,,ii  #aadth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bdjc  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,december #ae1 
#bjae ,mr4 ,blunt 7for himself1 ,mrs4   
,gillibrand1 ,mr4 ,burr1 ,ms4 ,hirono1  
,mr4 ,cochran1 ,ms4 ,mikulski1 and ,mr4 
,blumenthal7 introduced the following   
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,armed ,services   
,a ,,bill  ,to amend title #aj1 ,united 
,states ,code1 to provide a period for  
the relocation of spouses and dependents
 of certain members of the ,armed       
,forces undergoing a permanent change of
 station in order to ease and facilitate
 the relocation of military families1   
and for other purposes4  #a4 ,short     
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,military ,family ,stability ,act of    
#bjae4  #b4 ,period for relocation of   
spouses and dependents of certain       
members of the ,armed ,forces undergoing
 a permanent change of station  7a7     
,period of relocation  7#a7 ,in general 
,subchapter ,i of chapter #hh of title  

#aj1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended  
by inserting after section #aghd;a the  
following new section3  #aghd;b4        
,relocation of spouses and dependents in
 connection with the permanent change of
 station of certain members  7a7        
,election of timing of relocation of    
spouses in connection with ,,pcs  7#a7  
,in general ,subject to paragraph 7#b7  
and subsection 7c71 a member of the     
armed forces undergoing a permanent     
change of station and the member's      
spouse may jointly elect that the spouse
 may relocate to the location to which  
the member will relocate in connection  
with the permanent change of station at 
such time during the covered relocation 
period as the member and spouse jointly 
select4  7#b7 ,members and spouses      
eligible to make elections ,a member and
 spouse may make an election pursuant to
 paragraph 7#a7 as follows3 7,a7 ,if the
 spouse either--  7i7 is gainfully      
employed at the beginning of the covered
 relocation period concerned2 or  7ii7  

is enrolled in a degree1 certificate1 or
 license granting program at the        
beginning of the covered relocation     
period4  7,b7 ,if the member and spouse 
have one or more dependents at the      
beginning of the covered relocation     
period concerned1 either--  7i7 at least
 one dependent is a child in elementary 
or secondary school at the beginning of 
the covered relocation period2  7ii7 the
 spouse or at least one such dependent  
are covered by the ,exceptional ,family 
,member ,program at the beginning of the
 covered relocation period2 or  7iii7   
the member and spouse are caring at the 
beginning of the covered relocation     
period for an immediate family member   
with a chronic or long-term illness1 as 
determined pursuant to the regulations  
applicable to the member's armed force  
pursuant to subsection 7h74  7,c7 ,if   
the member is undergoing a permanent    
change of station as an individual      
augmentee or other deployment           
arrangement specified in the regulations

 applicable to the member's armed force 
pursuant to subsection 7h74  7,d7 ,if   
the member1 spouse1 or both1 meet such  
other qualification or qualifications as
 are specified in the regulations       
applicable to the member's armed force  
pursuant to subsection 7h74  7,e7 ,in   
the case of a member and spouse who do  
not otherwise meet any qualification in 
subparagraphs 7,a7 through 7,d71 if the 
commander of the member at the beginning
 of the covered relocation period       
determines that eligibility to make the 
election is in the interests of the     
member and spouse for family stability  
during the covered relocation period and
 in the interests of the armed force    
concerned4 ,any such determination shall
 be made on a case-by-case basis4  7b7  
,election of timing of relocation of    
certain dependents of unmarried members 
in connection with ,,pcs  7#a7 ,in      
general ,subject to subsection 7c71 a   
member of the armed forces undergoing a 
permanent change of station who has one 

or more dependents described in         
paragraph 7#b7 and is no longer married 
to the individual who is or was the     
parent 7including parent by adoption7 of
 such dependents at the beginning of the
 covered period of relocation may elect 
that such dependents may relocate to the
 location to which the member will      
relocate in connection with the         
permanent change of station at such time
 during the covered relocation period as
 elected as follows3  7,a7 ,by the      
member alone if such individual is dead 
or has no custodial rights in such      
dependents at the beginning of such     
period4  7,b7 ,by the member and such   
individual jointly in all other         
circumstances4  7#b7 ,dependents ,the   
dependents described in this paragraph  
are as follows3  7,a7 ,dependents over  
the age of #ai years for whom the member
 has power of attorney regarding        
residence4  7,b7 ,dependents under the  
age of #bj years who will reside with a 
caregiver according to the ,family ,care

 ,plan of the member during the covered 
period of relocation until relocated    
pursuant to an election under this      
subsection4  7c7 ,limitations  7#a7     
,outstanding period of obligated service
 at time of election ,a member may not  
make an election under subsection 7a7 or
 7b7 unless the member's period of      
obligated service1 or the time remaining
 under the member's enlistment contract1
 at the time of election is not less    
than #bd months4  7#b7 ,number of       
elections ,the aggregate number of      
elections made by a member under        
subsections 7a7 and 7b7 may not exceed  
three elections4  7d7 ,housing  7#a7    
7,a7 ,if the spouse of a member         
relocates before the member in          
accordance with an election pursuant to 
subsection 7a71 the member shall be     
assigned to quarters or other housing   
facilities of the ,united ,states as a  
bachelor1 if such quarters are          
available1 until the date of the        
member's permanent change of station4   

7,b7 ,the quarters or housing facilities
 to which a member is assigned pursuant 
to subparagraph 7,a7 shall1 to the      
extent practicable1 be quarters or      
housing facilities that do not impose or
 collect a lease fee on the member for  
occupancy4  7,c7 7i7 ,if quarters or    
housing facilities that do not impose or
 collect a lease fee for occupancy are  
not available for a particular member1  
the quarters or housing facilities to   
which the member is assigned shall be   
quarters or housing facilities that     
impose or collect the lowest reasonable 
lease fee for occupancy that can be     
obtained for the member by the          
,secretary concerned for purposes of    
this subparagraph4  7ii7 ,each          
,secretary concerned shall provide for  
the insertion into contracts for the    
acquisition or improvement of military  
unaccompanied housing pursuant to       
subchapter ,,iv of chapter #afi of this 
title of a clause permitting members    
covered by this subparagraph to be      

assigned to such military unaccompanied 
housing at the lease fee for occupancy  
obtained by the ,secretary concerned    
pursuant to clause 7i7 for a period of  
not more than #ahj days4  7#b7 ,if a    
spouse and any dependents of a member   
covered by an election under this       
section reside in housing of the ,united
 ,states at the beginning of the covered
 period of relocation1 the spouse and   
dependents may continue to reside in    
such housing throughout the covered     
period of relocation1 regardless of the 
date of the member's permanent change of
 station4  7#c7 ,if a spouse and any    
dependents of a member covered by an    
election under this section are eligible
 to reside in housing of the ,united    
,states following the member's permanent
 change of station1 the spouse and      
dependents may commence residing in such
 housing at any time during the covered 
relocation period1 regardless of the    
date of the member's permanent change of
 station4  7e7 ,basic allowance for     

housing2 stipend  7#a7 7,a7 ,in the case
 of a member undergoing a permanent     
change of station who is paid basic     
allowance for housing at the            
with-dependents rate at the beginning of
 the covered relocation period1 the     
member shall be paid basic allowance for
 housing at the with-dependents rate for
 months beginning during the covered    
relocation period regardless of the date
 on which the member's spouse and any   
dependents relocate pursuant to an      
election under this section or the      
assignment of the member to quarters or 
facilities pursuant to subsection       
7d77#a74  7,b7 ,in determining the      
portion of basic allowance for housing  
payable to a member under this paragraph
 that is payable with respect to the    
member's dependents1 the geographic     
location of the dependents shall govern 
rather than the geographic location of  
the member4  7#b7 ,if quarters are not  
available for the assignment of a member
 as described in subsection 7d77#a71 the

 member shall be paid an amount         
7determined in accordance with the      
regulations applicable to the member's  
armed force pursuant to subsection 7h77 
appropriate to compensate the member for
 cost of the housing in which the member
 resides in lieu of such quarters until 
the date on which the member and the    
member's spouse reside in the same      
geographic area after the member's      
permanent change of station4 ,any amount
 payable to a member pursuant to this   
paragraph is in addition to amounts     
payable to the member under paragraph   
7#a74  7f7 ,transportation of property  
7#a7 7,a7 ,the professional gear of a   
member relocating as described in       
subsection 7a7 or 7b7 shall be          
transported at the time of the member's 
relocation and in an amount1 and subject
 to any terms and conditions1 applicable
 to the transportation or shipment of   
such gear by applicable law4  7,b7 ,the 
personal property of the spouse and any 
dependents of a member relocating as    

described in subsection 7a7 or 7b7 shall
 be transported at the time of such     
relocation or as otherwise provided by  
applicable law4  7#b7 ,except as        
provided in paragraph 7#a71 any         
transportation allowances authorized for
 the transportation of the personal     
property of a member and spouse making  
an election under subsection 7a7 may be 
allocated among the personal property of
 the member and spouse in such manner as
 the member and spouse shall select4    
7#c7 ,in this subsection1 the terms     
transportation allowances and personal  
property have the meaning given such    
terms in section #dea7;b7 of title #cg4 
7g7 ,approval  7#a7 ,the ,secretary of  
,defense shall establish a single       
approval process for applications for   
coverage under this section4 ,the       
process shall apply uniformly among the 
armed forces4  7#b7 ,applications for   
approval for coverage under this section
 shall consist of such elements         
7including documentary evidence7 as the 

,secretary shall prescribe for purposes 
of the approval process required by this
 subsection4  7#c7 ,the approval process
 required by this subsection shall      
ensure that the processing of           
applications for coverage under this    
section is completed in a timely manner 
that permits a spouse and any dependents
 to relocate whenever during the covered
 relocation period selected in the      
election concerned4 ,in meeting that    
requirement1 the approval process shall 
provide for the processing of           
applications at the lowest level in the 
chain of command of members as it       
appropriate to ensure proper            
administration of this section4  7h7    
,regulations ,each ,secretary concerned 
shall prescribe regulations for the     
administration of this section with     
respect to the armed force or forces    
under the jurisdiction of such          
,secretary4  7i7 ,covered relocation    
period defined ,in this section1 the    
term covered relocation period1 in      

connection with the permanent change of 
station of a member1 means the period   
that-- 7#a7 begins #ahj days before the 
date of the permanent change of station2
 and  7#b7 ends #ahj days after the date
 of the permanent change of station4  4 
7#b7 ,clerical amendment ,the table of  
sections at the beginning of subchapter 
,i of chapter #hh of such title is      
amended by inserting after the item     
relating to section #aghd;a the         
following new item3  #aghd;b4           
,relocation of spouses and dependents in
 connection with the permanent change of
 station of certain members4  4  7#c7   
,effective date ,the amendments made by 
this subsection shall take effect on the
 date of the enactment of this ,act and 
shall apply with respect to permanent   
changes of station of members of the    
,armed ,forces that occur on or after   
the date that is #ahj days after such   
effective date4  7b7 ,comptroller       
,general of the ,united ,states report  
7#a7 ,report required ,not later than   

one year after the date of the enactment
 of this ,act1 the ,comptroller ,general
 of the ,united ,states shall submit to 
,congress a report on potential actions 
of the ,department of ,defense to       
enhance the stability of military       
families undergoing a permanent change  
of station4  7#b7 ,elements ,the report 
required by paragraph 7#a7 shall include
 the following3 7,a7 ,a comparison of   
the current percentage of spouses in    
military families who work with the     
percentage of spouses in military       
families who worked in the recent past1 
and an assessment of the impact of the  
change in such percentage on military   
families4  7,b7 ,an assessment of the   
effects of relocation of military       
families undergoing a permanent change  
of station on the employment1 education1
 and licensure of spouses of military   
families4  7,c7 ,an assessment of the   
effects of relocation of military       
families undergoing a permanent change  
of station on military children1        

including effect on their mental health4
  7,d7 ,an identification of potential  
actions of the ,department to enhance   
the stability of military families      
undergoing a permanent change of station
 and to generate cost savings in        
connection with such changes of station4
  7,e7 ,such other matters as the       
,comptroller ,general considers         
appropriate4  7#c7 ,additional element  
on funding of military family support   
programs ,in addition to the elements   
specified in paragraph 7#b71 the report 
required by paragraph 7#a7 shall also   
include a comparison of--  7,a7 the     
average annual amount spent by each     
,armed ,force over the five-year period 
ending on ,december #ca1 #bjae1 on      
recruiting and retention bonuses and    
special pays for members of such ,armed 
,force2 with  7,b7 the average annual   
amount spent by such ,armed ,force over 
such period on programs for military    
families and support of military        
families4