MEDICAL READINESS PLAN AND JOINT MEDICAL READINESS OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE.

SEC. 731. MEDICAL READINESS PLAN AND JOINT MEDICAL READINESS OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE.(a) Requirement for Plan.—The Secretary of Defense shall develop a comprehensive plan to improve medical readiness, and Department of Defense tracking of the health status, of members of the Armed Forces throughout their service in the Armed Forces, and to strengthen medical readiness and tracking before, during, and after deployment of members of the Armed Forces overseas. The matters covered by the comprehensive plan shall include all elements that are described in this title and the amendments made by this title and shall comply with requirements in law.118 STAT. 1994(b) Joint Medical Readiness Oversight Committee.—(1) Establishment.—The Secretary of Defense shall establish a Joint Medical Readiness Oversight Committee.(2) Composition.—The members of the Committee are as follows:(A) The Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, who shall chair the Committee.(B) The Vice Chief of Staff of the Army, the Vice Chief of Naval Operations, the Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corp.(C) The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs.(D) The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs.(E) The Surgeon General of each of the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force.(F) The Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs.(G) The Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Manpower and Reserve Affairs.(H) The Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower, Reserve Affairs, Installations, and Environment.(I) The Chief of the National Guard Bureau.(J) The Chief of Army Reserve.(K) The Chief of Naval Reserve.(L) The Chief of Air Force Reserve.(M) The Commander, Marine Corps Reserve.(N) The Director of the Defense Manpower Data Center.(O) A representative of the Department of Veterans Affairs designated by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.(3) Duties.—The duties of the Committee are as follows:(A) To advise the Secretary of Defense on the medical readiness and health status of the members of the active and reserve components of the Armed Forces.(B) To advise the Secretary of Defense on the compliance of the Armed Forces with the medical readiness tracking and health surveillance policies of the Department of Defense.(C) To oversee the development and implementation of the comprehensive plan required by subsection (a) and the actions required by this title and the amendments made by this title, including with respect to matters relating to—(i) the health status of the members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces;(ii) accountability for medical readiness;(iii) medical tracking and health surveillance;(iv) declassification of information on environmental hazards;(v) postdeployment health care for members of the Armed Forces; and(vi) compliance with Department of Defense and other applicable policies on blood serum repositories.(D) To ensure unity and integration of efforts across functional and organizational lines within the Department 118 STAT. 1995 of Defense with regard to medical readiness tracking and health surveillance of members of the Armed Forces. (E) To establish and monitor compliance with the medical readiness standards that are applicable to members and those that are applicable to units.(F) To improve continuity of care in coordination with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, for members of the Armed Forces separating from active service with service-connected medical conditions.(4) First meeting.—The first meeting of the Committee shall be held not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.(c) Annual Report.—(1) In general.—In addition to the duties described in subsection (b)(3), the Committee shall prepare and submit to the Secretary of Defense and to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives, not later than February 1 of each year, a report on—(A) the health status and medical readiness of the members of the Armed Forces, including the members of reserve components, based on the comprehensive plan required under subsection (a) and the actions required by this title and the amendments made by this title; and(B) compliance with Department of Defense policies on medical readiness tracking and health surveillance.(2) Opportunity for comment.—Each year, before the Committee submits to Congress the report required under paragraph (1), the Secretary of Defense shall provide an opportunity for representatives of veterans and military health advocacy organizations, and others the Secretary of Defense considers appropriate, to comment on the report. The report submitted to Congress shall include a summary of the comments received and the Secretary’s response to them.