,,ii #aahth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #dcji ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,may #i1 #bjbd,mr4 ,rubio 7for himself and ,mr4 ,ossoff7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,armed ,services ,a ,,bill ,to require the ,secretary of ,defense to conduct an evaluation of relocation assistance programs available to members of the ,armed ,forces4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,relocation ,assistance for ,military ,families ,act of #bjbd4 #b4 ,evaluation of relocation assistance programs 7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary of ,defense shall conduct an in-depth evaluation of relocation assistance programs carried out under section #ajef of title #aj1 ,united ,states ,code1 and the use of such programs by members of the ,armed ,forces4 7b7 ,elements ,the evaluation required by subsection 7a7 shall include the following3 7#a7 ,an analysis of whether the relocation assistance programs offered by the ,department of ,defense as of the date of the enactment of this ,act-- 7,a7 conform to the requirements for such programs under section #ajef of title #aj1 ,united ,states ,code2 and 7,b7 meet the needs of members of the ,armed ,forces4 7#b7 ,an identification of the relocation assistance programs most frequently used by members1 including an identification of the key factors that contribute to such usage4 7#c7 ,an identification of-- 7,a7 specific barriers faced by members in accessing effective relocation assistance2 and 7,b7 strategies to mitigate those barriers4 7#d7 ,an identification of a representative sample of military installations located in high-cost areas and1 with respect to such installations1 an assessment of the following3 7,a7 ,the success of relocation assistance programs at such installations4 7,b7 ,partnerships between such installations and local communities aimed at helping alleviate financial burdens for members1 specifically related to housing4 7,c7 ,housing supply for members1 both accompanied and unaccompanied by dependents1 comparing supply with total need4 7#e7 ,an analysis of the support mechanisms available as of the date of the enactment of this ,act for military families facing significant financial burdens as a result of permanent changes of station to high-cost areas4 7c7 ,consultations ,in conducting the evaluation required by subsection 7a71 the ,secretary shall consult with the following3 7#a7 ,military family support organizations4 7#b7 ,members of the ,armed ,forces who have recently undergone permanent changes of station1 both accompanied and unaccompanied by dependents4 7#c7 ,members who have used relocation assistance services1 with a focus on those who have moved to or from high-cost areas4 7#d7 ,commanders of military installations4 7#e7 ,a selection of ,state and local officials that represent areas in the vicinity of military installations4 7#f7 ,the ,office of ,local ,defense ,community ,cooperation of the ,department of ,defense4 7#g7 ,housing and urban development experts with expertise in accommodations in high-cost areas4 7#h7 ,such other individuals or organizations as the ,secretary considers appropriate4 7d7 ,best practices guide 7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #ahj days after the completion of the evaluation required by subsection 7a71 the ,secretary of ,defense1 in coordination with the ,secretaries of the military departments1 shall publish a best practices guide to be used by the leadership of military installations and by local communities to assist members of the ,armed ,forces with accessing relocation assistance programs4 7#b7 ,elements ,the best practices guide required by paragraph 7#a7 shall address access to relocation assistance programs determined1 pursuant to the evaluation conducted under subsection 7a71 to be successful in assisting members who make permanent changes of station to high-cost areas4 ,such programs shall include programs offered both through the ,department of ,defense and through local communities4 7e7 ,report required ,not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,defense shall submit to the congressional defense committees 7as defined in section #aja of title #aj1 ,united ,states ,code7 a report that includes the following3 7#a7 ,detailed findings from the evaluation conducted under subsection 7a74 7#b7 ,the best practices guide required by subsection 7d71 not later than #cj days before publication of the guide4 7#c7 ,recommendations for legislative or policy changes to relocation assistance programs to better fulfill the objectives of section #ajef of title #aj1 ,united ,states ,code4 7#d7 ,a roadmap1 including projected timelines and resources required1 for-- 7,a7 implementation and integration of the best practices set forth in the guide2 and 7,b7 addressing the needs of members of the ,armed ,forces making permanent changes of station to high-cost areas4 7f7 ,review of best practices guide implementation ,not later than #c years after the best practices guide required by subsection 7d7 is published1 the ,comptroller ,general of the ,united ,states shall review the implementation of the guide1 relocation assistance programs1 and other resources provided to members of the ,armed ,forces to assist such members with permanent changes of station1 specifically focusing on high-cost areas4 7g7 ,high-,cost area defined 7#a7 ,in general ,in this section1 the term high-cost area shall have the meaning determined by the ,secretary of ,defense in regulations prescribed in accordance with paragraph 7#b74 7#b7 ,regulations ,in prescribing regulations defining the term high-cost area for purposes of this section1 the ,secretary shall-- 7,a7 solicit and incorporate feedback from-- 7i7 appropriate officials of the ,general ,services ,administration who work on relevant matters2 and 7ii7 individuals and entities described in subsection 7c72 and 7,b7 consider relevant factors from across various ,federal agencies that may indicate areas that are high cost1 such as the non-standard per diem rates of the ,general ,services ,administration4