S.Amdt. 6060

SA 6060. Mr. SCOTT of Florida 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 C of title VII, add the following:

SEC. 753. INDEPENDENT REVIEW COMMITTEE ON PREVENTABLE DEATHS AT MILITARY INSTALLATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES.

(a) In General.--There is established within the Department of Defense an independent review committee (in this section referred to as the “Committee”) to review recent deaths among members of the Armed Forces at military installations in the United States.

(b) Members.--

(1) In general.--The Secretary of Defense shall select members of the Committee from among individuals who have experience in the Armed Forces (whether on active duty, in the reserve components, or at a military service academy) and are not currently employed by the Federal Government.

(2) Expertise.--In selecting members of the Committee under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall ensure that each such member has a background in law enforcement, military or criminal investigations, or military or criminal legal proceedings.

(c) Duties.--

(1) Review.--The Committee shall carry out a review of whether the relevant commands and units at military installations in the United States were operating within the spirit of applicable policies of the Department of Defense and the applicable military department for post-traumatic stress disorder, suicides, substance use disorders, and investigations of deaths, with a focus on overdose deaths and fentanyl.

(2) Elements.--The review carried out under paragraph (1) shall include the following:

(A) An assessment of the staffing level, training, education, and ability of leaders at all levels to receive and respond to substance use disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, suicide, and death at military installations in the United States.

(B) An assessment of the climate and culture regarding self-reporting for members of the Armed Forces at military installations in the United States to determine stigmas and ways to avoid those stigmas to ensure such members get the care they need without fear of negative impact on their career.

(C) An assessment of the impact of substance use on the readiness of such members at military installations in the United States.

(D) An assessment of whether or not proper execution of the requirements under chapter 47 of title 10, United States Code (the Uniform Code of Military Justice), has been carried out in cases involved substance abuse and potential drug related deaths.

(d) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Committee shall submit to the Secretary of Defense and the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report on the findings of the Committee.

(e) Military Service Academy Defined.--In this section, the term “military service academy” means the following:

(1) The United States Military Academy, West Point, New York.

(2) The United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland.

(3) The United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado.

(4) The United States Coast Guard Academy, New London, Connecticut.

(5) The United States Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, New York.