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

Summary:
Military Family Violence Prevention Act
This bill requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to take various actions and implement programs related to the prevention of and response to domestic violence and child abuse and neglect among military families.
Specifically, the bill requires DOD to
Each military department must improve the information available to military families on the services available in connection with domestic abuse or child abuse and neglect.
Finally, the bill requires the Inspector General of DOD to report on best practices among military installations in prevention and response to domestic abuse and child abuse and neglect among military families.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 906 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 906

  To expand and enhance programs and activities of the Department of 
  Defense for prevention of and response to domestic abuse and child 
   abuse and neglect among military families, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 23, 2021

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To expand and enhance programs and activities of the Department of 
  Defense for prevention of and response to domestic abuse and child 
   abuse and neglect 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 Violence Prevention 
Act''.

SEC. 2. REPORTS ON STAFFING LEVELS FOR THE FAMILY ADVOCACY PROGRAMS.

    Not later than six months after the deployment of the Military 
Community and Family Policy (MC&FP) Family Advocacy Program Staffing 
Tool, and every year thereafter, the Secretary of Defense shall submit 
to Congress a report setting forth the following:
            (1) Current staffing levels for the Family Advocacy 
        Programs (FAPs) of the Armed Forces at each installation so 
        staffed.
            (2) Recommendations for ideal staffing levels for the 
        Family Advocacy Programs, as identified by the staffing tool, 
        set forth, at the election of the Secretary, by Armed Force or 
        by installation.

SEC. 3. SHARING AMONG THE ARMED FORCES OF DATA ON INCIDENTS REPORTED TO 
              THE FAMILY ADVOCACY PROGRAMS.

    Commencing not later than one year after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall ensure that appropriate 
statistical data on incidents reported to the Family Advocacy Programs 
(FAPs) of the Armed Forces is shared among and across the Armed Forces.

SEC. 4. ENHANCEMENT OF ACTIVITIES FOR AWARENESS OF MILITARY FAMILIES 
              REGARDING FAMILY ADVOCACY PROGRAMS AND OTHER SIMILAR 
              SERVICES.

    (a) Pilot Program on Information on FAPs for Families Enrolling in 
DEERS.--The Secretary of Defense shall carry out a pilot program to 
assess the feasibility and advisability of various mechanisms to inform 
families about the Family Advocacy Programs (FAPs) and resiliency 
training of the Armed Forces during their enrollment in the Defense 
Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS). The matters assessed 
by the pilot program shall include the following:
            (1) An option for training of family members on the Family 
        Advocacy Programs.
            (2) The provision to families of information on the 
        resources available through the Family Advocacy Programs.
            (3) The availability through the Family Advocacy Programs 
        of both restricting and unrestricted reporting on incidents of 
        domestic abuse.
            (4) The provision to families of information on the 
        Military OneSource program of the Department of Defense.
            (5) The provision to families of information on resources 
        relating to domestic abuse and child abuse and neglect that are 
        available through local community service organizations.
            (6) The availability of the Military and Family Life 
        Counseling Program.
    (b) Outreach on FAP and Similar Services for Military Families.--
Each Secretary of a military department shall improve the information 
available to military families under the jurisdiction of such Secretary 
that are the victim of domestic abuse or child abuse and neglect in 
order to provide such families with comprehensive information on the 
services available to such families in connection with such violence 
and abuse and neglect. The information so provided shall include a 
complete guide to the following:
            (1) The Family Advocacy Program of the Armed Force or 
        military department concerned.
            (2) Military law enforcement services, including the 
        process following a report of an incidence of domestic abuse or 
        child abuse or neglect.
            (3) Other applicable victim services.

SEC. 5. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON WOMEN IN THE SERVICES 
              REPORT ON INITIAL ENTRY POINTS FOR SUPPORT FOR MILITARY 
              FAMILIES IN CONNECTION WITH DOMESTIC ABUSE.

    Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congressional defense 
committees a report setting forth the results of a study, conducted by 
the Defense Department Advisory Committee on Women in the Services 
(DACOWITS) for purposes of the report, on initial entry points 
(including anonymous entry points) for use by members of military 
families in seeking support for domestic abuse or child abuse and 
neglect, including online chat rooms and other support, text-based 
support, and applications on smartphones.

SEC. 6. IMPROVEMENT OF COLLABORATION IN DOMESTIC ABUSE PREVENTION 
              SERVICES.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, Department of Defense Instruction 6400.01, 
relating to the Family Advocacy Program (FAP) of the Department of 
Defense, shall be modified to enhance collaboration among the programs 
and components specified in subsection (b) for the purpose of 
leveraging the expertise and resources of such programs and components 
to order to improve the availability and scope of domestic abuse 
prevention services for military families.
    (b) Programs and Components.--The programs and components specified 
in this subsection are the following:
            (1) The Family Advocacy Program.
            (2) The Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Officer 
        (SAPRO) of the Department of Defense.
            (3) The Defense Suicide Prevention Office (DSPO).
            (4) The Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute 
        (DEOMI).
            (5) The TRICARE Management Activity (TMA).
            (6) The substance abuse prevention programs and components 
        of the Armed Forces.
            (7) Such other programs and components of the Department of 
        Defense as the Secretary of Defense considers appropriate.

SEC. 7. DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY TO AUTHORIZE EXCEPTIONAL ELIGIBILITY 
              FOR CERTAIN BENEFITS TO DEPENDENTS OF MEMBERS OR FORMER 
              MEMBERS SEPARATED FOR DEPENDENT ABUSE.

    Section 1059(m)(4) of title 10, United States Code, is amended by 
inserting ``below the assistant Secretary level. Any exercise of such 
delegated authority shall be reported to the Secretary concerned on a 
quarterly basis'' after ``may not be delegated''.

SEC. 8. INSPECTOR GENERAL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE REPORT ON BEST 
              PRACTICES IN PREVENTION AND RESPONSE TO DOMESTIC ABUSE 
              AND CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT AMONG MILITARY FAMILIES.

    (a) Report Required.--Not later than 120 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Inspector General of the Department of 
Defense shall submit to the Secretary of Defense, and to the 
congressional defense committees, a report on best practices among 
military installations in prevention and response to domestic abuse and 
child abuse and neglect among military families.
    (b) Elements.--The report required by subsection (a) shall include 
the following:
            (1) An identification and assessment of best practices 
        among military installations in prevention and response to 
        domestic abuse and child abuse and neglect among military 
        families in connection with the following:
                    (A) Installation leadership.
                    (B) Communication between the Family Advocacy 
                Program and the installation command team.
                    (C) Elimination of or reduction in barriers to 
                effective incident response.
            (2) Recommendations for mechanisms, at the installation, 
        Armed Force, and military department level, to identify and 
        assess lessons learned through programs, projects, and 
        activities for prevention and response to domestic abuse and 
        child abuse and neglect among military families.
            (3) An identification and assessment of resources in 
        communities surrounding military installations that could 
        assist in prevention and response to domestic abuse and child 
        abuse and neglect among military families.
            (4) An assessment of the benefits of bidirectional 
        relationships involving the community resources identified 
        pursuant to paragraph (3).
            (5) Recommendations for memoranda of understanding, or 
        other formal relationships, between installations and 
        surrounding communities on the shared use of resources 
        identified pursuant to paragraph (3), including recommendations 
        on mechanisms for expediting entry into such memoranda of 
        understanding.
            (6) Such other matters regarding best practices among 
        military installations in prevention and response to domestic 
        abuse and child abuse and neglect among military families as 
        the Inspector General considers appropriate.
    (c) Guidance Authorized in Light of Report.--Each Secretary of a 
military department may issue guidance for commanders of installations 
under the jurisdiction of such Secretary on best practices in 
prevention and response to domestic abuse and child abuse and neglect 
among military families at such installations in light of the matters 
included in the report of the Inspector General under subsection (a).

SEC. 9. CONGRESSIONAL DEFENSE COMMITTEES DEFINED.

    In this Act, the term ``congressional defense committees'' has the 
meaning given that term in section 101(a)(16) of title 10, United 
States Code.
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