocation
of funding and other resources to and among such
programs and activities.’’.
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections at
the beginning of subchapter I of chapter 88 of such title
is amended by inserting after the item relating to section
1781 the following new item:
‘‘1781a. Department of Defense Military Family Readiness Council.’’.
SEC. 582. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE POLICY AND PLANS
FOR MILITARY FAMILY READINESS.
(a) POLICY AND PLANS REQUIRED.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter I of chapter 88 of
title 10, United States Code, as amended by section
581 of this Act, is further amended by inserting after
section 1781a the following new section:
‘‘§ 1781b. Department of Defense policy and plans for
military family readiness
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense shall de-
velop a policy and plans for the Department of Defense for
the support of military family readiness.
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‘‘(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of the policy and plans
required under subsection (a) are as follows:
‘‘(1) To ensure that the military family readi-
ness programs and activities of the Department of De-
fense are comprehensive, effective, and properly sup-
ported.
‘‘(2) To ensure that support is continuously
available to military families in peacetime and in
war, as well as during periods of force structure
change and relocation of military units.
‘‘(3) To ensure that the military family readi-
ness programs and activities of the Department of De-
fense are available to all military families, including
military families of members of the regular compo-
nents and military families of members of the reserve
components.
‘‘(4) To ensure that the goal of military family
readiness is an explicit element of applicable Depart-
ment of Defense plans, programs, and budgeting ac-
tivities, and that achievement of military family
readiness is expressed through Department-wide goals
that are identifiable and measurable.
‘‘(5) To ensure that the military family readi-
ness programs and activities of the Department of De-
fense undergo continuous evaluation in order to en-
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sure that resources are allocated and expended for
such programs and activities in the most effective pos-
sible manner throughout the Department.
‘‘(c) ELEMENTS
OF POLICY.—The policy required
under subsection (a) shall include the following elements:
‘‘(1) A definition for treating a program or ac-
tivity of the Department of Defense as a military
family readiness program or activity.
‘‘(2) Department of Defense-wide goals for mili-
tary family support, both for military families of
members of the regular components and military fam-
ilies of members of the reserve components.
‘‘(3) Requirements for joint programs and activi-
ties for military family support.
‘‘(4) Policies on access to military family sup-
port programs and activities based on military fam-
ily populations served and geographical location.
‘‘(5) Metrics to measure the performance and ef-
fectiveness of the military family readiness programs
and activities of the Department of Defense.
‘‘(d) ELEMENTS OF PLANS.—(1) Each plan under re-
quired under subsection (a) shall include the elements speci-
fied in paragraph (2) for the five-fiscal year period begin-
ning with the fiscal year in which such plan is submitted
under paragraph (3).
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‘‘(2) The elements in each plan required under sub-
section (a) shall include, for the period covered by such
plan, the following:
‘‘(A) An ongoing identification and assessment
of the effectiveness of the military family readiness
programs and activities of the Department of Defense
in meeting goals for such programs and activities,
which assessment shall evaluate such programs and
activities separately for each military department
and for each regular component and each reserve com-
ponent.
‘‘(B) A description of the resources required to
support the military family readiness programs and
activities of the Department of Defense, including the
military personnel, civilian personnel, and volunteer
personnel so required.
‘‘(C) An ongoing identification in gaps in the
military family readiness programs and activities of
the Department of Defense, and an ongoing identi-
fication of the resources required to address such gaps.
‘‘(D) Mechanisms to apply the metrics developed
under subsection (c)(5).
‘‘(E) A summary, by fiscal year, of the alloca-
tion of funds (including appropriated funds and non-
appropriated funds) for major categories of military
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family readiness programs and activities of the De-
partment of Defense, set forth for each of the military
departments and for the Office of the Secretary of De-
fense.
‘‘(3) Not later than March 1, 2008, and each year
thereafter, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the con-
gressional defense committees a report on the plans required
under subsection (a) for the five-fiscal year period begin-
ning with the fiscal year beginning in the year in which
such report is submitted. Each report shall include the
plans covered by such report and an assessment of the dis-
charge by the Department of Defense of the previous plans
submitted under this subsection.’’.
(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec-
tions at the beginning of subchapter I of chapter 88
of such title, as so amended, is further amended by
inserting after the item relating to section 1781a the
following new item:
‘‘1781b. Department of Defense policy and plans for military family readiness.’’.
(3) REPORT ON POLICY.—The Secretary of De-
fense shall submit to the congressional defense com-
mittees a report setting forth the policy developed
under section 1781b of title 10, United States Code
(as added by this subsection), not later than February
1, 2009.