Casualty Assistance Reform Act of 2021
Bill: H.R.6260 | Sponsor: Rep. Bacon, Don (R-NE)
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Casualty Assistance Reform Act of 2021
This bill requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to establish the Casualty Assistance Reform Working Group to, among other duties, create standards and training for casualty assistance officers of the Armed Forces. Generally, a casualty assistance officer supports and assists the next of kin after they have been notified of a casualty.
The bill also requires DOD to publish an interim rule to establish standard definitions of gold star family and gold star survivor.

To direct the Secretary of Defense to establish a working group for the 
   reform of the casualty assistance officer program, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Casualty Assistance Reform Act of 
2021''.

SEC. 2. CASUALTY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM: REFORM; ESTABLISHMENT OF WORKING 
              GROUP.

    (a) Casualty Assistance Reform Working Group.--
            (1) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date 
        of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall 
        establish a working group to be known as the ``Casualty 
        Assistance Reform Working Group'' (in this section referred to 
        as the ``Working Group'').
            (2) Duties.--The Working Group shall perform the following 
        duties:
                    (A) Create standards and training for CAOs across 
                the military departments.
                    (B) Explore the possibility of establishing a 
                unique badge designation for--
                            (i) CAOs who have performed CAO duty more 
                        than five times; or
                            (ii) professional CAOs.
                    (C) Examine the current workflow of casualty 
                affairs support across the military departments, 
                including administrative processes and survivor 
                engagements.
                    (D) Perform a gap analysis and solution document 
                that clearly identifies and prioritizes critical 
                changes to modernize and professionalize the casualty 
                experience for survivors.
                    (E) Review the organization of the Office of 
                Casualty, Mortuary Affairs and Military Funeral Honors 
                to ensure it is positioned to coordinate policy and 
                assist in all matters under its jurisdiction, across 
                the Armed Forces, including any potential intersections 
                with the Defense Prisoner of War and Missing in Action 
                Accounting Agency.
                    (F) Explore the establishment of--
                            (i) an annual meeting, led by the Secretary 
                        of Defense, with gold star families; and
                            (ii) a surviving and gold star family 
                        leadership council.
                    (G) Recommend improvements to the family 
                notification process of Arlington National Cemetery.
                    (H) Explore the redesign of the Days Ahead Binder, 
                including creating an electronic version.
                    (I) Consider the expansion of the DD Form 93 to 
                include more details regarding the last wishes of the 
                deceased member.
                    (J) Assess coordination between the Department of 
                Defense and the Office of Survivors Assistance of the 
                Department of Veterans Affairs.
            (3) Membership.--The membership of the Working Group shall 
        be composed of the following:
                    (A) The Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel 
                and Readiness, who shall serve as Chair of the Working 
                Group.
                    (B) At least one person furnished with a gold star 
                lapel button under section 1126 of title 10, United 
                States Code, by each Secretary of a military 
                department.
                    (C) Other members of the Armed Forces or civilian 
                employees of the Department of Defense, appointed by 
                the Secretary of Defense, based on knowledge of, and 
                experience with, matters described in paragraph (2).
            (4) Report.--Not later than September 30, 2022, the Working 
        Group shall submit to the Secretary of Defense a report 
        containing the determinations and recommendations of the 
        Working Group.
            (5) Termination.--The Working Group shall terminate upon 
        submission of the report under paragraph (4).
    (b) Report Required.--Not later than November 1, 2022, the 
Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services 
of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report setting forth 
the results of a review and assessment of the casualty assistance 
officer program, including the report of the Working Group.
    (c) Establishment of Certain Definitions.--Not later than one year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense, 
in coordination with the Secretaries of the military departments, shall 
publish an interim rule that establishes standard definitions, for use 
across the military departments, of the terms ``gold star family'' and 
``gold star survivor''.
    (d) CAO Defined.--In this section, the term ``CAO'' means a 
casualty assistance officer of the Armed Forces.
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