INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF JUDGE ADVOCATE REQUIREMENTS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY.

SEC. 506. INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF JUDGE ADVOCATE REQUIREMENTS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY.(a) Independent Panel for Review.—(1) Establishment.—There is hereby established an independent panel to review the judge advocate requirements of the Department of the Navy.(2) Composition.—The panel shall be composed of five members, appointed by the Secretary of Defense from among private United States citizens who have expertise in law, military manpower policies, the missions of the Armed Forces, or the current responsibilities of judge advocates in ensuring competent legal representation and advice to commanders.(3) Chair.—The chair of the panel shall be appointed by the Secretary from among the members of the panel appointed under paragraph (2).(4) Period of appointment; vacancies.—Members shall be appointed for the life of the panel. Any vacancy in the panel shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment.(5) Deadline for appointments.—All original appointments to the panel shall be made not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.(6) Meetings.—The panel shall meet at the call of the chair.(7) First meeting.—The chair shall call the first meeting of the panel not later than 60 days after the date of the appointment of all the members of the panel.(b) Duties.—(1) In general.—The panel established under subsection (a) shall carry out a study of the policies and management and organizational practices of the Navy and Marine Corps with respect to the responsibilities, assignment, and career development of judge advocates for purposes of determining the number of judge advocates required to fulfill the legal mission of the Department of the Navy.(2) Review.—In carrying out the study required by paragraph (1), the panel shall—(A) review the emergent operational law requirements of the Navy and Marine Corps, including requirements for judge advocates on joint task forces, in support of rule of law objectives in Iraq and Afghanistan, and in operational units;(B) review new requirements to support the Office of Military Commissions and to support the disability evaluation system for members of the Armed Forces;(C) review the judge advocate requirements of the Department of the Navy for the military justice mission, including assignment policies, training and education, increasing complexity of court-martial litigation, and the performance of the Navy and Marine Corps in providing legally sufficient post-trial processing of cases in general courts-martial and special courts-martial;123 STAT. 2279(D) review the role of the Judge Advocate General of the Navy, as the senior uniformed legal officer of the Department of the Navy, to determine whether additional authority for the Judge Advocate General over manpower policies and assignments of judge advocates in the Navy and Marine Corps is warranted;(E) review directives issued by the Navy and the Marine Corps pertaining to jointly-shared missions requiring legal support;(F) review career patterns for Marine Corps judge advocates in order to identify and validate assignments to nonlegal billets required for professional development and promotion; and(G) review, evaluate, and assess such other matters and materials as the panel considers appropriate for purposes of the study.(3) Utilization of other studies.—In carrying out the study required by paragraph (1), the panel may review, and incorporate as appropriate, the findings of applicable ongoing and completed studies in future manpower requirements, including the two-part study by CNA Analysis and Solutions entitled “An Analysis of Navy JAG Corps Future Manpower Requirements”.(4) Report.—Not later than 120 days after its first meeting under subsection (a)(7), the panel shall submit to the Secretary of Defense and the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report on the study. The report shall include—(A) the findings and conclusions of the panel as a result of the study; and(B) any recommendations for legislative or administrative action that the panel considers appropriate in light of the study.(c) Powers of Panel.—(1) Hearings.—The panel may hold such hearings, sit and act at such times and places, take such testimony, and receive such evidence as the panel considers appropriate to carry out its duties under this section.(2) Information from federal agencies.—Upon request by the chair of the panel, any department or agency of the Federal Government may provide information that the panel considers necessary to carry out it duties under this section.(d) Personnel Matters.—(1) Pay of members.—(A) Members of the panel established under subsection (a) shall serve without pay by reason of their work on the panel.(B) Section 1342 of title 31, United States Code, shall not apply to the acceptance of services of a member of the panel under this section.(2) Travel expenses.—The members of the panel shall be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized for employees of agencies under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code, while away from their homes or regular places of business in the performance or services for the panel.123 STAT. 2280