Title: Military Patron Protection Act of 2017
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Military Patron Protection Act of 2017
This bill establishes the Military Resale Patron Benefits Advisory Commission to advise the Department of Defense (DOD) on:
The Commission shall advise DOD on proposed reforms to commissary and exchange operations that could affect:
The bill requires DOD to: (1) report annually on the use of funds generated by commissaries and exchanges, the constitution and purpose of the boards of directors of the Military Exchanges and Commissary Operations and any determination to use such funds, and DOD responses to any commission proposals; (2) notify Congress before expending certain funds; and (3) notify Congress before taking action that would reduce a contract awarded by the Defense Commissary Agency to a small, veteran-owned, woman-owned, or disadvantaged business concern or a qualified nonprofit agency for the blind or other severely disabled.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2850 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2850

 To establish the Military Resale Patron Benefits Advisory Commission, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 8, 2017

  Mr. Jones (for himself and Mr. Walz) introduced the following bill; 
         which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To establish the Military Resale Patron Benefits Advisory Commission, 
                        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 ``Military Patron Protection Act of 
2017''.

SEC. 2. MILITARY RESALE PATRON BENEFITS ADVISORY COMMISSION.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established a commission to be known 
as the ``Military Resale Patron Benefits Advisory Commission'' (in this 
Act referred to as ``the Commission'').
    (b) Duties.--The duties of the Commission shall be to advise the 
Secretary of Defense regarding--
            (1) the effects of the operations of military commissaries 
        and exchanges on--
                    (A) patrons of military commissaries and exchanges; 
                and
                    (B) morale, welfare and recreation programs;
            (2) the sources and uses of revenue from military 
        commissaries and exchanges, including surcharge funding;
            (3) fulfillment of the requirements under Section 661 of 
        the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 
        (Public Law 114-840);
            (4) proposed reforms to the operations of military 
        commissaries and exchanges that could effect--
                    (A) the use of revenue from military commissaries 
                and exchanges (including surcharge funding);
                    (B) the morale, welfare and recreation programs 
                provided for members of the Armed Forces and their 
                dependents; and
                    (C) philanthropic programs that benefit members of 
                the Armed Forces and their families; and
            (5) the possible effects of such reforms on the morale of 
        members of the Armed Forces and their dependents.
    (c) Membership.--
            (1) Number and appointment.--The Commission shall be 
        comprised of seven members, appointed by the Secretary of 
        Defense from military or veterans service organizations to 
        represent the interests of patrons and beneficiaries of 
        military commissaries and exchanges.
            (2) Terms.--
                    (A) In general.--Each member shall be appointed for 
                a term of one year, subject to renewal by the Secretary 
                of Defense.
                    (B) Vacancies.--A vacancy in the Commission shall 
                be filled in the manner in which the original 
                appointment was made.
            (3) Pay.--Members of the Commission shall serve without 
        pay.
            (4) Travel expenses.--Each member shall receive travel 
        expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence.
            (5) Chairperson.--Members of the Commission shall elect a 
        Chairperson.
            (6) Meetings.--The Commission shall meet at the call of the 
        Chairperson.
    (d) Director and Staff of Commission; Experts and Consultants.--
            (1) Director.--The Secretary of Defense shall appoint a 
        member of the Armed Forces to serve as the Director of the 
        Commission.
            (2) Experts and consultants.--With the approval of the 
        Commission, the Director may procure temporary and intermittent 
        services under section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code.
            (3) Staff of federal agencies.--Upon request of the 
        Commission, the head of any Federal department or agency may 
        detail, on a reimbursable basis, any of the personnel of that 
        department or agency to the Commission to assist it in carrying 
        out its duties under this Act.
    (e) Powers of Commission.--
            (1) Hearings and sessions.--The Commission may, for the 
        purpose of carrying out this Act, hold hearings, sit and act at 
        times and places, take testimony, and receive evidence as the 
        Commission considers appropriate.
            (2) Obtaining official data.--The Commission may secure 
        directly from any department or agency of the United States 
        information necessary to enable it to carry out this Act. Upon 
        request of the Chairperson of the Commission, the head of that 
        department or agency shall furnish that information to the 
        Commission.
            (3) Mails.--The Commission may use the United States mails 
        in the same manner and under the same conditions as other 
        departments and agencies of the United States.
            (4) Administrative support services.--Upon request of the 
        Commission, the Administrator of General Services shall provide 
        to the Commission, on a reimbursable basis, the administrative 
        support services necessary for the Commission to carry out its 
        responsibilities under this Act.
    (f) Reports.--
            (1) Interim reports.--The Commission may submit to the 
        Secretary of Defense interim reports as the Commission 
        considers appropriate.
            (2) Final report.--The Commission shall transmit a final 
        report to the President and the Congress not later than the day 
        on which the Commission terminates under subsection (g). The 
        final report shall contain a detailed statement of the findings 
        and conclusions of the Commission, together with its 
        recommendations for legislation or administrative actions the 
        Commission considers appropriate.
    (g) Termination.--Section 14(a)(2)(B) of the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.; relating to the termination of advisory 
committees) notwithstanding, the Commission shall terminate upon the 
day that is five years after the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 3. REPORTS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than March 1, 2018, and annually 
thereafter for the subsequent four calendar years, the Secretary of 
Defense shall submit to the Congress an annual report regarding the 
following:
            (1) The use of funds generated by military commissaries and 
        exchanges other than to--
                    (A) cover capital costs of such military 
                commissaries and exchanges;
                    (B) support morale, welfare and recreation 
                programs;
                    (C) provide services directly to members of the 
                Armed Services or their families; or
                    (D) support operations in a forward deployed or 
                tactical environment.
            (2) The constitution and purpose of the respective boards 
        of directors of the Military Exchanges and Commissary 
        Operations and any determination by any such board to use 
        proceeds covered in a report under paragraph (1).
            (3) Responses of the Secretary to any findings or proposals 
        of the Commission.
            (4) Actions described in subsection (b), (c), or (d).
    (b) Notification Before Certain Expenditures.--The Secretary of 
Defense shall notify the Committees on Armed Services of the House of 
Representatives and the Senate and the Committees on Appropriations of 
the House of Representatives and the Senate no later than 90 days 
before expending any funds generated by a military commissary or 
exchange for a purpose other than those named in subsection (a)(1).
    (c) Notification Before Actions That Reduce Certain Contracts.--The 
Secretary of Defense shall notify the Committees on Armed Services of 
the House of Representatives and the Senate no later than 90 days 
before taking any action that would result in the reduction of a 
contract awarded by the Defense Commissary Agency that has been awarded 
to--
            (1) a small, veteran-owned, woman-owned, or disadvantaged 
        business concern;
            (2) a qualified nonprofit agency for the blind under 
        section 8501(7) of title 41, United States Code; or
            (3) a qualified nonprofit agency for other severely 
        disabled under section 8501(6) of title 41, United States Code.
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