[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1978 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1978

  To amend title 10, United States Code, to develop requirements for 
  military tenant advocates for privatized military housing, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 14, 2023

Mr. Ossoff (for himself and Mr. Tillis) introduced the following bill; 
  which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title 10, United States Code, to develop requirements for 
  military tenant advocates for privatized military housing, 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 ``Military Tenant Advocacy Improvement 
Act''.

SEC. 2. REQUIREMENTS FOR MILITARY TENANT ADVOCATES FOR PRIVATIZED 
              MILITARY HOUSING.

    (a) In General.--Subchapter V of chapter 169 of title 10, United 
States Code, is amended by inserting after section 2890 the following 
new section:
``Sec. 2890a. Military tenant advocates
    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary of Defense shall ensure that each 
installation of the Department of Defense at which military housing 
under subchapter IV of this chapter is offered has a military tenant 
advocate employed by the military department concerned.
    ``(b) Training and Certification.--(1) The Secretary shall 
implement a uniform training and certification program for all 
individuals serving or selected to serve as a military tenant advocate 
under subsection (a).
    ``(2) The training and certification program under paragraph (1) 
shall include, at a minimum, instruction on the following:
            ``(A) The authority of the Secretary to provide military 
        housing under subchapter IV of this chapter.
            ``(B) The role, authority, and responsibility of housing 
        management offices.
            ``(C) The Military Housing Privatization Initiative Tenant 
        Bill of Rights developed under section 2890 of this title.
            ``(D) The dispute resolution process under section 2894 of 
        this title.
            ``(E) The resources available to tenants of military 
        housing under subchapter IV of this chapter to ensure that all 
        such tenants are living in housing that meets the standards 
        described in the Military Housing Privatization Initiative 
        Tenant Bill of Rights.
            ``(F) Relevant national, State, and local housing, 
        disability, and environmental laws.
    ``(c) Outreach.--The Secretary shall conduct public outreach and 
education at each installation of the Department with a military tenant 
advocate under subsection (a) to provide members of the armed forces 
and their families with information on the identity, role, and 
authority of the military tenant advocate.
    ``(d) Hiring.--When hiring or selecting individuals to serve in the 
role of military tenant advocate under subsection (a), no preferential 
consideration shall be given to individuals currently or previously 
employed by--
            ``(1) a housing management office;
            ``(2) a garrison command; or
            ``(3) a housing provider or manager owning or operating 
        military housing under subchapter IV of this chapter.''.
    (b) Clerical and Conforming Amendments.--
            (1) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the 
        beginning of such subchapter is amended by inserting after the 
        item relating to section 2890 the following new item:

``2890a. Military tenant advocates.''.
            (2) Conforming amendments.--
                    (A) Rights and responsibilities of tenants.--
                Section 2890(b) of title 10, United States Code, is 
                amended--
                            (i) in paragraph (5), by inserting ``under 
                        section 2890a of this title'' after 
                        ``advocate''; and
                            (ii) in paragraph (8), by striking ``, as 
                        provided in section 2894(b)(4) of this title,'' 
                        and inserting ``under section 2890a of this 
                        title''.
                    (B) Dispute resolution process.--Section 2894(b)(4) 
                of such title is amended by striking ``military housing 
                advocate employed by the military department 
                concerned'' and inserting ``military tenant advocate 
                under section 2890a of this title''.
                                 <all>