POLICY FOR TIMELY NOTIFICATION OF NEXT OF KIN OF MEMBERS SERIOUSLY ILL OR INJURED IN COMBAT ZONES.

SEC. 724. POLICY FOR TIMELY NOTIFICATION OF NEXT OF KIN OF MEMBERS SERIOUSLY ILL OR INJURED IN COMBAT ZONES.(a) Policy Required.—The Secretary of Defense shall prescribe the policy of the Department of Defense for providing, in the case of the serious illness or injury of a member of the Armed Forces in a combat zone, timely notification to the next of kin of the member regarding the illness or injury, including information on the condition of the member and the location at which the member is receiving treatment. In prescribing the policy, the Secretary shall ensure respect for the expressed desires of individual members of the Armed Forces regarding the notification of next of kin and shall include standards of timeliness for both the initial notification of next of kin under the policy and subsequent updates regarding the condition and location of the member.118 STAT. 1991(b) Submission of Policy.—Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to Congress a copy of the policy.