In this task, you are given text for US Congressional and California state bills, your task is to generate a summary for this bill.

Q: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Coastal Zone Protection Act of 
1996''.

SEC. 2. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR DEVELOPMENT OF STATE COASTAL PROGRAMS.

    (a) Reauthorization of Program.--Section 305(a) of the Coastal Zone 
Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1454(a)) is amended--
        (1) by striking ``1991, 1992, and 1993'' and inserting ``1997, 
    1998, and 1999''; and
        (2) by striking ``two'' and inserting ``four''.
    (b) Termination of Program.--
        (1) In general.--Section 305 of the Coastal Zone Management Act 
    of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1454) is amended--
            (A) by striking subsection (a);
            (B) by striking ``(b)''; and
            (C) by amending the heading to read as follows:


               ``submittal of state program for approval''.

        (2) Conforming amendments.--Section 308(b)(2)(B) of the Coastal 
    Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1457(b)(2)(B)) is amended--
            (A) in clause (iv) by adding ``and'' after the semicolon;
            (B) by striking clause (v); and
            (C) by redesignating clause (vi) as clause (v).
        (3) Effective date.--This subsection shall take effect on 
    October 1, 1999.

SEC. 3. IMPLEMENTATION ASSISTANCE FOR COASTAL ZONE ENHANCEMENT.

    Section 309(b) of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 
U.S.C. 1456b(b)) is amended--
        (1) by inserting ``(1)'' before ``Subject to''; and
        (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
    ``(2)(A) In addition to any amounts provided under section 306, and 
subject to the availability of appropriations, the Secretary may make 
grants under this subsection to States for implementing program changes 
approved by the Secretary in accordance with section 306(e).
    ``(B) Grants under this paragraph to implement a program change may 
not be made in any fiscal year after the second fiscal year that begins 
after the approval of that change by the Secretary.''.

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR GRANTS.

    Section 318 of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 
1464) is amended--
        (1) by striking ``Sec. 318.'' and all that follows through 
    subsection (a) and inserting the following:
    ``Sec. 318. (a) There are authorized to be appropriated to the 
Secretary, to remain available until expended--
        ``(1) for grants under sections 306, 306A, and 309--
            ``(A) $47,600,000 for fiscal year 1997;
            ``(B) $49,000,000 for fiscal year 1998; and
            ``(C) $50,500,000 for fiscal year 1999; and
        ``(2) for grants under section 315--
            ``(A) $4,400,000 for fiscal year 1997;
            ``(B) $4,500,000 for fiscal year 1998; and
            ``(C) $4,600,000 for fiscal year 1999.'';
        (2) by striking subsection (b); and
        (3) by redesignating subsections (c) and (d) in order as 
    subsections (b) and (c).

SEC. 5. COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT FUND.

    (a) Authorization for Administrative Expenses.--Section 
308(b)(2)(A) of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 
1456a(b)(2)(A)) is amended to read as follows:
        ``(A) Expenses incident to the administration of this title, in 
    an amount not to exceed for each of fiscal years 1997, 1998, and 
    1999 the higher of--
            ``(i) $4,000,000; or
            ``(ii) 8 percent of the total amount appropriated under 
        this title for the fiscal year.''.
    (b) Authorization for Program Development Grants.--Section 
308(b)(2)(B)(v) of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 
1456a(b)(2)(B)(v)) is amended to read as follows:
            ``(v) program development grants as authorized by section 
        305, in an amount not to exceed $200,000 for each of fiscal 
        years 1997, 1998, and 1999; and''.

SEC. 6. MATCHING REQUIREMENT.

    Section 315(e)(3) of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 
U.S.C. 1461(e)(3)) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
subparagraph:
    ``(C) Notwithstanding subparagraphs (A) and (B), financial 
assistance under this subsection provided from amounts recovered as a 
result of damage to natural resources located in the coastal zone may 
be used to pay 100 percent of the costs of activities carried out with 
the assistance.''.

SEC. 7. AQUACULTURE IN THE COASTAL ZONE.

    The Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 is amended--
        (1) in section 306A(b) (16 U.S.C. 1455a(b)) by adding at the 
    end of the following:
        ``(4) The development of a coordinated process among State 
    agencies to regulate and issue permits for aquaculture facilities 
    in the coastal zone.''; and
        (2) in section 309(a) (16 U.S.C. 1456b(a)) by adding at the end 
    the following:
        ``(9) Adoption of procedures and policies to evaluate and 
    facilitate the siting of public and private aquaculture facilities 
    in the coastal zone, which will enable States to formulate, 
    administer, and implement strategic plans for marine 
    aquaculture.''.

SEC. 8. APPEALS TO THE SECRETARY.

    The Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 is amended by adding at the 
end the following new section:


                        ``appeals to the secretary

    ``Sec. 319. (a) Notice.--The Secretary shall publish in the Federal 
Register a notice indicating when the decision record has been closed 
on any appeal to the Secretary taken from a consistency determination 
under section 307(c) or (d). No later than 90 days after the date of 
publication of this notice, the Secretary shall--
        ``(1) issue a final decision in the appeal; or
        ``(2) publish a notice in the Federal Register detailing why a 
    decision cannot be issued within the 90-day period.
    ``(b) Deadline.--In the case where the Secretary publishes a notice 
under subsection (a)(2), the Secretary shall issue a decision in any 
appeal filed under section 307 no later than 45 days after the date of 
the publication of the notice.
    ``(c) Application.--This section applies to appeals initiated by 
the Secretary and appeals filed by an applicant.''.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.

A: Coastal Zone Protection Act of 1996 - Amends the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 to authorize annual grants to States to develop coastal zone management programs.  Limits each State to four (currently, two) grants.  Terminates the grant program after FY 1999. Authorizes grants to States to implement program changes. Authorizes appropriations for:  (1) administering State management programs; (2) resource management improvement grants; (3) coastal zone enhancement grants; (4) grants under the National Estuarine Research Reserve System; (5) expenses incidental to the administration of the Act; and (6) such program development grants. Allows grants (relating to national estuarine reserves or educational or interpretive activities) provided from amounts recovered as a result of damage to coastal zone natural resources to be used to pay 100 percent of the costs of the activities carried out with the grants. Allows resource management improvement grants to be used for the development of a coordinated process among State agencies to regulate and issue permits for coastal zone aquaculture facilities. Allows coastal zone enhancement grants to be used to evaluate and facilitate the siting of public and private coastal zone aquaculture facilities. Establishes consistency determination appeal procedures.
****
Q: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Senator Paul Simon Water for the 
World Act of 2009''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) The Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005 
        (Public Law 109-121)--
                    (A) makes access to safe water and sanitation for 
                developing countries a specific policy objective of 
                United States foreign assistance programs;
                    (B) requires the Secretary of State to--
                            (i) develop a strategy to elevate the role 
                        of water and sanitation policy; and
                            (ii) improve the effectiveness of United 
                        States assistance programs undertaken in 
                        support of that strategy;
                    (C) codifies Target 10 of the United Nations 
                Millennium Development Goals; and
                    (D) seeks to reduce by half between 1990 (the 
                baseline year) and 2015--
                            (i) the proportion of people who are unable 
                        to reach or afford safe drinking water; and
                            (ii) the proportion of people without 
                        access to basic sanitation.
            (2) On December 20, 2006, the United Nations General 
        Assembly, in GA Resolution 61/192, declared 2008 as the 
        International Year of Sanitation, in recognition of the impact 
        of sanitation on public health, poverty reduction, economic and 
        social development, and the environment.
            (3) On August 1, 2008, Congress passed H. Con. Res. 318, 
        which--
                    (A) supports the goals and ideals of the 
                International Year of Sanitation; and
                    (B) recognizes the importance of sanitation on 
                public health, poverty reduction, economic and social 
                development, and the environment.
            (4) While progress is being made on safe water and 
        sanitation efforts--
                    (A) more than 884,000,000 people throughout the 
                world lack access to safe drinking water; and
                    (B) 2 of every 5 people in the world do not have 
                access to basic sanitation services.
            (5) The health consequences of unsafe drinking water and 
        poor sanitation are significant, accounting for--
                    (A) nearly 10 percent of the global burden of 
                disease; and
                    (B) more than 2,000,000 deaths each year.
            (6) The effects of climate change are expected to produce 
        severe consequences for water availability and resource 
        management in the future, with 2,800,000,000 people in more 
        than 48 countries expected to face severe and chronic water 
        shortages by 2025.
            (7) According to the November 2008 report entitled, 
        ``Global Trends 2025: A Transformed World'', the National 
        Intelligence Council expects rapid urbanization and future 
        population growth to exacerbate already limited access to 
        water, particularly in agriculture-based economies.
            (8) A 2009 report published in the Proceedings of the 
        National Academy of Sciences projects that the effects of 
        climate change will produce long-term droughts and raise sea 
        levels for the next 1,000 years, regardless of future efforts 
        to combat climate change.
            (9) According to the 2005 Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 
        commissioned by the United Nations, more than \1/5\ of the 
        world population relies on freshwater that is either polluted 
        or excessively withdrawn.
            (10) The impact of water scarcity on conflict and 
        instability is evident in many parts of the world, including 
        the Darfur region of Sudan, where demand for water resources 
        has contributed to armed conflict between nomadic ethnic groups 
        and local farming communities.
            (11) In order to further the United States contribution to 
        safe water and sanitation efforts, it is necessary to--
                    (A) expand foreign assistance capacity to address 
                the challenges described in this section; and
                    (B) represent issues related to water and 
                sanitation at the highest levels of United States 
                foreign assistance and diplomatic deliberations, 
                including those related to issues of global health, 
                food security, the environment, global warming, and 
                maternal and child mortality.

SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that the United States should lead a 
global effort to bring sustainable access to clean water and sanitation 
to poor people throughout the world.

SEC. 4. PURPOSE.

    The purpose of this Act is--
            (1) to provide first-time access to safe water and 
        sanitation, on a sustainable basis, for 100,000,000 people in 
        high priority countries (as designated under section 6(f) of 
        the Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005 (22 
        U.S.C. 2152h note)) by 2015; and
            (2) to enhance the capacity of the United States Government 
        to fully implement the Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor 
        Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-121).

SEC. 5. DEVELOPING UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT CAPACITY.

    Section 135 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2152h) 
is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(e) Office of Water.--
            ``(1) Establishment.--To carry out the purposes of 
        subsection (a), the Administrator of the United States Agency 
        for International Development shall establish the Office of 
        Water within the Bureau for Economic Growth, Agriculture, and 
        Trade.
            ``(2) Leadership.--The Office of Water shall be headed by a 
        Director for Safe Water and Sanitation, who shall report 
        directly to the Assistant Administrator of the Bureau for 
        Economic Growth, Agriculture, and Trade.
            ``(3) Duties.--The Director shall--
                    ``(A) implement this section and the Senator Paul 
                Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-
                121);
                    ``(B) develop and implement country-specific water 
                strategies and expertise, in collaboration with 
                appropriate United States Agency for International 
                Development Mission Directors, to meet the goal of 
                providing 100,000,000 additional people with 
                sustainable access to safe water and sanitation by 
                2015; and
                    ``(C) place primary emphasis on providing safe, 
                affordable, and sustainable drinking water, sanitation, 
                and hygiene in a manner that--
                            ``(i) is consistent with sound water 
                        resource management principles; and
                            ``(ii) utilizes such approaches as direct 
                        service provision, capacity building, 
                        institutional strengthening, regulatory reform, 
                        and partnership collaboration.
            ``(4) Capacity.--The Director may utilize interagency 
        details or partnerships with universities, civil society, and 
        the private sector, as needed, to strengthen implementation 
        capacity.
    ``(f) Special Coordinator for International Water.--
            ``(1) Establishment.--To increase the capacity of the 
        Department of State to address international issues regarding 
        safe water, sanitation, integrated river basin management, and 
        other international water programs, the Secretary of State 
        shall establish a Special Coordinator for International Water 
        (referred to in this subsection as the `Special Coordinator'), 
        who shall report to the Under Secretary for Democracy and 
        Global Affairs.
            ``(2) Duties.--The Special Coordinator shall--
                    ``(A) oversee and coordinate the diplomatic policy 
                of the United States Government with respect to global 
                freshwater issues, including interagency coordination 
                related to--
                            ``(i) sustainable access to safe drinking 
                        water, sanitation, and hygiene;
                            ``(ii) integrated river basin and watershed 
                        management;
                            ``(iii) transboundary conflict;
                            ``(iv) agricultural and urban productivity 
                        of water resources;
                            ``(v) disaster recovery, response, and 
                        rebuilding;
                            ``(vi) pollution mitigation; and
                            ``(vii) adaptation to hydrologic change due 
                        to climate variability; and
                    ``(B) ensure that international freshwater issues 
                are represented--
                            ``(i) within the United States Government; 
                        and
                            ``(ii) in key diplomatic, development, and 
                        scientific efforts with other nations and 
                        multilateral organizations.
            ``(3) Staff.--The Special Coordinator is authorized to hire 
        a limited number of staff to carry out the duties described in 
        paragraph (2).''.

SEC. 6. SAFE WATER, SANITATION, AND HYGIENE STRATEGY.

    Section 6 of the Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005 
(22 U.S.C. 2152h note) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (c), by adding at the end the following: 
        ``In developing the program activities needed to implement the 
        strategy, the Secretary shall consider the results of the 
        assessment described in subsection (e)(9).''; and
            (2) in subsection (e)--
                    (A) in paragraph (5), by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (B) in paragraph (6), by striking the period at the 
                end and inserting a semicolon; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(7) an assessment of all United States Government foreign 
        assistance allocated to the drinking water and sanitation 
        sector during the 3 previous fiscal years, across all United 
        States Government agencies and programs, including an 
        assessment of the extent to which the United States 
        Government's efforts are reaching the goal of providing first-
        time access to safe water and sanitation on a sustainable basis 
        for 100,000,000 people in high priority countries;
            ``(8) recommendations on what the United States Government 
        would need to do to achieve the goals referred to in paragraph 
        (7), in support of the United Nation's Millennium Development 
        Goal on access to safe drinking water; and
            ``(9) an assessment of best practices for mobilizing and 
        leveraging the financial and technical capacity of business, 
        governments, nongovernmental organizations, and civil society 
        in forming public-private partnerships that measurably increase 
        access to safe drinking water and sanitation.''.

SEC. 7. DEVELOPING LOCAL CAPACITY.

    The Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005 (Public Law 
109-121) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating sections 9, 10, and 11 as sections 10, 
        11, and 12, respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after section 8 the following:

``SEC. 9. WATER AND SANITATION INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY-BUILDING PROGRAM.

    ``(a) Establishment.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary of State and the 
        Administrator of the United States Agency for International 
        Development (referred to in this section as the `Secretary' and 
        the `Administrator', respectively), in consultation with host 
        country institutions, the Centers for Disease Control and 
        Prevention, the Department of Agriculture, and other agencies, 
        as appropriate, shall establish, in every high priority 
        country, a program to build the capacity of host country 
        institutions and officials responsible for water and sanitation 
        in countries that receive assistance under section 135 of the 
        Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, including training at 
        appropriate levels, to--
                    ``(A) provide affordable, equitable, and 
                sustainable access to safe drinking water and 
                sanitation;
                    ``(B) educate the populations of such countries 
                about the dangers of unsafe drinking water and lack of 
                proper sanitation; and
                    ``(C) encourage behavior change to reduce 
                individuals' risk of disease from unsafe drinking water 
                and lack of proper sanitation and hygiene.
            ``(2) Coordination.--The programs established under 
        subsection (a) shall be coordinated in each country by the lead 
        country water manager designated in subsection (b)(2).
            ``(3) Expansion.--The Secretary and the Administrator may 
        establish the program described in this section in additional 
        countries if the receipt of such capacity building would be 
        beneficial for promoting access to safe drinking water and 
        sanitation, with due consideration given to good governance.
            ``(4) Capacity.--The Secretary and the Administrator--
                    ``(A) shall designate staff with appropriate 
                expertise to carry out the strategy developed under 
                section 4; and
                    ``(B) may utilize, as needed, interagency details 
                or partnerships with universities, civil society, and 
                the private sector to strengthen implementation 
                capacity.
    ``(b) Designation.--The United States Agency for International 
Development Mission Director for each country receiving a `high 
priority' designation under section 6(f) and for each region containing 
a country receiving such designation shall--
            ``(1) designate safe drinking water and sanitation as a 
        strategic objective;
            ``(2) appoint an employee of the United States Agency for 
        International Development as in-country water and sanitation 
        manager to coordinate the in-country implementation of this Act 
        and section 135 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 
        U.S.C. 2152h) with host country officials at various levels of 
        government responsible for water and sanitation, the Department 
        of State, and other relevant United States Government agencies; 
        and
            ``(3) coordinate with the Development Credit Authority and 
        the Global Development Alliance to further the purposes of this 
        Act.''.

SEC. 8. OTHER ACTIVITIES SUPPORTED.

    Section 135(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act (22 U.S.C. 2152h(c)) 
is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (3), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (2) in paragraph (4), by striking the period at the end; 
        and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(5) foster global cooperation on research and technology 
        development, including regional partnerships among water 
        experts to address safe drinking water, sanitation, water 
        resource management, and other water-related issues;
            ``(6) establish regional and cross-border cooperative 
        activities between scientists and specialists that work to 
        share technologies and best practices, mitigate shared water 
        challenges, foster international cooperation, and defuse cross-
        border tensions;
            ``(7) provide grants through the United States Agency for 
        International Development to foster the development, 
        dissemination, and increased and consistent use of low cost and 
        sustainable technologies, such as household water treatment, 
        hand washing stations, and latrines, for providing safe 
        drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene that are suitable for 
        use in high priority countries, particularly in places with 
        limited resources and infrastructure;
            ``(8) in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control 
        and Prevention, Department of Agriculture, the Environmental 
        Protection Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
        Administration, and other agencies, as appropriate, conduct 
        formative and operational research and monitor and evaluate the 
        effectiveness of programs that provide safe drinking water and 
        sanitation; and
            ``(9) integrate efforts to promote safe drinking water, 
        sanitation and hygiene with existing foreign assistance 
        programs, as appropriate, including activities focused on HIV/
        AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, maternal and child health, food 
        security, and nutritional support.''.

SEC. 9. UPDATED REPORT REGARDING WATER FOR PEACE AND SECURITY.

    Section 11(b) of the Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 
2005, as redesignated by section 7, is amended by adding at the end the 
following: ``The report submitted under this subsection shall include 
an assessment of current and likely future political tensions over 
water sources and multidisciplinary assessment of the expected impacts 
of global climate change on water supplies in 10, 25, and 50 years.''.

SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated for fiscal 
year 2009 and for each subsequent fiscal year such sums as may be 
necessary to carry out this Act and the amendments made by this Act, 
pursuant to the criteria set forth in the Senator Paul Simon Water for 
the Poor Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-121).
    (b) Use of Funds.--
            (1) General water resource management activities.--Up to 20 
        percent of the amounts appropriated to implement this Act may 
        be used to support general water resource management activities 
        that improve countries' overall water sources.
            (2) Other activities.--Any amounts appropriated to 
        implement this Act that are not used to carry out the 
        activities described in paragraph (1) shall be allocated for 
        activities related to safe drinking water, sanitation, and 
        hygiene.

A: Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act of 2009 - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to direct the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to establish the Office of Water within the Bureau for Economic Growth, Agriculture, and Trade to: (1) give assistance to provide safe water and sanitation for people worldwide; and (2) be headed by a Director for Safe Water and Sanitation. Outlines the Director's duties.

Requires the Secretary of State, in order to increase the capacity of the Department of State to address international issues regarding safe water, sanitation, integrated river basin management, and other international water programs, to establish a Special Coordinator for International Water. Outlines the Special Coordinator's duties.

Amends the Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005 to: (1) revise requirements concerning the safe water and sanitation strategy; (2) provide for the establishment of a program to build the capacity of host country institutions and officials responsible for water and sanitation in countries that receive assistance to provide safe water and sanitation under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961; (3) expand the list of activities that may be supported by assistance furnished by the President for programs in developing countries to provide affordable and equitable access to safe water and sanitation; and (4) require the report regarding water for peace and security to include an assessment of political tensions over water sources and a multidisciplinary assessment of the expected impacts of global climate change on water supplies in 10, 25, and 50 years.
****
Q: SECTION 1. MODIFICATION OF SCHEME FOR PAYMENT OF DEATH GRATUITY PAYABLE 
              WITH RESPECT TO MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES.

    (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) The death gratuity authorized under sections 1475 to 
        1480 of title 10, United States Code, was intended, when 
        originally enacted to provide an immediate cash payment to 
        assist survivors of deceased members of the Armed Forces to 
        meet their financial needs during the period immediately 
        following a member's death and before other survivor benefits 
        become available.
            (2) The death gratuity, when first implemented in 1908, 
        amounted to six months of a service member's pay and, until 
        1991, could not exceed $3,000.
            (3) However, following the attacks of September 11, 2001, 
        and the initiation of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation 
        Iraqi Freedom, Congress determined that the death benefits 
        available to survivors of members of the Armed Forces should be 
        substantially increased.
            (4) The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 
        2006, which was enacted on January 6, 2006, as Public Law 109-
        163, increased the amount of the death gratuity to $100,000, 
        effective retroactively to October 7, 2001.
            (5) Under section 1477 of title 10, United States Code, the 
        law authorizing the death gratuity, those living relatives of 
        deceased members of the Armed Forces who shall receive the 
        death gratuity are specifically designated. Service members are 
        not provided with the opportunity to make an election choosing 
        a beneficiary other than those set forth in section 1477 of 
        title 10, United States Code.
            (6) The increased death gratuity, in combination with 
        benefits available under the Servicemembers' Group Life 
        Insurance program, the Survivor Benefit Plan, and Dependency 
        and Indemnity Compensation provide significant support and 
        compensation to the next of kin of deceased members of the 
        Armed Forces. Individual members are best qualified to 
        determine who the beneficiaries for death benefits should be 
        and should be afforded the opportunity to make these selections 
        at appropriate times throughout military service and 
        particularly prior to mobilization or deployment to a combat 
        zone.
            (7) Under the current system, many members of the Armed 
        Forces have designated individuals as beneficiaries for the 
        death gratuity in a manner not provided for by law. In these 
        cases, the wishes of these members regarding the disposition of 
        the death gratuity has in many cases not been implemented, to 
        the detriment of their children and other loved ones.
    (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that all 
members of the Armed Forces should be given the opportunity to 
affirmatively select who shall receive the death gratuity and that the 
Secretary of Defense and the Secretaries of the military departments 
should take prompt action to afford members the opportunity to make an 
election in writing about the disposition of the death gratuity 
proceeds and to provide appropriate and timely counseling about the 
manner in which the proceeds of the death gratuity and other forms of 
insurance will be administered.
    (c) Modification.--
            (1) In general.--Subsection (a) of section 1477 of title 
        10, United States Code, is amended by striking all that follows 
        ``on the following list:'' and inserting the following:
            ``(1) To any individual designated by the person in 
        writing.
            ``(2) If there is no person so designated, to the surviving 
        spouse of the person.
            ``(3) If there is none of the above, to the children (as 
        prescribed by subsection (b)) of the person and the descendants 
        of any deceased children by representation.
            ``(4) If there is none of the above, to the parents (as 
        prescribed by subsection (c)) of the person or the survivor of 
        them.
            ``(5) If there is none of the above, to the duly appointed 
        executor or administrator of the estate of the person.
            ``(6) If there is none of the above, to other next of kin 
        of the person entitled under the laws of domicile of the person 
        at the time of the person's death.''.
            (2) Conforming amendments.--Such section is further 
        amended--
                    (A) in subsection (b), by striking ``Subsection 
                (a)(2)'' in the matter preceding paragraph (1) and 
                inserting ``Subsection (a)(3)'';
                    (B) by striking (c) and inserting the following new 
                subsection (c):
    ``(c) For purposes of subsection (a)(4), parents include fathers 
and mothers through adoption. However, only one father and one mother 
may be recognized in any case, and preference shall be given to those 
who exercised a parental relationship on the date, or most nearly 
before the date, on which the decedent entered a status described in 
section 1475 or 1476 of this title.''; and
                    (C) by striking subsection (d).
            (3) Effective date.--The amendments made by this subsection 
        shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act.
            (4) Applicability.--Notwithstanding paragraph (3), the 
        provisions of section 1477 of title 10, United States Code, as 
        in effect on the day before the date of the enactment of this 
        Act, shall continue to apply to each member of the Armed Forces 
        covered by such section until the earlier of the following--
                    (A) the date on which such member makes the 
                designation contemplated by paragraph (1) of section 
                1477(a) of such title (as amended by paragraph (1) of 
                this subsection); or
                    (B) January 1, 2008.
    (d) Regulations.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than April 1, 2007, the 
        Secretary of Defense shall prescribe regulations to implement 
        the amendments to section 1477 of title 10, United States Code, 
        made by subsection (c).
            (2) Elements.--The regulations required by paragraph (1) 
        shall include forms for the making of the designation 
        contemplated by paragraph (1) of section 1477(a) of title 10, 
        United States Code (as amended by subsection (c)), and 
        instructions for members of the Armed Forces in the filling out 
        of such forms.

A:
Expresses the sense of Congress that all members of the Armed Forces should be permitted to select who shall receive the death gratuity (awarded for members who die while on active duty or inactive duty training), and that the Secretaries of Defense and the military departments should take appropriate action to afford members such opportunity, along with appropriate counseling.

Revises the current statutory priority list of designated death gratuity beneficiaries to place first in such list any individual designated by the person (member) in writing.
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