S.Amdt. 3858

SA 3858. Mr. PADILLA submitted an amendment intended to be proposed
to amendment SA 3748 proposed by Mr. Wicker (for himself and Mr. Reed)
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 appropriate place in title V of division A, insert
the following:

SEC. __. PILOT PROGRAM TO SUPPORT MILITARY FAMILIES
TRANSITIONING TO CIVILIAN LIFE.

(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall
establish a non-clinical, community-based pilot program under
which eligible organizations shall provide support to
military families transitioning to civilian life.
(b) Locations; Duration.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Defense shall carry out
the pilot program at three geographically diverse military
installations during the three-year period beginning on the
date of the enactment of this Act.
(2) Locations.--To the extent practicable, the Secretary of
Defense shall carry out the pilot program at one military
installation in each of the following areas of the United
States:
(A) The West Coast.
(B) The Midwest.
(C) The East Coast.
(c) Eligible Organizations; Selection.--The Secretary of
Defense shall select organizations to participate in the
pilot program from among national organizations serving
members of the Armed Forces, veterans, and their families
with a demonstrated capability to execute national programs
through a community-based lens to provide or coordinate the
provision of military transition services for such
individuals.
(d) Elements.--Under the pilot program, eligible
organizations selected by the Secretary of Defense shall--
(1) identify families of members of the Armed Forces who
are within three years of transitioning to civilian life;
(2) provide those families, on an ongoing basis, with
resources, training, and neighborhood connection support,
including peer-led support groups, resilience workshops, and
a digital resource hub focused on emotional wellness,
practical life skills, and community reintegration for
spouses, children, and caregivers; and
(3) track the progress of those families.
(e) Funding.--Amounts to carry out the pilot program shall
be derived from amounts available for the Transition
Assistance Program.
(f) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Pilot program.--The term ``pilot program'' means the
pilot program established under subsection (a).

[[Page S6544]]

(2) Transition assistance program.--The term ``Transition
Assistance Program'' means the program of the Department of
Defense for preseparation counseling, employment assistance,
and other transitional services provided under sections 1142
and 1144 of title 10, United States Code.
______