[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4545 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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117th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4545
To establish the Department of Defense-Department of Veterans Affairs
Discharge Review Board Committee, and for other purposes.
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IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 18, 2022
Mr. Peters (for himself and Mr. Rounds) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish the Department of Defense-Department of Veterans Affairs
Discharge Review Board Committee, 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 ``Discharge Review Board Outreach
Improvement Act of 2022''.
SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE-DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS DISCHARGE
REVIEW BOARD COMMITTEE.
(a) Establishment of Joint Executive Committee.--
(1) In general.--There is established an interagency
committee to advise the Under Secretary of Defense for
Personnel and Readiness and the Deputy Secretary of Veterans
Affairs on matters relating to the review boards under section
1553 of title 10, United States Code.
(2) Designation.--The interagency committee established
under paragraph (1) shall be known as the ``Department of
Defense-Department of Veterans Affairs Discharge Review Board
Committee'' (hereinafter in this section referred to as the
``Committee'').
(b) Membership.--The Committee shall be composed of the following:
(1) The Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and
Readiness, the Assistant Secretary of Manpower and Reserve
Affairs for each of the military services, and such other
officers and employees of the Department of Defense as the
Secretary of Defense may designate.
(2) The Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs and such other
officers and employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs as
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs may designate.
(c) Administrative Matters.--
(1) In general.--The Under Secretary and the Deputy
Secretary shall jointly determine the size and structure of the
Committee, as well as the administrative and procedural
guidelines for the operation of the Committee.
(2) Subcommittees.--The Committee may establish
subcommittees to assist the Committee in carrying out
subsections (d) and (e), including the following:
(A) A subcommittee on outreach and education.
(B) A subcommittee on training for members of the
review boards under section 1553 of title 10, United
States Code.
(3) Support.--The Under Secretary and the Deputy Secretary
shall jointly supply appropriate staff and resources to provide
administrative support and services for the Committee. Support
for such purposes shall be provided at a level that the Under
Secretary and the Deputy Secretary jointly determine sufficient
for the efficient operation of the Committee, including any
subcommittees established under paragraph (2).
(d) Recommendations.--
(1) In general.--The Committee shall provide the Secretary
of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs with
recommendations on the strategic direction for the joint
coordination and sharing efforts between and within the
Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs on
matters regarding the review boards described in subsection
(a)(1).
(2) Annual report.--Not less frequently than once each
year, the Committee shall submit to the two Secretaries and to
Congress an annual report containing such recommendations
regarding the review boards described in subsection (a)(1) as
the Committee considers appropriate.
(e) Functions.--In order to enable the Committee to make
recommendations in its annual report under subsection (c)(2), the
Committee shall do the following:
(1) Review existing policies, procedures, and practices
regarding reviews under section 1553 of title 10, United States
Code, with respect to matters that pertain to the coordination
and sharing of resources between the Department of Defense and
the Department of Veterans Affairs.
(2) Identify changes in policies, procedures, and practices
that, in the judgment of the Committee, would promote mutually
beneficial coordination, use, or exchange of use of services
and resources of the two Departments, with the goal of
improving the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of the
review boards under section 1553 of such title for veterans,
members of the Armed Forces, individuals who retired from
service in the Armed Forces, and their families through an
enhanced partnership between the two Departments.
(3) Identify and assess further opportunities for the
coordination and collaboration between the Departments that, in
the judgment of the Committee, would positively affect the
review process under section 1553 of such title.
(4) Review the implementation of activities designed to
promote the coordination and sharing of resources between the
Departments for matters relating to the review process under
section 1553 of such title.
(5) Identify and assess strategies, which either or both
Departments may implement, that would increase outreach to
former members of the Armed Forces described in subsection
(d)(3)(B) of section 1553 of such title who may qualify for
relief under such section.
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