PERFORMS Act
Bill: H.R.7994 | Sponsor: Rep. Wilson, Joe (R-SC)
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Providing Expanded Representation FOR Military families with Special Needs Act or the PERFORMS Act
This bill expands the membership of the Advisory Panel on Community Support for Military Families with Special Needs and provides for more transparency and accessibility of the panel's meetings and progress.
Specifically, the bill requires additional representatives to be added to the panel, including a representative from the Defense Health Agency.
In addition, the panel must ensure meetings or other proceedings are accessible to the public. Meeting announcements, minutes, representatives' names, and updates must be made available on a publicly accessible website.

To expand and improve the advisory panel on community support for 
     military families with special needs, 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 ``Providing Expanded Representation 
FOR Military families with Special Needs Act'' or the ``PERFORMS Act''.

SEC. 2. ADVISORY PANEL ON COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR MILITARY FAMILIES WITH 
              SPECIAL NEEDS.

    Section 563(d) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 
Year 2010 (Public Law 111-84; 10 U.S.C. 1781c note) is amended--
            (1) by amending paragraph (2) to read as follows:
            ``(2) Members.--The advisory panel shall consist of the 
        following members, appointed by the Secretary of Defense:
                    ``(A) Nine individuals from military families with 
                special needs, with respect to which the Secretary 
                shall ensure that--
                            ``(i) one individual is the spouse of an 
                        enlisted member;
                            ``(ii) one individual is the spouse of an 
                        officer in a grade below O-6;
                            ``(iii) one individual is a junior enlisted 
                        member;
                            ``(iv) one individual is a junior officer;
                            ``(v) individuals reside in different 
                        geographic regions;
                            ``(vi) one individual is a member serving 
                        at a remote installation or is a member of the 
                        family of such a member; and
                            ``(vii) at least two individuals are 
                        members serving on active duty, each with a 
                        dependent who--
                                    ``(I) is enrolled in the 
                                Exceptional Family Member Program; and
                                    ``(II) has an individualized 
                                education program.
                    ``(B) One representative of the Defense Health 
                Agency.
                    ``(C) One representative of the Department of 
                Defense Education Activity.
                    ``(D) One representative of the Office of Special 
                Needs of the Department of Defense.
                    ``(E) One or more representatives of advocacy 
                groups with missions relating to the Exceptional Family 
                Member Program of the Department of Defense.
                    ``(F) One or more adult dependents enrolled in the 
                Exceptional Family Member Program of the Department of 
                Defense.''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(5) Transparency and accessibility.--The advisory panel 
        shall--
                    ``(A) provide advice that is relevant, objective, 
                and transparent;
                    ``(B) ensure that any meetings or other proceedings 
                of the advisory panel are accessible to the public; and
                    ``(C) make available on a publicly accessible 
                website--
                            ``(i) meeting announcements;
                            ``(ii) minutes of meetings;
                            ``(iii) the names of council 
                        representatives; and
                            ``(iv) regular updates on the progress of 
                        the panel in fulfilling the duties specified in 
                        paragraph (3).''.
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