Servicemember Safety and Security Improvement Act of 2021
Bill: H.R.3769 | Sponsor: Rep. Jackson, Ronny (R-TX)
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Servicemember Safety and Security Improvement Act of 2021
This bill requires the Department of Defense to instruct each military department to review its policies and procedures for reporting members of the Armed Forces who are absent without leave, on unauthorized absence, or missing.
Military installations must update the policies and procedures related to absent or missing service members with a focus on force protection, enhanced security for members living on base, and prioritizing the reporting of missing service members to local and federal law enforcement at the earliest reasonable time.
The commander of each military installation must establish a protocol for sharing information with local and federal law enforcement agencies about service members who are absent without leave, on unauthorized absence, or missing. Each military installation must submit the established protocol to the relevant installation command.

To improve the safety and security of members of the Armed Forces, 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 ``Servicemember Safety and Security 
Improvement Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. MEASURES TO IMPROVE THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF MEMBERS OF THE 
              ARMED FORCES.

    (a) Comprehensive Review of Missing Persons Reporting.--The 
Secretary of Defense shall instruct the Secretary of each military 
department to undertake a comprehensive review of the department's 
policies and procedures for reporting members of the Armed Forces 
absent without leave, on unauthorized absence, or missing.
    (b) Review of Installation-Level Procedures.--The head of each 
military installation command shall--
            (1) direct each military installation under its command to 
        review its policies and procedures for carrying out the 
        reporting activities described under subsection (a); and
            (2) update such installation-level policies and procedures 
        with a view towards force protection, enhanced security for 
        members of the Armed Forces living on base, and prioritizing 
        reporting at the earliest reasonable time to local law 
        enforcement at all levels, and Federal law enforcement field 
        offices with overlapping jurisdiction with that installation, 
        when a member is determined to be missing.
    (c) Installation-Specific Reporting Protocols.--
            (1) In general.--The commander of each military 
        installation shall establish a protocol for sharing information 
        with local and Federal law enforcement agencies about members 
        of the Armed Forces that are absent without leave, on 
        unauthorized absence, or missing. The protocol shall provide, 
        by memorandum of understanding or otherwise, for the commander 
        to immediately notify all local and Federal law enforcement 
        agencies with jurisdictions in the immediate area of the 
        military installation when the status of a member assigned to 
        such installation has been changed to absent without leave, on 
        unauthorized absence, or missing.
            (2) Reporting to military installation command.--The 
        commander of each military installation shall submit the 
        protocol established pursuant to paragraph (1) to the relevant 
        military installation command.
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