§ 1781a. Department of Defense Military Family Readiness Council

(a)In General.— There is in the Department of Defense the Department of Defense Military Family Readiness Council (in this section referred to as the “Council”).

(b)Members.—

(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, Marine Corps, and Air Force, each of whom shall be a member of the armed force to be represented.

(ii) One representative of the Army National Guard or the Air National Guard, who may be a member of the National Guard.

(iii) One spouse or parent of a member of each of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force, two of whom shall be the spouse or parent of an active component member and two of whom shall be the spouse or parent of a reserve component member.

(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, Marine Corps, and Air 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 Community Support for Military Families with Special Needs.

(2)

(A) The term on the Council of the members appointed or designated under clauses (i) and (iii) of subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1) shall be two years and may be renewed by the Secretary of Defense. Representation on the Council under clause (ii) of that subparagraph shall rotate between the Army National Guard and Air National Guard every two years on a calendar year basis.

(B) The term on the Council of the members appointed under subparagraph (C) of paragraph (1) shall be three years.

(c)Meetings.— The Council shall meet not less often than twice each year.

(d)Duties.— 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 by the Department of Defense.

(3) To evaluate and assess the effectiveness of the military family readiness programs and activities of the Department of Defense.

(e)Annual Reports.—

(1) Not later than February 1 each year, the Council shall submit to the Secretary of Defense and the congressional defense committees a report on military family readiness.

(2) Each report under this subsection shall include the following:

(A) An assessment of the adequacy and effectiveness of the military family readiness programs and activities of the Department of Defense during the preceding fiscal year in meeting the needs and requirements of military families.

(B) Recommendations on actions to be taken to improve the capability of the military family readiness programs and activities of the Department of Defense to meet the needs and requirements of military families, including actions relating to the allocation of funding and other resources to and among such programs and activities.

(Added Pub. L. 110–181, div. A, title V, § 581(a), Jan. 28, 2008, 122 Stat. 120; amended Pub. L. 111–84, div. A, title V, § 562, Oct. 28, 2009, 123 Stat. 2303; Pub. L. 111–383, div. A, title V, § 581, Jan. 7, 2011, 124 Stat. 4226; Pub. L. 112–81, div. A, title V, § 574, Dec. 31, 2011, 125 Stat. 1427.)

Amendments

Amendments

2011—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 112–81 amended subsec. (b) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (b) related to members.

Subsec. (b)(1)(B). Pub. L. 111–383, § 581(d)(1)(A), struck out “, who shall be appointed by the Secretary of Defense” after “Air Force”.

Subsec. (b)(1)(C). Pub. L. 111–383, § 581(d)(1)(B), struck out “, who shall be appointed by the Secretary of Defense” after “Air National Guard” in cl. (i) and after “Air Force Reserve” in cl. (ii).

Subsec. (b)(1)(D). Pub. L. 111–383, § 581(d)(1)(C), struck out “by the Secretary of Defense” after “appointed”.

Subsec. (b)(1)(E). Pub. L. 111–383, § 581(a)(1)(B), added subpar. (E). Former subpar. (E) redesignated (F).

Subsec. (b)(1)(F). Pub. L. 111–383, § 581(c), amended subpar. (F) generally. Prior to amendment, subpar. (F) read as follows: “In addition to the representatives appointed under subparagraphs (B) and (C), the senior enlisted advisors of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force, or the spouse of a senior enlisted member from each of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force.”

Pub. L. 111–383, § 581(a)(1)(A), redesignated subpar. (E) as (F).

Subsec. (b)(1)(G). Pub. L. 111–383, § 581(b), added subpar. (G).

Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 111–383, § 581(a)(2), substituted “subparagraphs (C), (D), and (E)” for “subparagraphs (C) and (D)”.

Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 111–383, § 581(d)(2), added par. (3).

2009—Subsec. (b)(1)(C) to (E). Pub. L. 111–84, § 562(a), added subpar. (C), redesignated former subpars. (C) and (D) as (D) and (E), respectively, and substituted “subparagraphs (B) and (C)” for “subparagraph (B)” in subpar. (E).

Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 111–84, § 562(b), substituted “subparagraphs (C) and (D) of paragraph (1)” for “paragraph (1)(C)” and inserted at end “Representation on the Council required by clause (i) of paragraph (1)(C) shall rotate between the Army National Guard and Air National Guard. Representation required by clause (ii) of such paragraph shall rotate among the reserve components specified in such clause.”