To require the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a study on casualty assistance and long-term care programs.

SA 3427. Ms. ERNST submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by
her to the bill S. 2296, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year
2026 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 VI, add the following:

SEC. 629. GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE STUDY ON CASUALTY
ASSISTANCE AND LONG-TERM CARE PROGRAMS.

(a) In General.--Not later than January 1, 2027, the
Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a
study on the structure and execution of the casualty
assistance and long-term care programs of the Armed Forces.
(b) Elements.--In conducting the study required by
subsection (a), the Comptroller General shall assess
options--
(1) to improve the standardization of the selection and
management of casualty assistance officers across the Armed
Forces, including standardized tour lengths similar to
military recruiters;
(2) to improve the standardization, quality, and
proficiency of training for casualty assistance officers
across the Armed Forces in requisite policies, procedures,
and knowledge of entitlements, benefits, and financial
obligations surviving families may encounter;
(3) to develop a Defense-wide survivor contact registry
allowing surviving families to voluntarily provide contact
information to ensure periodic check-ins with surviving
families during significant milestones following the death of
a member of the Armed Forces; and
(4) to develop an integrated Defense-wide long-term care
program for surviving families, modeled on the Army's
Survivor Outreach Services, that provides information about
survivor entitlements and access to expert case managers and
counselors.
(c) Report Required.--Not later than 180 days after
completing the study required by subsection (a), the
Comptroller General shall submit to the Committees on Armed
Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a
report that includes--
(1) the results of the study;
(2) recommendations relating to the options assessed under
subsection (b); and
(3) a plan for implementing those recommendations.
______