ADDITIONAL MATTERS TO BE REVIEWED BY COMMISSION ON THE NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVES.

SEC. 529. ADDITIONAL MATTERS TO BE REVIEWED BY COMMISSION ON THE NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVES.(a) Additional Matters To Be Reviewed by Commission.—The Commission on the National Guard and Reserves shall include among the matters it studies (in addition to the matters specified in subsection (c) of the commission charter) each of the following:(1) National guard bureau enhancement proposals.—The advisability and feasibility of implementing the provisions of S. 2658 and H.R. 5200 of the 109th Congress, as introduced in the Senate and the House of Representatives, respectively, on April 26, 2006.(2) Chief of national guard bureau.—As an alternative to implementation of the provisions of the bills specified in 120 STAT. 2198 paragraph (1) that provide for the Chief of the National Guard Bureau to be a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and to hold the grade of general, the advisability and feasibility of providing for the Chief of the National Guard Bureau to hold the grade of general in the performance of the current duties of that office.(3) National guard officers authority to command.—The advisability and feasibility of implementing the provisions of section 544 of H.R. 5122 of the 109th Congress, as passed by the House of Representatives on May 11, 2006.(4) National guard equipment and funding requirements.—The adequacy of the Department of Defense processes for defining the equipment and funding necessary for the National Guard to conduct both its responsibilities under title 10, United States Code, and its responsibilities under title 32, United States Code, including homeland defense and related homeland missions, including as part of such study—(A) consideration of the extent to which those processes should be developed taking into consideration the views of the Chief of the National Guard Bureau, as well as the views of the 54 Adjutant Generals and the views of the Chiefs of the Army National Guard and the Air Guard; and(B) whether there should be an improved means by which National Guard equipment requirements are validated by the Joint Chiefs of Staff and are considered for funding by the Secretaries of the Army and Air Force.(b) Priority Review and Report.—(1) Priority review.—The Commission on the National Guard and Reserves shall carry out its study of the matters specified in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of subsection (a) on a priority basis, with a higher priority for matters under those paragraphs relating to the grade and functions of the Chief of the National Guard Bureau.(2) Report.—In addition to the reports required under subsection (f) of the commission charter, the Commission shall submit to the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate and the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives an interim report, not later than March 1, 2007, specifically on the matters covered by paragraph (1). In such report, the Commission shall set forth its findings and any recommendations it considers appropriate with respect to those matters.(c) Commission Charter Defined.—For purposes of this section, the term “commission charter” means section 513 of the Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005 (Public Law 108–375; 118 Stat. 1880).