,,ii #aahth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #cbie ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,november #ad 7legislative day1 ,november #ac71 #bjbc,mr4 ,lankford 7for himself and ,ms4 ,hassan7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs ,a ,,bill ,to require the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs to establish a portal for maintaining digital records of former members of the ,armed ,forces and to establish an advisory committee regarding the maintenance of those records1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,increasing ,access to ,military ,service ,records ,act of #bjbc4 #b4 ,establishment of portal for digital records of former members of the ,armed ,forces 7a7 ,establishment of portal required ,the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall establish a portal for maintaining images of the military personnel digital records of the ,department of ,defense so that former members of the ,armed ,forces and their families can access their own records through a portal created by the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs4 7b7 ,advisory committee 7#a7 ,establishment 7,a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary shall establish an advisory committee on access to military personnel records of former members of the ,armed ,forces4 7,b7 ,designation ,the advisory committee established under subparagraph 7,a7 shall be known as the ,veteran ,military ,personnel ,record ,advisory ,committee 7in this section referred to as the ,advisory ,committee74 7#b7 ,membership 7,a7 ,in general ,the ,advisory ,committee shall be composed of #ab members appointed by the ,secretary1 of which-- 7i7 not fewer than one shall be a representative of the ,administration2 7ii7 not fewer than one shall be a representative of the ,department of ,defense2 7iii7 not fewer than one shall be a representative of the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs2 7iv7 not fewer than one shall be a representative of the ,army2 7v7 not fewer than one shall be a representative of the ,navy2 7vi7 not fewer than one shall be a representative of the ,air ,force2 7vii7 not fewer than one shall be a representative of the ,marine ,corps2 7viii7 not fewer than one shall be a representative of the ,space ,force2 7ix7 not fewer than one shall be a representative of the ,coast ,guard2 7x7 not fewer than one shall be a skilled software product development specialist2 and 7xi7 not fewer than one shall be a representative of a veterans service organization4 7,b7 ,date ,the appointments of the members of the ,committee under subparagraph 7,a7 shall be made not later than #ij days after the date of the enactment of this ,act4 7,c7 ,period of appointment2 vacancies 7i7 ,in general ,a member of the ,advisory ,committee shall be appointed for the life of the ,advisory ,committee4 7ii7 ,vacancies ,a vacancy in the ,advisory ,committee-- 7,i7 shall not affect the powers of the ,advisory ,committee2 and 7,,ii7 shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment4 7,d7 ,chairperson and vice chairperson ,the ,advisory ,committee shall select a ,chairperson and ,vice ,chairperson from among the members of the ,advisory ,committee4 7#c7 ,meetings 7,a7 ,initial meeting ,not later than #ij days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,advisory ,committee shall hold the first meeting of the ,advisory ,committee4 7,b7 ,frequency ,the ,advisory ,committee shall meet not less frequently than quarterly4 7,c7 ,quorum ,a majority of the members of the ,advisory ,committee shall constitute a quorum1 but a lesser number of members may hold hearings4 7#d7 ,duties ,the duties of the ,advisory ,committee are as follows3 7,a7 ,to assess how the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs and the ,national ,archives can more effectively utilize the electronic records of the ,department of ,defense via the ,defense ,personnel ,records ,information ,retrieval ,system and how to best use this platform as a portal for the digital images of the records4 7,b7 ,to assess how the military departments would need to better coordinate the capabilities of the ,defense ,personnel ,records ,information ,retrieval ,system4 7,c7 ,to assess how best to leverage existing infrastructure of the ,defense ,personnel ,records ,information ,retrieval ,system and other forms of infrastructure to facilitate military personnel record access for former members of the ,armed ,forces4 7,d7 ,to create guidelines for compiling military personnel records of members of the ,armed ,forces in the portal established under subsection 7a74 7,e7 ,to assess the steps required to develop an electronic portal and corresponding website to carry out subsection 7a74 7,f7 ,to assess the transition from the ,department of ,defense to the ,administration after #fb years when military personnel records become public4 7,g7 ,to assess the coordination of military personnel records between ,federal agencies4 7,h7 ,to assess the consistency and interoperability of data sharing between the military departments with respect to military personnel records4 7,i7 ,to assess the legal impediments to the sharing between ,federal agencies of military personnel records4 7,j7 ,to assess the options for accessibility of former members of the ,armed ,forces to their military personnel records and any hindrances to such accessibility4 7,k7 ,to assess the feasibility and advisability of a call center for former members of the ,armed ,forces to access their military personnel records within the ,national ,personnel ,records ,center4 7,l7 ,to assess the feasibility and advisability of a nondigital option for former members of the ,armed ,forces without access to the portal established under subsection 7a7 to access their military personnel records4 7,m7 ,to assess the feasibility and advisability of establishing a portal like the one required by subsection 7a7 but separated from such portal and for congressional caseworkers of former members of the ,armed ,forces4 7,n7 ,to assess the feasibility and advisability of allowing third-party access to military personnel records of former members of the ,armed ,forces for scholars and extended family members of such former members4 7,o7 ,to assess how the portal required by subsection 7a7 can have necessary separation between the actual data or information provided and the end user to protect confidential information and privacy4 7,p7 ,to assess measures to ensure adequate access to military personnel records of former members of the ,armed ,forces by historians while protecting the privacy of former members of the ,armed ,forces4 7,q7 ,to assess which metrics should be used to determine which family members of former members of the ,armed ,forces should be allowed to access the military personnel records of such former members4 7,r7 ,to assess how military personnel records transfer from the military departments to the ,administration after #fb years will occur in the digital realm1 including from a private information protection standpoint4 7,s7 ,to assess the current standards for sharing records of former members of the ,armed ,forces4 7,t7 ,to assess how to avoid data redundancy and ensure consistent record keeping of military personnel records across all platforms and locations of the ,federal ,government4 7#e7 ,report ,not later than #ahj days after the initial meeting of the ,advisory ,committee under paragraph 7#c77;,a71 the ,advisory ,committee shall submit to ,congress a report on the activities conducted by the ,advisory ,committee4 7#f7 ,powers of ,advisory ,committee 7,a7 ,hearings ,the ,advisory ,committee may hold such hearings1 sit and act at such times and places1 take such testimony1 and receive such evidence as the ,advisory ,committee considers advisable to carry out this subsection4 7,b7 ,information from ,federal agencies 7i7 ,in general ,the ,advisory ,committee may secure directly from a ,federal department or agency such information as the ,advisory ,committee considers necessary to carry out this subsection4 7ii7 ,furnishing information ,on request of the ,chairperson of the ,advisory ,committee1 the head of the department or agency shall furnish the information to the ,advisory ,committee4 7,c7 ,postal services ,the ,advisory ,committee may use the ,united ,states mails in the same manner and under the same conditions as other departments and agencies of the ,federal ,government4 7,d7 ,gifts ,the ,advisory ,committee may accept1 use1 and dispose of gifts or donations of services or property4 7#g7 ,advisory ,committee personnel matters 7,a7 ,compensation of members ,a member of the ,advisory ,committee who is not an officer or employee of the ,federal ,government shall be compensated at a rate equal to the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay prescribed for level ,,iv of the ,executive ,schedule under section #ecae of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code1 for each day 7including travel time7 during which the member is engaged in the performance of the duties of the ,advisory ,committee4 7,b7 ,travel expenses ,a member of the ,advisory ,committee shall be allowed travel expenses1 including per diem in lieu of subsistence1 at rates authorized for employees of agencies under subchapter ,i of chapter #eg of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code1 while away from their homes or regular places of business in the performance of services for the ,advisory ,committee4 7,c7 ,staff 7i7 ,in general ,the ,chairperson of the ,advisory ,committee may1 without regard to the civil service laws 7including regulations71 appoint and terminate an executive director and such other additional personnel as may be necessary to enable the ,advisory ,committee to perform its duties1 except that the employment of an executive director shall be subject to confirmation by the ,advisory ,committee4 7ii7 ,compensation ,the ,chairperson of the ,advisory ,committee may fix the compensation of the executive director and other personnel without regard to chapter #ea and subchapter ,,iii of chapter #ec of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code1 relating to classification of positions and ,general ,schedule pay rates1 except that the rate of pay for the executive director and other personnel may not exceed the rate payable for level ,v of the ,executive ,schedule under section #ecaf of that title4 7,d7 ,detail of government employees ,a ,federal ,government employee may be detailed to the ,advisory ,committee without reimbursement1 and such detail shall be without interruption or loss of civil service status or privilege4 7,e7 ,procurement of temporary and intermittent services ,the ,chairperson of the ,advisory ,committee may procure temporary and intermittent services under section #caji7;b7 of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code1 at rates for individuals that do not exceed the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay prescribed for level ,v of the ,executive ,schedule under section #ecaf of that title4 7#h7 ,termination of ,advisory ,committee ,the ,advisory ,committee shall terminate on the date that is two years after the date of the enactment of this ,act4 7#i7 ,authorization of appropriations ,no amounts are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subsection4 ,the ,secretary shall carry out this subsection using amounts otherwise made available to the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs4 7c7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,administration and ,archivist ,the terms ,administration and ,archivist have the meanings given those terms in section #baja of title #dd1 ,united ,states ,code4 7#b7 ,veterans service organization ,the term veterans service organization means any organization recognized by the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs for the representation of veterans under section #eijb of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code4