S.Amdt. 6473

SA 6473. Mr. REED (for Mr. Braun) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 5499 proposed by Mr. Reed (for himself and Mr. Inhofe) to the bill H.R. 7900, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2023 for military activities of the Department of Defense and 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 D of title VI, add the following:

SEC. 632. NOTIFICATION TO NEXT OF KIN UPON THE DEATH OF A MEMBER OF THE ARMED FORCES.

(a) In General.--Subchapter II of chapter 75 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

“Sec. 1493. Notification to next of kin or other appropriate

person: timing; training

“(a) In General.--In the event of a death that requires the Secretary of the military department concerned to provide a death benefit under this subchapter, such Secretary shall notify the next of kin or other appropriate person not later than four hours after such death.

“(b) Death Outside the United States.--If a death described in subsection (a) occurs outside the United States, the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Secretary of State, shall attempt to delay reporting, by the media of the country in which such death occurs, of the name of the decedent until after the Secretary of the military department concerned has notified the next of kin or other appropriate person pursuant to subsection (a).

“(c) Training.--The Secretary of the military department concerned shall include a training exercise regarding a death described in this section in each major exercise or planning conference conducted by such Secretary or the Secretary of Defense.”.

(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of subchapter II of chapter 75 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new item:

“1493. Notification to next of kin or other appropriate person: timing; training.”.