S.Amdt. 5974

SA 5974. Mr. SULLIVAN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 5499 submitted by Mr. Reed (for himself and Mr. Inhofe) and intended to be proposed to the bill H.R. 7900, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2023 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the end of subtitle A of title VI, add the following:

SEC. 606. ALLOWANCE FOR BROADBAND FOR CERTAIN MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES ASSIGNED TO PERMANENT DUTY STATIONS IN ALASKA.

(a) Establishment.--Chapter 7 of title 37, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 425 the following new section:

“Sec. 426. Allowance for broadband for certain members of

the armed forces assigned to permanent duty stations in

Alaska

“(a) Allowance Authorized.--The Secretary concerned shall pay, to a member of the armed forces in the grade of E-5 or below who is assigned to a permanent duty station in Alaska, a monthly allowance for broadband.

“(b) Amount.--The monthly allowance to a member under this section shall be--

“(1) $125 during calendar year 2023; and

“(2) in subsequent calendar years, an amount determined by the Secretary of Defense based on the difference between the average costs of unlimited broadband plans in Alaska and in the continental United States.

“(c) Sunset.--No allowance may be paid under this section after December 31, 2028.”.

(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 425 the following:

“426. Allowance for broadband for certain members of the armed forces assigned to permanent duty stations in Alaska.”.

(c) Effective Date.--Section 426 of such title, as added by subsection (a), shall take effect on the day the Secretary of Defense prescribes regulations under subsection (d).

(d) Regulations.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall prescribe regulations to carry out section 426 of such title, as added by subsection (a).

(e) Report.--Not later than December 31, 2027, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report containing--

(1) the evaluation of the Secretary of the allowance under section 426 of such title, as added by subsection (a); and

(2) any recommendation of the Secretary regarding whether such allowance should be amended, extended, or made permanent.