Title: Military Family PROTECT Act
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Military Family Prevention, Response, and Other Training to End Military Family Abuse and Connect Communities Today Act or Military Family PROTECT Act
This bill requires the establishment on military installations multidisciplinary teams on child abuse and other domestic violence.
The Defense Health Agency of the Department of Defense must carry out a pilot program on universal nurse home visits for providing families training on safe childcare practices aimed at reducing child abuse and fatalities.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2846 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2846

 To provide for multidisciplinary teams for military installations on 
child abuse and other domestic violence, to require a pilot program on 
  nurse home visits to reduce child abuse and improve safe childcare 
            among military families, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 15, 2018

 Mrs. Gillibrand (for herself and Mr. Tillis) introduced the following 
   bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed 
                                Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To provide for multidisciplinary teams for military installations on 
child abuse and other domestic violence, to require a pilot program on 
  nurse home visits to reduce child abuse and improve safe childcare 
            among military families, 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 Family Prevention, 
Response, and Other Training to End Military Family Abuse and Connect 
Communities Today Act'' or ``Military Family PROTECT Act''.

SEC. 2. MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAMS FOR MILITARY INSTALLATIONS ON CHILD 
              ABUSE AND OTHER DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.

    (a) Multidisciplinary Teams Required.--
            (1) In general.--Under regulations prescribed by each 
        Secretary concerned, there shall be established and maintained 
        for each military installation, except as provided in paragraph 
        (2), one or more multidisciplinary teams on child abuse and 
        other domestic violence for the purposes specified in 
        subsection (b).
            (2) Single team for proximate installations.--A single 
        multidiscipinary team described in paragraph (1) may be 
        established and maintained under this subsection for two or 
        more military installations in proximity with one another if 
        the Secretary concerned determines, in consultation with the 
        Secretary of Defense, that a single team for such installations 
        suffices to carry out the purposes of such teams under 
        subsection (b) for such installations.
    (b) Purposes.--The purposes of each multidisciplinary team 
maintained pursuant to subsection (a) shall be as follows:
            (1) To provide for the sharing of information among such 
        team and other appropriate personnel on the installation or 
        installations concerned regarding the progress of 
        investigations into and resolutions of incidents of child abuse 
        and other domestic violence involving members of the Armed 
        Forces stationed at or otherwise assigned to the installation 
        or installations.
            (2) To provide for and enhance collaborative efforts among 
        such team and other appropriate personnel of the installation 
        or installations regarding investigations into and resolutions 
        of such incidents.
            (3) To enhance the social services available to military 
        families at the installation or installations in connection 
        with such incidents, including through the enhancement of 
        cooperation among specialists and other personnel providing 
        such services to such military families in connection with such 
        incidents.
            (4) To carry out such other duties regarding the response 
        to child abuse and other domestic violence at the installation 
        or installations as the Secretary concerned considers 
        appropriate for such purposes.
    (c) Personnel.--
            (1) In general.--Each multidisciplinary team maintained 
        pursuant to subsection (a) shall be composed of the following:
                    (A) One or more judge advocates.
                    (B) Appropriate personnel of one or more military 
                criminal investigation services.
                    (C) Appropriate mental health professionals.
                    (D) Appropriate medical personnel.
                    (E) Family advocacy case workers.
                    (F) Such other personnel as the Secretary or 
                Secretaries concerned consider appropriate.
            (2) Expertise and training.--Any individual assigned to a 
        multidisciplinary team shall possess such expertise, and shall 
        undertake such training as is required to maintain such 
        expertise, as the Secretary concerned shall specify for 
        purposes of this section in order to ensure that members of the 
        team remain appropriately qualified to carry out the purposes 
        of the team under this section. The training and expertise so 
        specified shall include training and expertise on special 
        victims' crimes, including child abuse and other domestic 
        violence.
    (d) Ongoing Responsibilities.--Each multidisciplinary team 
maintained pursuant to subsection (a) shall do the following:
            (1) Meet on a regular basis to review ongoing cases.
            (2) Undertake training of team members on their various 
        disciplines, including through the use of civilian experts to 
        provide such training.
            (3) Enter into memoranda of understanding among team 
        members regarding team goals, to define roles and 
        responsibilities of team members (including goals of training), 
        to specify the frequency and schedule of team meetings, to 
        ensure protection of confidentiality in team activities, and to 
        specify protocols and procedures for notification and response 
        to incidents of child abuse and other domestic violence 
        (including reporting to local civilian authorities) and the use 
        of child forensic interviews, forensic medical examinations, 
        safety measures, and support services in connection with such 
        incidents.
    (e) Coordination and Collaboration With Non-Military Resources.--
            (1) Use of community resources serving installations.--In 
        providing under this section for a multidisciplinary team for a 
        military installation or installations that benefit from 
        services or resources on child abuse or other domestic violence 
        that are provided by civilian entities in the vicinity of the 
        installation or installations, the Secretary concerned may take 
        the availability of such services or resources to the 
        installation or installations into account in providing for the 
        composition and duties of the team.
            (2) Best practices.--The Secretaries concerned shall take 
        appropriate actions to ensure that multidisciplinary teams 
        maintained pursuant to subsection (a) remain fully and 
        currently apprised of best practices in the civilian sector on 
        investigations into and resolutions of incidents of child abuse 
        and other domestic violence and on the social services provided 
        in connection with such incidents.
            (3) Collaboration.--In providing for the enhancement of 
        social services available to military families in accordance 
        with subsection (b)(3), the Secretaries concerned shall permit, 
        facilitate, and encourage multidisciplinary teams to 
        collaborate with appropriate civilian agencies in the vicinity 
        of the military installations concerned with regard to 
        availability, provision, and use of such services to and by 
        such families.
    (f) Annual Report.--Not later than February 28 each year, each 
Secretary concerned shall submit to Congress a report on the activities 
of multidisciplinary teams maintained pursuant to subsection (a) under 
the jurisdiction of such Secretary during the preceding year. Each 
report shall set forth, for the period covered by such report, the 
following:
            (1) A summary description of the activities of the 
        multidisciplinary teams concerned, including the number and 
        composition of such teams, the recurring activities of such 
        teams, and any notable achievements of such teams.
            (2) A description of any impediments to the effectiveness 
        of such teams.
            (3) Such recommendations for legislative or administrative 
        action as such Secretary considers appropriate in order to 
        improve the effectiveness of such teams.
            (4) Such other matters with respect to such teams as such 
        Secretary considers appropriate.
    (g) Multidisciplinary Team Within OSD.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Defense shall establish 
        and maintain within the Office of the Secretary of Defense a 
        multidisciplinary team on child abuse and other domestic 
        violence within the Department of Defense. The team shall 
        consist of at least one representative of each Armed Force and 
        such other personnel as the Secretary shall specify.
            (2) Duties.--The multidisciplinary team maintained pursuant 
        to this subsections shall do the following:
                    (A) Identify and make recommendations on policies 
                to address child abuse and other domestic violence.
                    (B) Identify and disseminate best practices in 
                connection with the purposes of multidisciplinary teams 
                maintained pursuant to subsection (a).
                    (C) Meet on a regular basis in order to--
                            (i) review and assess the activities and 
                        effectiveness of multidisciplinary teams 
                        maintained pursuant to subsection (a); and
                            (ii) in light of such review and 
                        assessment, make recommendations for 
                        improvements and enhancements of such teams and 
                        the authorities and activities of such teams.
                    (D) Carry out such other activities as the 
                Secretary of Defense considers appropriate.
    (h) Secretary Concerned.--
            (1) Definition.--In this section, the term ``Secretary 
        concerned'' has the meaning given that term in section 
        101(a)(9) of title 10, United States Code.
            (2) Usage with respect to multiple installations.--For 
        purposes of this section, any reference to ``Secretary 
        concerned'' with respect to a single multidisciplinary team 
        established and maintained pursuant to subsection (a) for two 
        or more military installations that are under the jurisdiction 
        of different Secretaries concerned, shall be deemed to refer to 
        each Secretary concerned who has jurisdiction of such an 
        installation, acting jointly.

SEC. 3. PILOT PROGRAM ON NURSE HOME VISITS TO REDUCE CHILD ABUSE AND 
              IMPROVE SAFE CHILDCARE AMONG MILITARY FAMILIES.

    (a) Pilot Program Required.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Defense shall, acting 
        through the Defense Health Agency, carry out a pilot program on 
        universal nurse home visits designed to provide eligible 
        covered beneficiaries and their families training on safe 
        childcare practices aimed at reducing child abuse and 
        fatalities due to abuse and neglect, assessments of risk 
        factors for child abuse, and connections with community 
        resources to meet identified needs.
            (2) Scope.--The pilot program shall be designed to 
        facilitate connections between covered beneficiaries and their 
        families and community services and resources (including 
        services and resources provided by the Department of Defense), 
        and shall not be designed to replace any other resources 
        currently available to covered beneficiaries and their 
        families. The pilot program, including the practices covered by 
        training pursuant to the pilot program, shall conform to 
        evidence-based scientific criteria, including criteria 
        available through publications in peer-reviewed scientific 
        journals.
            (3) Discharge.--The pilot program shall be carried out 
        through a contract with an entity selected by the Secretary for 
        purposes of the pilot program from among entities capable of 
        meeting the requirements of the pilot program, including the 
        provision of training for nurses who makes visits under the 
        pilot program on evidence-based practices in connection 
        universal nurse home visits.
    (b) Locations.--The pilot program required by this section shall be 
carried out at military installations selected by the Secretary for 
purposes of the pilot program as follows:
            (1) Not fewer than five installations that are locations of 
        a military medical treatment facility.
            (2) Such other installations as the Secretary considers 
        appropriate from among installations representing a range of 
        situations, including installations in an urban location and a 
        rural location, installations with a large population and with 
        a small population, installations currently experiencing high 
        incidence of child abuse, neglect, or both and low incidence of 
        child abuse, neglect, or both, installations within the United 
        States and outside the United States, joint installations, and 
        installations serving only one Armed Force.
    (c) Elements.--The pilot program shall include the following:
            (1) Between one and three home visits described in 
        subsection (f), and not more than seven other contacts, except 
        in unusual cases (such as deployments), with such home visits 
        by a team led by a licensed nurse to provide screening, 
        community resource referral, and training to eligible covered 
        beneficiaries participating in the pilot program and their 
        families on the following:
                    (A) General maternal and infant health.
                    (B) Safe sleeping environments.
                    (C) Feeding and bathing.
                    (D) Adequate supervision.
                    (E) Common hazards.
                    (F) Self-care.
                    (G) Recognition of post-partum depression, 
                substance abuse, domestic violence in a mother or her 
                partner, and community violence.
                    (H) Skills for management of infant crying.
                    (I) Other positive parenting skills and practices.
                    (J) The importance of participating in ongoing 
                healthcare for an infant and in ongoing healthcare for 
                post-partum depression.
                    (K) Finding, qualifying for, and participating in 
                available community resources with respect to infant 
                care, childcare, and parenting support.
                    (L) Planning for parenting, co-parenting, or 
                guardianship of children during deployment.
                    (M) Such other matters as the Secretary considers 
                appropriate.
            (2) Services and resources on offer or as otherwise 
        available as described in subsection (g).
            (3) An electronic integrated data system as described in 
        subsection (h) relating to--
                    (A) availability and use of services and resources 
                under the pilot program;
                    (B) tracking of interactions between teams 
                described in paragraph (1) and eligible beneficiaries 
                and their families under the pilot program; and
                    (C) evaluation of the effectiveness of the pilot 
                program.
    (d) Medical Staff.--The Secretary shall ensure that the pilot 
program is carried out by licensed medical staff of the Department, 
such as obstetrics or pediatric nursing staff, and not family advocacy 
staff.
    (e) Mandatory Participation.--
            (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), the 
        Secretary shall require all eligible covered beneficiaries at 
        military installations at which the pilot program is carried 
        out to be contacted as described in subsection (c)(1).
            (2) Exception.--The Secretary shall encourage participation 
        by both parents of a child in the pilot program, but 
        participation by one parent shall be sufficient to meet the 
        requirement under paragraph (1).
    (f) Home Visits.--
            (1) In general.--The home visits described in subsection 
        (c)(1) shall include the following:
                    (A) An initial contact made prenatally (except when 
                not possible, in which case the contact shall occur in 
                the hospital or birthing location as soon after birth 
                as possible) by a team described in subsection (c)(1), 
                which shall include screening for the matters specified 
                in that subsection.
                    (B) If a parent is deployed at the time of birth--
                            (i) the first home visit pursuant to 
                        subparagraph (A) shall, to the extent 
                        practicable, incorporate both parents, in 
                        person with the local parent and by electronic 
                        means (such as Skype or FaceTime) with the 
                        deployed parent; and
                            (ii) another such home visit shall be 
                        conducted at a reasonable time after the return 
                        of the parent from deployment (in order to 
                        allow for reintegration), and shall include 
                        both parents.
                    (C) Home visits by a nurse trained in the practices 
                covered by the pilot program at the birth of a child, 
                which visits shall follow a research-based structured 
                clinical protocol.
            (2) Timing of visits.--The home first visit under paragraph 
        (1) shall occur between two and five weeks after discharge from 
        hospital or birthing plan, with appropriate follow-up generally 
        accomplished within 2 home visits.
            (3) Duration of visits.--Visits under this subsection shall 
        have a duration between 90 minutes and 2 hours.
            (4) Final visit.--Not later than 45 days after the last 
        visit conducted by a nurse under paragraph (1) with respect to 
        an eligible covered beneficiary, appropriate staff shall 
        follow-up with the beneficiary and the beneficiary's family to 
        assess if they are using the services available as described in 
        subsection (g).
    (g) Services and Resources.--
            (1) In general.--In carrying out the pilot program under 
        this section, the Secretary shall--
                    (A) offer applicable available services and 
                resources of the Department to eligible covered 
                beneficiaries participating in the pilot program and 
                their families based on the particular needs of the 
                beneficiaries and their families; and
                    (B) inform beneficiaries and their families of 
                applicable services and resources that are otherwise 
                available in the community concerned in connection with 
                the pilot program.
            (2) Voluntary participation.--Participation by an eligible 
        covered beneficiary and family in any service or resource 
        offered or available under paragraph (1) shall be at the 
        election of the beneficiary.
            (3) Needs assessments of eligible covered beneficiaries.--
                    (A) In general.--In offering services and resources 
                under paragraph (1)(A), the Secretary shall conduct, or 
                attempt to conduct, an assessment of every eligible 
                covered beneficiary and beneficiary family 
                participating in the pilot program, regardless of risk 
                factors, to determine which services and resources to 
                offer such beneficiary and family under that paragraph.
                    (B) Particular needs.--In conducting an assessment 
                of an eligible covered beneficiary and family under 
                subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall assess their 
                needs and eligibility for particular services and 
                resources and connect the beneficiary and family to 
                services and resources for which they have a need and 
                are eligible, either within the Department of Defense 
                or elsewhere.
    (h) Electronic Integrated Data System.--Before commencing the pilot 
program, the entity with which the Secretary contracts under subsection 
(a)(3) shall develop and deploy an electronic integrated data system, 
tailorable to each military installation at which the pilot program is 
carried out and created in consultation with experts in community 
resources available in the vicinity of such installation, for purposes 
of as follows:
            (1) To list all services and resources to be offered under 
        subsection (g)(1)(A) to eligible covered beneficiaries and 
        their families.
            (2) To inform beneficiaries and their families pursuant to 
        subsection (g)(1)(B) of services and resources that are 
        otherwise available in the community concerned in connection 
        with the pilot program.
            (3) To track interactions between teams described in 
        subsection (c)(1) and beneficiaries and their families under 
        the pilot program.
            (4) To track the services and resources used by 
        beneficiaries and their families under the pilot program in 
        order to evaluate the implementation and impact of the program.
            (5) To otherwise track and assess the effectiveness of the 
        pilot program.
    (i) Two-Year Assessment.--Two years after the commencement of the 
pilot program, the Secretary conduct an assessment of the effectiveness 
of the pilot program.
    (j) Reports.--
            (1) Initial report.--Not later than 180 days after the date 
        of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the 
        Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of 
        Representatives a report on the pilot program required by this 
        section. The report shall include a comprehensive description 
        of the pilot program, including the following:
                    (A) The installations at which the pilot program is 
                being carried out.
                    (B) The strategy and metrics for evaluating the 
                effectiveness of the pilot program for purposes of the 
                report under paragraph (2).
            (2) Final report.--Not later than 180 days after the 
        completion of the pilot program, the Secretary shall submit to 
        the committees specified in paragraph (1) a report on the pilot 
        programs. The report shall include the following:
                    (A) A comprehensive description and assessment of 
                the pilot program, including an assessment of each of 
                the following:
                            (i) The electronic integrated data system 
                        required by subsection (h).
                            (ii) The ability of nurses to contact 
                        eligible covered beneficiaries and families 
                        eligible for participation in the pilot 
                        program.
                            (iii) The extent to which families eligible 
                        for participation in the pilot program actually 
                        participate in the pilot program.
                            (iv) The characteristics of families 
                        eligible for participation in the pilot program 
                        that do not participate in the pilot program, 
                        and summaries of the reasons for lack of 
                        participation.
                            (v) The ability of nurses to adhere to the 
                        clinical protocols of the pilot program.
                            (vi) The extent to which families 
                        participating in the program are being 
                        connected to services and resources under the 
                        pilot program.
                            (vii) The extent to which families 
                        participating in the pilot program are using 
                        services and resources under the pilot program.
                    (B) Such recommendations for legislative or 
                administrative action as the Secretary considers 
                appropriate in light of the pilot program, including 
                expansion or extension of the pilot program.
    (k) Ongoing Evaluation.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than three years after the date 
        of the report required by subsection (j)(2), and every five 
        years thereafter, the Secretary shall conduct a scientifically 
        rigorous evaluation of universal nurse home visits provided in 
        accordance with this section, using administrative records, in 
        order to assess the effectiveness of such visits in--
                    (A) reducing incidence of child abuse and neglect 
                and fatalities due to abuse and neglect; and
                    (B) reducing emergency health care utilization for 
                child injuries.
            (2) Scope of evaluation.--Each evaluation shall include a 
        review of available referrals to the Family Advocacy Program, 
        child hospital administration records, community-wide child 
        protective service investigations, and such other indicators 
        and sources of information as the Secretary considers 
        appropriate.
    (l) Implementation Defense-Wide.--If the Secretary determines as a 
result of the pilot program that any element of the pilot program is 
effective, the Secretary shall take appropriate actions to implement 
the pilot program as a program throughout and across the military 
installations of the Department.
    (m) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) The term ``community'', with respect to a military 
        installation, means the catchment area for community services 
        of the installation, including services provided on the 
        installation and services provided by State, county, and local 
        jurisdictions in which the installation is located or in the 
        vicinity of the installation.
            (2) The term ``eligible covered beneficiary'' means a 
        covered beneficiary (as that term is defined in section 1072 of 
        title 10, United States Code) who has a child under the age of 
        five years or is expecting a child.
    (n) Funding.--
            (1) Authorization of appropriations.--There is hereby 
        authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 2019 for the 
        Department of Defense $5,000,000 to carry out the pilot 
        program.
            (2) Availability.--The amount authorized to be appropriated 
        by paragraph (1) shall remain available until expended.
                                 <all>