Sec. 719. LIMITATION ON THE REALIGNMENT OR REDUCTION OF MILITARY MEDICAL MANNING END STRENGTH

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## SEC. 719 LIMITATION ON THE REALIGNMENT OR REDUCTION OF MILITARY MEDICAL MANNING END STRENGTH ###

(a)Limitation Except as provided by subsection (d), the Secretary of Defense and the Secretaries concerned may not realign or reduce military medical end strength authorizations during the the year following the date of the enactment of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022, and after such period, may not realign or reduce such authorizations unless— ####

(1)each review is conducted under paragraph

(1)of subsection (b); ####

(2)each analysis is conducted under paragraph

(2)of such subsection; ####

(3)the measurement is developed under paragraph

(3)of such subsection; ####

(4)each plan and forum is provided under paragraph

(4)of such subsection; and ####

(5)a period of 90 days elapses following the date on which the Secretary submits the report under subsection (c). ###

(b)Reviews, Analyses, and Other Information ####

(1)Review Each Secretary concerned, in coordination with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, shall conduct a review of the medical manpower requirements of the military department of the Secretary, including any billet validation requirements determined pursuant to estimates provided in the joint medical estimate under section 732 of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (Public Law 115—232), that accounts for all national defense strategy scenarios, including with respect to both the homeland defense mission and pandemic influenza. ####

(2)Analyses With respect to each military medical treatment facility that would be affected by a proposed military medical end strength realignment or reduction, the Secretary concerned shall conduct an analysis that— #####

(A)identifies affected billets; and #####

(B)includes a plan for mitigating any potential gap in health care services caused by such realignment or reduction. ####

(3)Measurement The Secretary of Defense shall— #####

(A)develop a standard measurement for network adequacy to determine the capacity of the local health care network to provide care for covered beneficiaries in the area of a military medical treatment facility that would be affected by a proposed military medical end strength realignment or reduction; and #####

(B)use such measurement in carrying out this section and otherwise evaluating proposed military medical end strength realignment or reductions. ####

(4)Outreach The Secretary of Defense shall provide to each member of the Armed Forces and covered beneficiary located in the area of a military medical treatment facility that would be affected by a proposed military medical end strength realignment or reduction the following: #####

(A)A transition plan for continuity of health care services. #####

(B)A public forum to discuss the concerns of the member and covered beneficiary regarding such proposed realignment or reduction. ###

(c)Report Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the House of Representatives and the Senate a report on the proposed military medical end strength realignments or reductions, including— ####

(1)the reviews, analyses, and other information developed under subsection (b); and ####

(2)a description of the actions the Secretary plans to take with respect to such proposed realignments or reductions. ###

(d)Exception ####

(1)In general The limitation in subsection

(a)shall not apply— #####

(A)to administrative billets of a medical department of a military department that have remained unfilled since at least October 1, 2018; #####

(B)to billets identified as non-clinical in the budget of the President for fiscal year 2020 submitted to Congress pursuant to section 1105 of title 31, United States Code, except that the amount of such billets shall not exceed 1,700; and #####

(C)to medical headquarters billets of the military departments not assigned or directly supporting to operational commands. ####

(2)Determination prior to realignment or reduction The Secretary concerned may realign or reduce a billet described in paragraph

(1)if the Secretary determines that such realignment or reduction does not affect the provision of health care services to members of the Armed Forces or covered beneficiaries. ###

(e)Definitions In this section: ####

(1)The term “covered beneficiary” has the meaning given that term in section 1072 of title 10, United States Code. ####

(2)The term “proposed military medical end strength realignment or reduction” means a realignment or reduction of military medical end strength authorizations as proposed by the budget of the President for fiscal year 2020 submitted to Congress pursuant to section 1105 of title 31, United States Code. ####

(3)The term “Secretary concerned” means— #####

(A)the Secretary of the Army, with respect to matters concerning the Army; #####

(B)the Secretary of the Navy, with respect to matters concerning the Navy, the Marine Corps, and the Coast Guard when it is operating as a service in the Department of the Navy; and #####

(C)the Secretary of the Air Force, with respect to matters concerning the Air Force.