A bill to require a survey of the preferences of members of the Armed Forces regarding military pay and benefits.

Bill: 113-s-2294
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Kaine, Tim [D-VA]
Introduced: 2014-05-06
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Congressional oversight

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Latest action: action_date: 2014-05-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

Summaries:
action_date: 2014-05-06
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p>Directs the Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission to carry out an anonymous survey of random members of the Armed Forces regarding their preferences in military pay and benefits, with respect to: (1) the relative value that they place on specified forms of compensation (including basic pay, allowances for housing and subsistence, bonuses, various healthcare benefits, and retirement pay); (2) how they value different levels of pay or benefits, including the impact of copayments or deductibles; and (3) how information collected varies by age, grade, dependent status, and other factors.</p> <p>Directs the Commission to submit to the Secretary of Defense (DOD) and Congress and make available to the public a report on the analysis and raw data of the survey.</p> <p>Amends the National Defense Authorization Act for FY2013 to require the Commission to make its recommendations for changes to the military compensation and retirement systems only after examining the analysis and raw data collected pursuant to such survey.</p>

tv_txt: II 113th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2294 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES May 6, 2014 Mr. Kaine (for himself and Mr. Cornyn ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services A BILL To require a survey of the preferences of members of the Armed Forces regarding military pay and benefits.

1. Survey of preferences of members of the Armed Forces regarding military pay and benefits (a) Survey required The Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission shall carry out an anonymous survey of random members of the Armed Forces regarding their preferences in military pay and benefits. (b) Elements The survey under this section shall be conducted for the purpose of soliciting information on the following: (1) The value that members of the Armed Forces place on the following forms of compensation relative to one another: (A) Basic pay. (B) Allowances for housing and subsistence. (C) Bonuses and special pays. (D) Dependent healthcare benefits. (E) Healthcare benefits for retirees under 65 years old. (F) Healthcare benefits for Medicare-eligible retirees. (G) Retirement pay. (2) How the members value different levels of pay or benefits, including the impact of co-payments or deductibles on the value of benefits. (3) Any other matters related to military pay and benefits that the Commission considers appropriate. (4) How information collected pursuant to paragraph (1), (2), or (3) varies by age, grade, dependent status, and other factors the Commission considers appropriate. (c) Submittal of results (1) In general Upon the completion of the survey required by this section, the Commission shall submit a report on the analysis and raw data of the survey to the Secretary of Defense and to Congress. (2) Availability to public At the same time the Commission submits the report required by paragraph (1), the Commission shall make the report available to the public. (d) Use of results by commission Section 671(b)(1) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 (Public Law 112–239; 126 Stat. 1787) is amended— (1) in subparagraph (B), by striking and at the end; (2) by redesignating subparagraph (C) as subparagraph (D); and (3) by inserting after subparagraph (B) the following new subparagraph (C): (C) examining the analysis and raw data collected pursuant to the survey of the preference of members of the Armed Forces regarding military pay and benefits required by the Act to require a survey of the preferences of members of the Armed Forces regarding military pay and benefits; and . (e) Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission defined In this section, the term Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission means the Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission under subtitle H of title VI of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013.