S.Amdt. 3126

1. Adds SEC. 723. UNIFIED MEDICAL COMMAND at the end of subtitle C of title VII

   Adds a section

   In S. 3254 · Placed on Calendar Senate

   (e) Report.--Not later than five years after the commencement of the research program, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report on the research program, including a description of the research program, the community partners participating in the research program, the activities carried out, the number of members of the National Guard and Reserves, family members, and caregivers supported by community partners, and a description and assessment of the effectiveness and achievements of the research program.

   Inserted: SEC. 723. UNIFIED MEDICAL COMMAND.

   Inserted: (a) Unified Combatant Command.--

   Inserted: (1) In general.--Chapter 6 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 167a the following new section:

   Inserted: "Sec. 167b. Unified combatant command for medical operations

   Inserted: "(a) Establishment.--With the advice and assistance of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the President, through the Secretary of Defense, shall establish under section 161 of this title a unified command for medical operations (in this section referred to as the 'unified medical command'). The principal function of the command is to provide medical services to the armed forces and other health care beneficiaries of the Department of Defense as defined in chapter 55 of this title.

   Inserted: "(b) Assignment of Forces.--In establishing the unified medical command under subsection (a), all active military medical treatment facilities, training organizations, and research entities of the armed forces shall be assigned to such unified command, unless otherwise directed by the Secretary of Defense.

   Inserted: "(c) Grade of Commander.--The commander of the unified medical command shall hold the grade of general or, in the case of an officer of the Navy, admiral while serving in that position, without vacating the member's permanent grade. The commander of such command shall be appointed to that grade by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, for service in that position. The commander of such command shall be a member of a health profession described in paragraph (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), or (6) of section 335(j) of title 37. During the five-year period beginning on the date on which the Secretary establishes the command under subsection (a), the commander of such command shall be exempt from the requirements of section 164(a)(1) of this title.

   Inserted: "(d) Subordinate Commands.--(1) The unified medical command shall have the following subordinate commands:

   Inserted: "(A) A command that includes all fixed military medical treatment facilities, including elements of the Department of Defense that are combined, operated jointly, or otherwise operated in such a manner that a medical facility of the Department of Defense is operating in or with a medical facility of another department or agency of the United States.

   Inserted: "(B) A command that includes all medical training, education, and research and development activities that have previously been unified or combined, including organizations that have been designated as a Department of Defense executive agent.

   Inserted: "(C) The Defense Health Agency established under subsection (f).

   Inserted: "(2) The commander of a subordinate command of the unified medical command shall hold the grade of lieutenant general or, in the case of an officer of the Navy, vice admiral while serving in that position, without vacating the member's permanent grade. The commander of such a subordinate command shall be appointed to that grade by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, for service in that position. The commander of such a subordinate command shall also be required to be a surgeon general of one of the military departments.

   Show 26 more inserted paragraphsShow less

   Inserted: "(e) Authority of Combatant Commander.--(1) In addition to the authority prescribed in section 164(c) of this title, the commander of the unified medical command shall be responsible for, and shall have the authority to conduct, all affairs of such command relating to medical operations activities.

   Inserted: "(2) The commander of such command shall be responsible for, and shall have the authority to conduct, the following functions relating to medical operations activities (whether or not relating to the unified medical command):

   Inserted: "(A) Developing programs and doctrine.

   Inserted: "(B) Preparing and submitting to the Secretary of Defense program recommendations and budget proposals for the forces described in subsection (b) and for other forces assigned to the unified medical command.

   Inserted: "(C) Exercising authority, direction, and control over the expenditure of funds--

   Inserted: "(i) for forces assigned to the unified medical command;

   Inserted: "(ii) for the forces described in subsection (b) assigned to unified combatant commands other than the unified medical command to the extent directed by the Secretary of Defense; and

   Inserted: "(iii) for military construction funds of the Defense Health Program.

   Inserted: "(D) Training assigned forces.

   Inserted: "(E) Conducting specialized courses of instruction for commissioned and noncommissioned officers.

   Inserted: "(F) Validating requirements.

   Inserted: "(G) Establishing priorities for requirements.

   Inserted: "(H) Ensuring the interoperability of equipment and forces.

   Inserted: "(I) Monitoring the promotions, assignments, retention, training, and professional military education of medical officers described in paragraph (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), or (6) of section 335(j) of title 37.

   Inserted: "(3) The commander of such command shall be responsible for the Defense Health Program, including the Defense Health Program Account established under section 1100 of this title.

   Inserted: "(f) Defense Health Agency.--(1) In establishing the unified medical command under subsection (a), the Secretary shall also establish under section 191 of this title a defense agency for health care (in this section referred to as the 'Defense Health Agency'), and shall transfer to such agency the organization of the Department of Defense referred to as the TRICARE Management Activity and all functions of the TRICARE Program (as defined in section 1072(7) of this title).

   Inserted: "(2) The director of the Defense Health Agency shall hold the rank of lieutenant general or, in the case of an officer of the Navy, vice admiral while serving in that position, without vacating the member's permanent grade. The director of such agency shall be appointed to that grade by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, for service in that position. The director of such agency shall be a member of a health profession described in paragraph (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), or (6) of section 335(j) of title 37.

   Inserted: "(g) Regulations.--In establishing the unified medical command under subsection (a), the Secretary of Defense shall prescribe regulations for the activities of the unified medical command.".

   Inserted: (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 6 of such title is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 167a the following new item:

   Inserted: "167b. Unified combatant command for medical operations.".

   Inserted: (b) Plan, Notification, and Report.--

   Inserted: (1) Plan.--Not later than July 1, 2013, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congressional defense committees a comprehensive plan to establish the unified medical command authorized under section 167b of title 10, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), including any legislative actions the Secretary considers necessary to implement the plan.

   Inserted: (2) Notification.--The Secretary shall submit to the congressional defense committees written notification of the time line of the Secretary to establish the unified medical command under such section 167b by not later than the date that is 30 days before establishing such command.

   Inserted: (3) Report.--Not later than 180 days after submitting the notification under paragraph (2), the Secretary shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report on--

   Inserted: (A) the establishment of the unified medical command; and

   Inserted: (B) the establishment of the Defense Health Agency under subsection (f) of such section 167b.

   Original wording

   At the end of subtitle C of title VII, add the following:

Read automatically from the Congressional Record. Check the original before relying on it.

As printed