Title: Better Military Housing Act of 2018
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Better Military Housing Act of 2018
This bill requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to revise requirements for the monitoring and oversight of, and reporting for, the Military Housing Privatization Initiative (MHPI). Specifically, the bill requires DOD to use consistent measures for assessing the financial condition of MHPI projects and to assess the future sustainability of such projects relative to the goal of providing quality housing to members of the Armed Forces.


[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2913 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2913

   To require the Secretary of Defense to improve the monitoring and 
  oversight of and reporting regarding projects carried out under the 
   Military Housing Privatization Initiative under subchapter IV of 
              chapter 169 of title 10, United States Code.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 22, 2018

Ms. Cortez Masto (for herself and Mr. Cornyn) introduced the following 
   bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed 
                                Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To require the Secretary of Defense to improve the monitoring and 
  oversight of and reporting regarding projects carried out under the 
   Military Housing Privatization Initiative under subchapter IV of 
              chapter 169 of title 10, United States Code.

    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 ``Better Military Housing Act of 
2018''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) In 1996, Congress sought to address the poor quality of 
        military housing by providing the Department of Defense 
        authority to obtain private sector financing and management to 
        repair, renovate, construct, and operate military housing.
            (2) Since 1996, the Department has privatized 99 percent of 
        military housing in the United States.
            (3) Although the Department has regularly assessed the 
        financial condition of its privatized housing program, the 
        Department has not used consistent measures of financial 
        condition, consistently assessed future sustainment, or issued 
        required reports to Congress in a timely manner.

SEC. 3. IMPROVEMENT OF MONITORING AND OVERSIGHT OF AND REPORTING 
              REGARDING MILITARY HOUSING PRIVATIZATION INITIATIVE.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Defense, in carrying out 
subchapter IV of chapter 169 of title 10, United States Code (known as 
the Military Housing Privatization Initiative), shall--
            (1) use consistent measures for the assessment of the 
        financial condition of projects conducted under such 
        subchapter;
            (2) consistently incorporate measures of future sustainment 
        in assessments of such projects;
            (3) submit reports regarding such projects to Congress in a 
        timely manner;
            (4) fully assess the effects of any reduction in the basic 
        allowance for housing on the financial condition of such 
        projects; and
            (5) define, for each military department, the tolerance for 
        risk regarding the future sustainability of such projects 
        relative to the goal of providing members of the Armed Forces 
        with quality housing.
    (b) Report or Briefing.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit a 
report or provide a briefing to the Committee on Armed Services of the 
Senate and the Committee on Armed Services of the House of 
Representatives on--
            (1) the status of the implementation of subsection (a), 
        including specific dates by which the Secretary expects to 
        complete the implementation of such subsection; and
            (2) the steps being taken by the Secretary to improve the 
        financial condition of any project conducted under subchapter 
        IV of chapter 169 of title 10, United States Code, that is--
                    (A) considered to be in financial distress; or
                    (B) rated as unacceptable, marginal, below 
                expectations, well below expectations, or on a watch 
                list.
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