Thursday, June 13, 2019

Congresswoman Susan Davis NDAA Amendments Passed by House Armed Services Committee

davis


US House Rep Susan Davis' office issued the following today:

Washington, June 13, 2019

Congresswoman Susan Davis (CA-53) had a number of amendments passed by the House Armed Services Committee during the marathon markup session for the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). These amendments were in addition to measures Davis had included in the base bill for the NDAA. The NDAA was approved by the committee early Thursday morning, clearing the bill for the House floor.

“My amendments will improve our military,  provide critical benefits to our men and women in uniform, and help with recruitment and retention,” said Davis. “I want to thank my colleagues on the committee for joining with me in support of these provisions.”

The following Davis Amendments were passed by the House Armed Services Committee:
Apprenticeships - Apprenticeships are an incredible chance for people to earn while they learn. Davis’s amendment requires a good faith effort to have military construction contractors use apprentices.

Absentee Ballots - The amendment allows military and overseas voters to track and confirm the receipt of their ballots just passed in the House Armed Services Committee. Those fighting to defend our freedoms and democracy deserve to know their votes have been counted.

Wildfires - Early detection of wildfires can be a matter of life or death. The Davis Amendment would require the Department of Defense to look at using space-based sensors to assist with the early detection of wildfires.

Family Leave - Military parents are currently prohibited from taking maternity and paternity leave consecutively. Davis’s amendment removes this prohibition. Military families deserve the flexibility of taking leave when it works for them.

Sexual Trauma - The physical trauma from a sexual assault can require health care attention well after the assault. Davis would require the Department of Defense to study the feasibility of providing healthcare coverage for sexual trauma victims regardless of their military status.

The following provisions were included by Davis in the base bill of the NDAA prior to the committee markup:

Improvements to Child Care for Members of the Armed Forces - Authorizes financial assistance to civilian child care providers who care for the children of survivors of members who die in the line of duty and to expand direct hiring authority for child care providers.

Comprehensive Policy for Provision of Mental Health Care to Members of the Armed Forces - Directs the Secretary of Defense to develop and implement a comprehensive policy of mental health care to members of the Armed Forces.

Tijuana Sewage Runoff Impact to Readiness - In last year’s NDAA, Davis added language directing the Navy to look at the national security impact of sewage runoff for Navy SEAL training at the future site for a SEAL training facility. When scheduled training corresponds with sewage spills or discharges, military personnel may be exposed to untreated sewage with consequences to their health. 

In a follow up to the Navy’s written report, Davis included language directing the Navy  to brief the House Armed Services Committee on readiness impacts of Tijuana sewage runoff in waters adjacent to military installations.

Protecting the Rights of Sexual Assault Survivors - Davis included language to the goal of expanding the rights of military sexual assault survivors, which directs theSecretary of Defense to issue guidance to ensure that sexual assault victims' preference for prosecution jurisdiction is recorded.

Preventing Witness Tampering in Military Judicial Proceedings - To ensure a more equitable and fair judicial proceedings in the  military justice system, Davis included a provision to prohibit convening authorities and commanding officers from interfering with access and influencing witnesses.

Extension and Expansion of Defense Advisory Committee on Investigation, Prosecution, and Defense of Sexual Assault in the Armed Forces Davis included a section to extend the Defense Advisory Committee on Investigation, Prosecution, and Defense of Sexual Assault (DAC-IPAD) for an additional fiveyears andexpands the committee’s role to look at military justice reforms.

Expansion of Special Victims' Counsel for Victims of Sex-Related or Domestic Violence Offenses - The Special Victims' Counsel program will cover eligible domestic violence victims and require a report to the Committee on how the military services are meeting Special Victims' Counsel program requirements.

Notification of the Issuance of a Military Protective Order to Civilian Law Enforcement - Unit commanders must notify civilian authorities of the issuance of a military protective order against a member of the Armed Forces and would require unit commanders to notify a receiving unit of the issuance of a military protective order in the event a member is transferred to another unit.

Guidelines on Sentences for Offenses Committed under the Uniform Code of Military Justice - The Secretary of Defense must establish non-binding sentencing guidelines for offenses under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, taking into account sentencing data collected by the Military Justice Review Panel.

Support for Women in the Afghanistan Security Forces Davis included a provision to set a goal of using $45.5 million to support the efforts of the Government of Afghanistan to promote the recruitment, training, integration, and retention of Afghan women into the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces.

This represents a key step to assure that peace and security processes do not overlook the inclusion of women, a critical strategy that research has shown reduces conflict. The NDAA sets a goal of using $45.5 million to support the efforts of the Government of Afghanistan to promote the recruitment, training, integration, and retention of Afghan women into the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces.

During consideration of the NDAA, Davis will build on these successes by offering a series of amendments.