§ 1781a — Department Of Defense Military Family Readiness Council

(a) There is in the Department of Defense the Department of Defense Military Family Readiness Council (in this section referred to as the “Council”). (1) The Council shall consist of the following members: (A) The Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, who shall serve as chair of the Council and who may designate a representative to chair the council in the Under Secretary’s absence. (B) The following persons, who shall be appointed or designated by the Secretary of Defense: (i) One representative of each of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Space Force, each of whom shall be a member or civilian employee of the armed force to be represented. (ii) One representative, who shall be a member or civilian employee of the National Guard Bureau, to represent both the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard. (iii) One spouse or parent of a member of each of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Space Force, two of whom shall be the spouse or parent of an active component member, two of whom shall be the spouse or parent of a reserve component member, and one of whom shall be the spouse or parent of a member of the Space Force. (C) Three individuals appointed by the Secretary of Defense from among representatives of military family organizations, including military family organizations of families of members of the regular components and of families of members of the reserve components. (D) The senior enlisted advisor from each of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Space Force, except that two of these members may instead be selected from among the spouses of the senior enlisted advisors. (E) The Director of the Office of Military Family Readiness Policy. (A) The term on the Council of the members appointed or designated under subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1) shall be two years and may be renewed by the Secretary of Defense. (B) The term on the Council of the members appointed under subparagraph (C) of paragraph (1) shall be two years. (c) The Council shall meet not less often than twice each year. (d) The duties of the Council shall include the following: (1) To review and make recommendations to the Secretary of Defense regarding the policy and plans required under section 1781b of this title. (2) To monitor requirements for the support of military family readiness programs and activities of the Department of Defense. (3) To evaluate and assess the effectiveness of the military family readiness programs and activities of the Department of Defense. (4) To make recommendations to the Secretary of Defense to improve collaboration, awareness, and promotion of accurate and timely military family readiness information and support services by policy makers, service providers, and targeted beneficiaries. (1) There is in the Council the Military Family Readiness Working Group for Military Housing (in this section referred to as the “Housing Working Group”). (A) The Housing Working Group shall be composed of the following members: (i) The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations, and Environment, who shall serve as chair of the Housing Working Group on a nondelegable basis. (ii) One representative of each of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Space Force— (I) each of whom shall be a member of the armed force to be represented; and (II) not fewer than two of whom shall be enlisted members. (iii) One spouse of a member of each of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Space Force on active duty, not fewer than two of which shall be the spouse of an enlisted member. (iv) One commander or senior official of a military installation from each military department with responsibility for the public works or civil engineering systems of such installation. (v) One individual appointed by the Secretary of Defense among representatives of a voluntary consensus standards body that develops personnel certification standards for building maintenance, inspections, or restoration. (vi) The Director of the Office of Military Family Readiness Policy. (B) The term of Housing Working Group members specified under clauses (ii) through (v) of subparagraph (A) shall be two years and may be renewed by the Secretary of Defense. (C) The chair of the Housing Working Group shall extend an invitation to all landlords for one representative of each landlord to attend such meetings of the Housing Working Group as the chair considers appropriate but at a minimum of once per year. (3) The Housing Working Group shall meet at least two times each year. (4) The duties of the Housing Working Group shall include the following: (A) To review and make recommendations to the Secretary of Defense on policies for covered military housing, including inspections practices and resident surveys. (B) To make recommendations to the Secretary of Defense to improve— (i) awareness and promotion of accurate and timely information about covered military housing, accommodations available through the Exceptional Family Member Program of the Department, and other support services; and (ii) collaboration among policymakers, providers of such accommodations and other support services, and targeted beneficiaries of such accommodations and other support services. (5) In this subsection: (A) The term “landlord” has the meaning given that term in section 2871 of this title. (B) The term “covered military housing” means housing acquired or constructed pursuant to subchapter IV of chapter 169 of this title that is owned by an entity other than the Federal Government.