Sec. 522. Assessment of relationship between command climate and the prevention and adjudication of military sexual misconduct
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The Secretary of Defense shall require the Secretaries of the military departments to conduct not fewer than six independent reviews at military installations under the control of the Secretary concerned to assess the command climate at such military installations, to include a review of those installations’ programs to prevent and respond to sexual assault and sexual harassment, organizational climate, gender discrimination, and support of survivors. The assessments conducted under subsection
(a)shall be conducted at— not fewer than three installations, including at least one Navy ship, with the highest risk of sexual assault, as defined by the Secretary of Defense; and not fewer than three installations, including at least one Navy ship, with the lowest risk of sexual assault, as defined by the Secretary of Defense. The assessments conducted under this section may be comprised of civilian and military personnel, include the membership of, and input from, the Office of the Department of Defense Inspector General, and include individuals possessing the appropriate level of experience to conduct assessments of command climate. The members conducting an assessment of a particular military installation shall be independent from the military service assessed, the chain of command involved, and the installation that is the focus of the review. The assessment shall leverage command climate surveys, interviews, focus groups, independent research and materials, media reports, and other means as determined by the Secretary of Defense. The results of the assessment shall be used to inform best practices in supporting a climate that supports prevention programs and survivors at military installations. The best practices shall be shared throughout the Department of Defense, including with the installations included in the assessment, and in a publicly available report. The assessment under this section shall be completed not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act. Not later than 30 days after the assessment is completed, the Secretary of Defense shall submit a report with findings to the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate and the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives.