,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #fdhi  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,april #aj1 #bjbj,mr4
 ,thornberry 7for himself and ,mr4      
,kelly of ,mississippi7 introduced the  
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,armed ,services  ,a  
,,bill  ,to improve military family     
readiness4  #a4 ,family readiness3      
definitions2 communication strategy2    
report  7a7 ,definitions ,not later than
 six months after the date of the       
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
of ,defense1 in coordination with the   
,secretaries of the military            
departments1 shall define the terms     
military family readiness and military  
family resiliency4  7b7 ,communication  
strategy ,not later than one year after 
the date of the enactment of this ,act1 
the ,secretary of ,defense1 in          
coordination with the ,secretaries of   
the military departments1 shall         
establish and implement a strategy      
regarding communication with military   

families4 ,the strategy shall include   
the following3 7#a7 ,the use of a       
variety of modes of communication to    
ensure the broadest means of            
communicating with military families4   
7#b7 ,updating an existing annual       
standardized survey that assesses       
military family readiness to address the
 following issues3 7,a7 ,communication  
with beneficiaries4  7,b7 ,child care4  
7,c7 ,education4  7,d7 ,spousal         
employment4  7,e7 ,the ,exceptional     
,family ,member ,program4  7,f7         
,financial literacy4  7,g7 ,financial   
stress4  7,h7 ,health care 7including   
copayments1 network adequacy1 and the   
availability of appointments with health
 care providers74  7c7 ,report ,not     
later than #ahj days after the date of  
the enactment of the ,act1 the          
,secretary of ,defense shall submit to  
the ,committees on ,armed ,services of  
the ,senate and the ,house of           
,representatives a report regarding the 
feasibility of implementing the         

recommendations in-- 7#a7 chapter #c of 
the report of the ,inspector ,general of
 the ,department of ,defense for fiscal 
year #bjbj1 ,ensuring ,wellness and     
,wellbeing of ,service-,members and     
their ,families2 and  7#b7 the report1  
dated ,july #bjai1 of the ,national     
,academies of ,science1 ,engineering and
 ,medicine1 titled ,strengthening the   
,military ,family ,readiness ,system for
 a ,changing ,american ,society4  #b4   
,standardization of the ,exceptional    
,family ,member ,program  7a7 ,policy   
,not later than six months after the    
date of the enactment of this ,act1 the 
,secretary of ,defense1 in coordination 
with the ,secretaries of the military   
departments1 shall1 to the extent       
practicable1 standardize the            
,exceptional ,family ,member ,program   
7in this section referred to as the     
,,efmp7 across the military departments4
  7b7 ,elements ,the ,,efmp1            
standardized under subsection 7a71 shall
 include the following3 7#a7 ,processes 

for the identification and enrollment of
 dependents of covered members with     
special needs4  7#b7 ,a process for the 
permanent change of orders for covered  
members1 to ensure seamless continuity  
of services at the new permanent duty   
station4  7#c7 ,a review process for    
installations to ensure that health care
 furnished through the ,,tricare        
program1 special needs education        
programs1 and installation-based family 
support programs are available to       
military families enrolled in the       
,,efmp4  7#d7 ,a standardized respite   
care benefit across the covered ,armed  
,forces1 including the number of hours  
available under such benefit to military
 families enrolled in the ,,efmp4  7#e7 
,outcomes and metrics to evaluate the   
,,efmp4  7#f7 ,a requirement that the   
,secretary of each military department  
provide a dedicated ,,efmp attorney1 who
 specializes in education law1 at each  
military installation-- 7,a7 the        
,secretary determines is a primary      

receiving installation for military     
families with special needs2 and  7,b7  
in a ,state that the ,secretary         
determines has historically not         
supported families enrolled in the      
,,efmp4  7#g7 ,the option for a family  
enrolled in the ,,efmp to continue to   
receive all services under that program 
and the bachelor allowance for housing  
if-- 7,a7 the covered member receives a 
new permanent duty station2 and  7,b7   
the covered member and family elect for 
the family not to relocate with the     
covered member4  7#h7 ,a process to     
discuss policy challenges and           
opportunities1 best practices adopted   
across the covered ,armed ,forces1 a    
forum period for discussion with members
 of military families with special      
needs1 and other matters the ,secretary 
of ,defense determines appropriate4  7c7
 ,case management ,the ,secretary of    
,defense1 in coordination with the      
,secretaries of the military            
departments1 shall develop an ,,efmp    

case management model1 including the    
following3 7#a7 ,a single ,,efmp office1
 located at the headquarters of each    
covered ,armed ,force1 to oversee       
implementation of the ,,efmp and        
coordinate health care services1        
permanent change of station order       
processing1 and educational support     
services for that covered ,armed ,force4
  7#b7 ,an ,,efmp office at each        
military installation with case managers
 to assist each family of a covered     
member in the development of a plan that
 addresses the areas specified in       
subsection 7b77#a74  7d7 ,report ,not   
later than #ahj days after the date of  
the enactment of the ,act1 the          
,secretary of ,defense shall submit to  
the ,committees on ,armed ,services of  
the ,senate and the ,house of           
,representatives a report on the        
implementation of the items identified  
under subsections 7a71 7b71 and 7c71    
including any recommendations of the    
,secretary regarding legislation4  7e7  

,,gao ,report ,not later than one year  
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act1 the ,comptroller ,general of the  
,united ,states shall submit to the     
,committees on ,armed ,services of the  
,senate and the ,house of               
,representatives a report on-- 7#a7     
whether military families have higher   
rates of disputes and loss of free and  
appropriate public education under      
section #ejd of the ,rehabilitation ,act
 of #aigc 7,public ,law #ic-aab2 #bi    
,u4,s4,c4 #gid7 than civilian           
counterparts2 and  7#b7 an analysis of  
the number of due process hearings that 
were filed by school districts against  
children of members of the ,armed       
,forces4  7f7 ,definitions ,in this     
section3 7#a7 ,the term covered ,armed  
,force means an ,armed ,force under the 
jurisdiction of the ,secretary of a     
military department4  7#b7 ,the term    
covered member means a member-- 7,a7 of 
a covered ,armed ,force2 and  7,b7 with 
a dependent with special needs4  #c4    

,child care  7a7 #bd-;,hour child care  
,if the ,secretary of ,defense          
determines it feasible1 the ,secretary  
shall furnish child care to each child  
of a member of the ,armed ,forces or    
employee of the ,department of ,defense 
while that member or employee works on  
rotating shifts at a military           
installation4  7b7 ,metrics ,not later  
than six months after the date of the   
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
of ,defense shall develop and implement 
metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of
 the child care priority system of the  
,department of ,defense1 including--    
7#a7 the speed of placement for children
 of members of the ,armed ,forces on    
active duty2  7#b7 the type of child    
care offered2  7#c7 available spaces in 
such system1 if any2 and  7#d7 other    
metrics to monitor the child care       
priority system determined by the       
,secretary4  7c7 ,report ,not later than
 #ahj days after the date of the        
enactment of the ,act1 the ,secretary of

 ,defense shall submit to the           
,committees on ,armed ,services of the  
,senate and the ,house of               
,representatives a report regarding the 
results of a study that evaluates-- 7#a7
 the sufficiency of the stipend         
furnished by the ,secretary to members  
of the ,armed ,forces received for      
civilian child care2 and  7#b7 whether  
the amount of such stipend should be    
based on-- 7,a7 cost of living in the   
applicable locale2 and  7,b7 the        
capacity of licensed civilian child care
 providers in the local market4  #d4    
,study and report on the performance of 
the ,department of ,defense ,education  
,activity  7a7 ,study ,the ,secretary of
 ,defense shall conduct a study on the  
performance of the ,department of       
,defense ,education ,activity4  7b7     
,elements ,the study under subsection   
7a7 shall include the following3 7#a7 ,a
 review of the curriculum relating to   
health1 resiliency1 and nutrition taught
 in schools operated by the ,department 

of ,defense ,education ,activity and a  
comparison of such curriculum to        
appropriate education benchmarks4  7#b7 
,an analysis of the outcomes experienced
 by students in such schools1 as        
measured by-- 7,a7 the performance of   
such students on the ,national          
,assessment of ,educational ,progress   
carried out under section #cjc7;b77#c7  
of the ,national ,assessment of         
,educational ,progress ,authorization   
,act 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ifbb7;b77#c772 and 
7,b7 any other methodologies used by the
 ,department of ,defense ,education     
,activity to measure individual student 
outcomes4  7#c7 ,an assessment of the   
effectiveness of the ,school ,liaison   
,officer program of the ,department of  
,defense ,education ,activity in        
achieving the goals of the program with 
an emphasis on goals relating to special
 education and family outreach4  7c7    
,report ,not later than #ahj days after 
the date of the enactment of the ,act1  
the ,secretary of ,defense shall submit 

to the ,committees on ,armed ,services  
of the ,senate and the ,house of        
,representatives a report that includes 
the findings of the study conducted     
under subsection 7a74  #e4 ,report on   
autism treatments provided under        
,,tricare program  7a7 ,report ,not     
later than one year after the date of   
the enactment of this ,act1 the         
,secretary of ,defense shall submit to  
the ,committees on ,armed ,services of  
the ,senate and the ,house of           
,representatives a report assessing the 
effectiveness of autism treatment       
methodologies under the ,,tricare       
program and the prevalence of autism    
among dependents of members of the      
,armed ,forces4  7b7 ,elements ,the     
report under subsection 7a7 shall       
include the following3 7#a7 ,an         
assessment of the effectiveness of      
applied behavioral analysis and other   
autism treatment methodologies covered  
under the ,,tricare program1 including  
an independent assessment conducted by  

an academic institution or other similar
 nongovernmental entity of the          
,pervasive ,developmental ,disorder     
,behavior ,inventory as a basis for     
drawing conclusions regarding such      
treatment4  7#b7 ,a descriptive analysis
 of copayment and other out-of-pocket   
expenses for covered beneficiaries who  
receive benefits under the ,department  
of ,defense ,comprehensive ,autism ,care
 ,demonstration program4  7#c7 ,a       
comparison of rates of autism among     
dependents of members of the ,armed     
,forces and such rates among the        
civilian population4  7c7 ,,tricare     
program defined ,in this section1 the   
term ,,tricare program has the meaning  
given that term in section #ajgb of     
title #aj1 ,united ,states ,code4  #f4  
,report on behavioral health staffing   
needs ,not later than #ahj days after   
the date of the enactment of this ,act1 
the ,secretary of ,defense shall submit 
to the ,committees on ,armed ,services  
of the ,senate and the ,house of        

,representatives a report that-- 7#a7   
contains specific information on the    
amount of funding needed to hire and    
retain behavioral health professionals  
to treat members of the ,armed ,forces  
and covered beneficiaries 7as defined in
 section #ajgb of title #aj1 ,united    
,states ,code72  7#b7 identifies the    
number and types of military1 civilian1 
direct contract1 and managed care       
support contract behavioral health      
professionals required to treat such    
individuals2 and  7#c7 contains a plan  
to provide behavioral health treatment  
to such individuals using telehealth    
services and other technologies1        
including any recommendations of the    
,secretary regarding legislation4  #g4  
,policy to address opioid prescription  
abuse prevention  7a7 ,requirement ,the 
,secretary of ,defense shall develop a  
policy and tracking mechanism for       
opioids that monitors and prohibits the 
over prescribing of opioids to ensure   
compliance with clinical practice       

guidelines4  7b7 ,elements ,the         
requirements under subsection 7a7 shall 
include the following3 7#a7 ,limit the  
prescribing of opioids to the morphine  
milligram equivalent level per day      
specified in the guideline published by 
the ,centers for ,disease ,control and  
,prevention titled ,,cdc ,guideline for 
,prescribing ,opioids for ,chronic      
,pain--,united ,states1 #bjaf1 or such  
successor guideline4  7#b7 ,limit the   
supply of opioids to within clinically  
accepted guidelines4  7#c7 ,develop a   
waiver process for specific patient     
categories that will require treatment  
beyond the limit specified in paragraph 
7#a74  7#d7 ,implement controls to      
ensure that the prescriptions in the    
military health system data repository  
exist and that the dispense date and the
 metric quantity field for opioid       
prescriptions in liquid form are        
consistent among all systems4  7#e7     
,implement opioid prescribing controls  
within the electronic health record     

system known as ,genesis4  7#f7 ,develop
 metrics that can be used by the        
,defense ,health ,agency and each       
military medical treatment facility to  
actively monitor and limit the over     
prescribing of opioids4  7#g7 ,develop a
 report that tracks progression toward  
reduced levels of opioid use4  #h4      
,spousal employment pilot program with  
the ,defense ,counterintelligence and   
,security ,agency  7a7 ,in general ,the 
,under ,secretary of ,personnel and     
,readiness1 in coordination with the    
,under ,secretary of ,defense for       
,intelligence and ,security1 shall      
conduct a pilot program with the        
,defense ,counterintelligence and       
,security ,agency to recruit military   
spouses into a paid internship pilot    
program that includes specific training 
and on-the-job training designed to     
prepare the spouse for a position within
 the national security field1 including 
the ,federal ,government and cleared    
industry4  7b7 ,duration ,the ,under    

,secretary of ,personnel and ,readiness 
shall conduct the pilot program for a   
period not to exceed three years4  7c7  
,security training ,the pilot program   
under this section shall permit military
 spouses the opportunity to gain        
experience in a variety of areas1       
including security clearance background 
investigations and personnel vetting1   
industrial security and critical        
technology protection1 and              
counterintelligence analysis4  7d7      
,reports  7#a7 ,interim report ,not     
later than one year after the date of   
the enactment of the ,act1 the          
,secretary of ,defense shall submit to  
the ,committees on ,armed ,services of  
the ,senate and the ,house of           
,representatives a report on the status 
of the pilot program that shall include 
the following3 7,a7 ,number of spouses  
that entered the pilot program4  7,b7   
,metrics to be used to measure the      
effectiveness of the pilot program4     
7,c7 ,a description of the employment   

positions that spouses entered into     
after the pilot program4  7#b7 ,final   
report ,not later than #ahj days after  
the end of the pilot program1 the       
,secretary of ,defense shall submit to  
the congressional committees specified  
in paragraph 7#a7 a final report on the 
pilot program that shall include the    
following3 7,a7 ,number of spouses that 
completed the pilot program4  7,b7 ,an  
evaluation of the pilot program using   
the metrics of assessment set forth     
pursuant to paragraph 7#a77;,b74  7,c7  
,a description of the employment        
positions that spouses entered into     
following the pilot program4