Military Domestic Violence Prevention Act

Military Domestic Violence Prevention Act

This bill requires the Department of Defense to take various actions and implement programs related to the prevention of and response to domestic violence and child abuse and neglect among military families, including by ensuring information sharing among the Armed Forces about incidents reported to the Family Advocacy Programs of the Armed Forces.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9044 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9044

  To expand and enhance programs and activities of the Department of 
 Defense for prevention of and response to domestic violence and child 
   abuse and neglect among military families, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 21, 2020

    Mr. Joyce of Ohio (for himself and Ms. Kuster of New Hampshire) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                             Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To expand and enhance programs and activities of the Department of 
 Defense for prevention of and response to domestic violence and child 
   abuse and neglect among military families, 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 Domestic Violence 
Prevention Act''.

SEC. 2. REPORTS ON STAFFING LEVELS FOR THE FAMILY ADVOCACY PROGRAMS.

    Not later than six months after the deployment of the Military 
Community and Family Policy (MC&FP) Family Advocacy Program Staffing 
Tool, and every year thereafter, the Secretary of Defense shall submit 
to Congress a report setting forth the following:
            (1) Current staffing levels for the Family Advocacy 
        Programs (FAPs) of the Armed Forces at each installation so 
        staffed.
            (2) Recommendations for ideal staffing levels for the 
        Family Advocacy Programs, as identified by the staffing tool, 
        set forth, at the election of the Secretary, by Armed Force or 
        by installation.

SEC. 3. SHARING AMONG THE ARMED FORCES OF INFORMATION ON INCIDENTS 
              REPORTED TO THE FAMILY ADVOCACY PROGRAMS.

    Commencing not later than one year after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall ensure that appropriate 
information on incidents reported to the Family Advocacy Programs 
(FAPs) of the Armed Forces is shared among and across the Armed Forces.

SEC. 4. ENHANCEMENT OF ACTIVITIES FOR AWARENESS OF MILITARY FAMILIES 
              REGARDING FAMILY ADVOCACY PROGRAMS AND OTHER SIMILAR 
              SERVICES.

    (a) Pilot Program on Information on FAPs for Families Enrolling in 
DEERS.--The Secretary of Defense shall carry out a pilot program to 
assess the feasibility and advisability of various mechanisms to inform 
families about the Family Advocacy Programs (FAPs) of the Armed Forces 
during their enrollment in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting 
System (DEERS). The matters assessed by the pilot program shall include 
the following:
            (1) An option for training of family members on the Family 
        Advocacy Programs.
            (2) The provision to families of information on the 
        resources available through the Family Advocacy Programs.
            (3) The availability through the Family Advocacy Programs 
        of both restricting and unrestricted reporting on incidents of 
        domestic violence or child abuse and neglect.
            (4) The provision to families of information on the 
        Military OneSource program of the Department of Defense.
            (5) The provision to families of information on resources 
        relating to domestic violence and child abuse and neglect that 
        are available through local community service organizations.
    (b) Outreach on FAP and Similar Services for Military Families.--
Each Secretary of a military department shall improve the information 
available to military families under the jurisdiction of such Secretary 
that are the victim of domestic violence or child abuse and neglect in 
order to provide such families with comprehensive information on the 
services available to such families in connection with such violence 
and abuse and neglect. The information so provided shall include a 
complete guide to the following:
            (1) The Family Advocacy Program of the Armed Force or 
        military department concerned.
            (2) Military law enforcement services, including the 
        process following a report of an incidence of domestic violence 
        or child abuse or neglect.
            (3) Other applicable victim services.

SEC. 5. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON WOMEN IN THE SERVICES 
              REPORT ON INITIAL ENTRY POINTS FOR SUPPORT FOR MILITARY 
              FAMILIES IN CONNECTION WITH DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.

    Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congressional defense 
committees a report setting forth the results of a study, conducted by 
the Defense Department Advisory Committee on Women in the Services 
(DACOWITS) for purposes of the report, on initial entry points 
(including anonymous entry points) for use by members of military 
families in seeking support for domestic violence or child abuse and 
neglect, including online chat rooms and other support, text-based 
support, and applications on smartphones.

SEC. 6. IMPROVEMENT OF COLLABORATION IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PREVENTION 
              SERVICES.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, Department of Defense Instruction 6400.01, 
relating to the Family Advocacy Program (FAP) of the Department of 
Defense, shall be modified to enhance collaboration among the programs 
and components specified in subsection (b) for the purpose of 
leveraging the expertise and resources of such programs and components 
to order to improve the availability and scope of domestic violence 
prevention services for military families.
    (b) Programs and Components.--The programs and components specified 
in this subsection are the following:
            (1) The Family Advocacy Program.
            (2) The Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Officer 
        (SAPRO) of the Department of Defense.
            (3) The Defense Suicide Prevention Office (DSPO).
            (4) The Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute 
        (DEOMI).
            (5) The TRICARE Management Activity (TMA).
            (6) The substance abuse prevention programs and components 
        of the Armed Forces.
            (7) Such other programs and components of the Department of 
        Defense as the Secretary of Defense considers appropriate.

SEC. 7. INSPECTOR GENERAL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE REPORT ON BEST 
              PRACTICES IN PREVENTION AND RESPONSE TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 
              AND CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT AMONG MILITARY FAMILIES.

    (a) Report Required.--Not later than 120 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Inspector General of the Department of 
Defense shall submit to the Secretary of Defense, and to the 
congressional defense committees, a report on best practices among 
military installations in prevention and response to domestic violence 
and child abuse and neglect among military families.
    (b) Elements.--The report required by subsection (a) shall include 
the following:
            (1) An identification and assessment of best practices 
        among military installations in prevention and response to 
        domestic violence and child abuse and neglect among military 
        families in connection with the following:
                    (A) Installation leadership.
                    (B) Communication between the Family Advocacy 
                Program and the installation command team.
                    (C) Elimination of or reduction in barriers to 
                effective incident response.
            (2) Recommendations for mechanisms, at the installation, 
        Armed Force, and military department level, to identify and 
        assess lessons learned through programs, projects, and 
        activities for prevention and response to domestic violence and 
        child abuse and neglect among military families.
            (3) An identification and assessment of resources in 
        communities surrounding military installations that could 
        assist in prevention and response to domestic violence and 
        child abuse and neglect among military families.
            (4) An assessment of the benefits of bidirectional 
        relationships involving the community resources identified 
        pursuant to paragraph (3).
            (5) Recommendations for memoranda of understanding, or 
        other formal relationships, between installations and 
        surrounding communities on the shared use of resources 
        identified pursuant to paragraph (3), including recommendations 
        on mechanisms for expediting entry into such memoranda of 
        understanding.
            (6) Such other matters regarding best practices among 
        military installations in prevention and response to domestic 
        violence and child abuse and neglect among military families as 
        the Inspector General considers appropriate.
    (c) Guidance Authorized in Light of Report.--Each Secretary of a 
military department may issue guidance for commanders of installations 
under the jurisdiction of such Secretary on best practices in 
prevention and response to domestic violence and child abuse and 
neglect among military families at such installations in light of the 
matters included in the report of the Inspector General under 
subsection (a).

SEC. 8. CONGRESSIONAL DEFENSE COMMITTEES DEFINED.

    In this Act, the term ``congressional defense committees'' has the 
meaning given that term in section 101(a)(16) of title 10, United 
States Code.
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