Seaman Xavier Sandor Support for Sailors Act

Bill: 118-s-1556
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Murphy, Christopher [D-CT]
Introduced: 2023-05-11
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Latest action: action_date: 2023-05-11
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

Summaries:
action_date: 2023-05-11
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Seaman Xavier Sandor Support for Sailors Act</b></p> <p>This bill addresses housing allowance and mental health care for certain members of the uniformed services. Specifically, the bill allows the military department concerned to authorize payment of a basic allowance for housing to a member of a uniformed service without dependents who is serving in pay grades E-1 through E-5 and has orders to a naval vessel that is undergoing maintenance.</p> <p>The bill also authorizes the Department of Defense to appoint and retain two licensed clinicians to serve as Navy deployed resiliency counselors for each nuclear-powered aircraft carrier or large-deck amphibious ship/landing helicopter assault ship in the Naval Vessel Register.</p>

tv_txt: II 118th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 1556 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES May 11, 2023 Mr. Murphy (for himself and Mr. Blumenthal ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services A BILL To amend title 37, United States Code, to authorize the payment of a basic allowance for housing for certain members of the uniformed services assigned to naval vessels undergoing maintenance, and to amend title 5, United States Code, to authorize an increase in the number of Navy deployed resiliency counselors available to such members.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Seaman Xavier Sandor Support for Sailors Act . 2. Allowances and resources for members of uniformed services assigned to certain naval vessels (a) Basic allowance for housing for members assigned to vessels undergoing maintenance Section 403(f)(2) of title 37, United States Code, is amended— (1) in subparagraph (A), by striking subparagraphs (B) and (C) and inserting subparagraphs (B), (C), and (D) ; and (2) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph: (D) (i) Under regulations prescribed by the Secretary concerned, the Secretary may authorize the payment of a basic allowance for housing to a member of a uniformed service without dependents who is serving in any of pay grades E–1 through E–5 and has orders to a naval vessel that is undergoing maintenance. (ii) In prescribing regulations under clause (i), the Secretary concerned shall— (I) specify the types of vessel maintenance and the duration of that maintenance required for a member described in clause (i) to be eligible for a basic allowance for housing under that clause; and (II) consider the availability of quarters for such members before authorizing the payment of a basic allowance for housing for such members. (iii) The Secretary concerned shall terminate the provision of a basic allowance for housing to a member described in clause (i) upon the completion of the vessel maintenance described in that clause. . (b) Increase in number of Navy deployed resiliency counselors Section 9903(e) of title 5, United States Code, is amended— (1) by striking The number and inserting (1) Except as provided by paragraph (2), the number ; and (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph: (2) Without regard to the limitation under paragraph (1), the Secretary may appoint and retain under subsection (b)(1) two licensed clinicians to serve as Navy deployed resiliency counselors for each nuclear-powered aircraft carrier (CVN) or large deck amphibious ship/landing helicopter assault ship (LHD/LHA) in the Naval Vessel Register. .