S.Amdt. 610

SA 610. Mr. WARNER submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by
him to the bill S. 2226, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year
2024 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 appropriate place in title V, insert the following:

SEC. ___. FOOD INSECURITY AMONG MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES
TRANSITIONING OUT OF ACTIVE DUTY SERVICE.

(a) Study; Education and Outreach Efforts.--
(1) Study.--The Secretary of Defense shall, in conjunction
with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, conduct a study to
identify the means by which members of the Armed Forces are
provided information about the availability of Federal
nutrition assistance programs as they transition out of
active duty service.
(2) Education and outreach efforts.--The Secretary of
Defense, working with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs,
shall increase education and outreach efforts to members of
the Armed Forces who are transitioning out of active duty
service, particularly those members identified as being at-
risk for food insecurity, to increase awareness of the
availability of Federal nutrition assistance programs and
eligibility for those programs.
(3) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall--
(A) submit to the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate
and the Committee on Armed Services of the House of
Representatives a report on the results of the study
conducted under paragraph (1); and
(B) publish such report on the website of the Department of
Defense.
(b) Working Group.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Defense, in consultation
with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of
Agriculture, shall establish a working group to address,
across the Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans
Affairs, and the Department of Agriculture, coordination,
data sharing, and evaluation efforts on food insecurity among
members of the Armed Forces transitioning out of active duty
service (in this subsection referred to as the ``working
group'').
(2) Membership.--The working group be composed of--
(A) representatives from the Department of Defense, the
Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of
Agriculture; and
(B) other relevant stakeholders as determined by the
Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and
the Secretary of Agriculture.
(3) Report.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 120 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the working group shall submit to
each congressional committee with jurisdiction over the
Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs,
and the Department of Agriculture a report on the
coordination, data sharing, and evaluation efforts described
in paragraph (1).
(B) Elements.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall
include the following:
(i) An accounting of the funding each department referred
to in subparagraph (A) has obligated toward research relating
to food insecurity among members of the Armed Forces or
veterans.
(ii) An outline of methods of comparing programs and
sharing best practices for addressing food insecurity by each
such department.
(iii) An outline of--

(I) the plan each such department has to achieve greater
government efficiency and cross-agency coordination, data
sharing, and evaluation in addressing food insecurity among
members of the Armed Forces; and
(II) efforts that the departments can undertake to improve
coordination to better address food insecurity as it impacts
members before, during, and after their active duty service.

(iv) An identification of--

(I) any legal, technological, or administrative barriers to
increased coordination and data sharing in addressing food
insecurity among members of the Armed Forces; and
(II) any additional authorities needed to increase such
coordination and data sharing.

(v) Any other information the Secretary of Defense, the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs, or the Secretary of
Agriculture determines to be appropriate.
(c) Government Accountability Office Study.--The
Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a
study to evaluate the feasibility and advisability of
expanding eligibility for the basic needs allowance under
section 402b of title 37, United States Code, to individuals
during the period following the transition of the individuals
out of active duty service, up to three months.
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