Bill > HR6260

This bill, the Casualty Assistance Reform Act of 2021, directs the Secretary of Defense to establish a working group to reform the casualty assistance officer (CAO) program. The key provisions include: creating standards and training for CAOs, exploring the possibility of establishing a unique badge designation for experienced or professional CAOs, examining the current workflow of casualty affairs support, performing a gap analysis to identify and prioritize critical changes to modernize and professionalize the casualty experience for survivors, reviewing the organization of the Office of Casualty, Mortuary Affairs and Military Funeral Honors, exploring the establishment of an annual meeting with gold star families and a surviving and gold star family leadership council, and recommending improvements to the family notification process for Arlington National Cemetery. The bill also requires the Secretary of Defense to publish an interim rule establishing standard definitions for "gold star family" and "gold star survivor" to be used across the military departments.

Military Affairs and Security

https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/6260/all-info