[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8642 Introduced in House (IH)]
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117th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8642
To amend title 10, United States Code, to establish the Department of
Defense Military Housing Readiness Council, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
August 2, 2022
Ms. Jacobs of California (for herself, Mrs. Bice of Oklahoma, Ms.
Porter, and Mr. Ryan) introduced the following bill; which was referred
to the Committee on Armed Services
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 10, United States Code, to establish the Department of
Defense Military Housing Readiness Council, 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. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE MILITARY HOUSING READINESS COUNCIL.
(a) In General.--Chapter 88 of title 10, United States Code, is
amended by inserting after section 1781c the following new section:
``Sec. 1781d. Department of Defense Military Housing Readiness Council
``(a) In General.--There is in the Department of Defense the
Department of Defense Military Housing Readiness Council (in this
section referred to as the `Council').
``(b) Members.--(1) The Council shall be composed of the following
members:
``(A) The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy,
Installations, and Environment, who shall serve as chair of the
Council and who may designate a representative to chair the
Council in the absence of the Assistant Secretary.
``(B) One representative of each of the Army, Navy, Air
Force, Marine Corps, and Space Force, each of whom shall be a
member of the armed force to be represented and not fewer than
two of which shall be from an enlisted component.
``(C) One spouse of an active component member of each of
the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Space Force, not
fewer than two of which shall be the spouse of an enlisted
component member.
``(D) One individual appointed by the Secretary of Defense
among representatives of the International Code Council.
``(E) One individual appointed by the Secretary of Defense
among representatives of the Institute of Inspection Cleaning
and Restoration Certification.
``(F) One individual appointed by the Chair of the
Committee on Armed Services of the Senate who is not described
in subparagraph (B) or (C) and is not a representative of an
organization specified in subparagraph (D) or (E).
``(G) One individual appointed by the Ranking Member of the
Committee on Armed Services of the Senate who is not described
in subparagraph (B) or (C) and is not a representative of an
organization specified in subparagraph (D) or (E).
``(H) One individual appointed by the Chair of the
Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives who
is not described in subparagraph (B) or (C) and is not a
representative of an organization specified in subparagraph (D)
or (E).
``(I) One individual appointed by the Ranking Member of the
Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives who
is not described in subparagraph (B) or (C) and is not a
representative of an organization specified in subparagraph (D)
or (E).
``(2) The term on the Council of the members specified under
subparagraphs (B) through (H) of paragraph (1) shall be two years and
may be renewed by the Secretary of Defense.
``(3) The chair of the Council shall extend an invitation to each
landlord for one representative of each landlord to attend such
meetings of the Council as the chair considers appropriate.
``(c) Meetings.--The Council shall meet not less often than four
times each year.
``(d) Duties.--The duties of the Council shall include the
following:
``(1) To review and make recommendations to the Secretary
of Defense regarding policies for privatized military housing,
including inspections practices, resident surveys, landlord
payment of medical bills for residents of housing units that
have not maintained minimum standards of habitability, and
access to maintenance work order systems.
``(2) To monitor compliance by the Department with and
effective implementation by the Department of statutory
improvements to policies for privatized military housing,
including the Military Housing Privatization Initiative Tenant
Bill of Rights developed under section 2890 of this title and
the complaint database established under section 2894a of this
title.
``(3) To make recommendations to the Secretary of Defense
to improve collaboration, awareness, and promotion of accurate
and timely information about privatized military housing,
accommodations available through the Exceptional Family Member
Program of the Department of Defense, and other support
services among policymakers, service providers, and targeted
beneficiaries.
``(e) Public Reporting.--(1) Subject to section 552 of title 5
(commonly known as the `Freedom of Information Act'), the records,
reports, transcripts, minutes, appendices, working papers, drafts,
studies, agenda, and other documents made available to or prepared for
or by the Council shall be available for public inspection and copying
at a single location in a publicly accessible format on a website of
the Department of Defense until the Council ceases to exist.
``(2)(A) Detailed minutes of each meeting of the Council shall be
kept and shall contain--
``(i) a record of the individuals present;
``(ii) a complete and accurate description of matters
discussed and conclusions reached; and
``(iii) copies of all reports received, issued, or approved
by the Council.
``(B) The chair of the Council shall certify the accuracy of the
minutes of each meeting of the Council.
``(f) Annual Reports.--(1) Not later than March 1 each year, the
Council shall submit to the Secretary of Defense and the congressional
defense committees a report on privatized military housing readiness.
``(2) Each report under this subsection shall include the
following:
``(A) An assessment of the adequacy and effectiveness of
the provision of privatized military housing and the activities
of the Department of Defense in meeting the needs of military
families relating to housing during the preceding fiscal year.
``(B) A description of activities of the Council during the
preceding fiscal year, including--
``(i) analyses of complaints of tenants of housing
units;
``(ii) data received by the Council on maintenance
response time and completion of maintenance requests
relating to housing units;
``(iii) assessments of dispute resolution
processes;
``(iv) assessments of overall customer service for
tenants;
``(v) assessments of results of housing inspections
conducted with and without notice; and
``(vi) any survey results conducted on behalf of or
received by the Council.
``(C) Recommendations on actions to be taken to improve the
capability of the provision of privatized military housing and
the activities of the Department of Defense to meet the needs
and requirements of military families relating to housing,
including actions relating to the allocation of funding and
other resources.
``(3) Each report under this subsection shall be made available in
a publicly accessible format on a website of the Department of Defense.
``(g) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) The term `landlord' has the meaning given that term
in section 2871 of this title.
``(2) The term `privatized military housing' means housing
provided under subchapter IV of chapter 169 of this title.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of
such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section
1781c the following new item:
``1781d. Department of Defense Military Housing Readiness Council.''.
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