summary
Introduced
12/09/2015
12/09/2015
In Committee
01/19/2016
01/19/2016
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
01/03/2017
01/03/2017
Introduced Session
114th Congress
Bill Summary
Military Family Stability Act of 2015 This bill allows a member of the Armed Forces undergoing a permanent change of station and the member's spouse to elect jointly that the spouse may relocate to the new location at the time during the covered relocation period as the member and spouse jointly select. The following families shall be eligible: the spouse is employed, or enrolled in a degree-, certificate-, or license-granting program, at the beginning of the covered relocation period; the member and spouse have one or more children in school; the spouse or children are covered under the Exceptional Family Member Program; the member and spouse are caring for an immediate family member with a chronic or long-term illness; or the member is undergoing a permanent change of station as an individual augmentee or other deployment arrangement. Families with other needs may receive exceptions granted by military commanders on a case-by-case basis. A member undergoing a permanent change of station who has one or more specified dependents and is no longer married to the individual who is or was the parent of such dependents at the beginning of the covered period of relocation may elect that such dependents relocate to the new location as follows: by the member alone if the former spouse is dead or has no custodial rights, or by the member and the former spouse jointly in all other circumstances. A member may not make: more than three elections; or any election unless the member's period of obligated service, or the time remaining under the member's enlistment contract, at the time of election is at least 24 months. The bill prescribes related housing and housing allowance requirements. Transportation allowances authorized for personal property of a member and spouse may be allocated as the member and spouse select. The Department of Defense shall establish a single application approval process for coverage under this Act which shall apply uniformly among the Armed Forces.
AI Summary
This bill, the Military Family Stability Act of 2015, allows members of the Armed Forces undergoing a permanent change of station (PCS), which is a military move to a new duty station, and their spouses to jointly decide when the spouse will relocate to the new location within a defined period. Eligibility for this flexibility is granted to families where the spouse is employed or pursuing education, has children in school, has a family member in the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP), is caring for an ill immediate family member, or the service member is deployed as an individual augmentee or in a similar arrangement; military commanders can also grant exceptions on a case-by-case basis for other family needs. The bill also addresses situations for unmarried service members with dependents, outlining how those dependents can relocate. Importantly, service members are limited to a maximum of three such elections, and any election requires at least 24 months of remaining obligated service or time on their enlistment contract. The bill also includes provisions for related housing and housing allowance requirements, allowing for flexible allocation of transportation allowances for personal property, and mandates the Department of Defense to establish a single, uniform application approval process for all branches of the Armed Forces.
Committee Categories
Military Affairs and Security
Sponsors (5)
Last Action
Referred to the Subcommittee on Readiness. (on 01/19/2016)
Official Document
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