STUDY AND REPORT ON SEXUAL ASSAULT RESPONSE COORDINATOR MILITARY OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTY.

SEC. 549J. STUDY AND REPORT ON SEXUAL ASSAULT RESPONSE COORDINATOR MILITARY OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTY. (a) Study.—Beginning not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall initiate a personnel study to determine— (1) the feasibility and advisability of creating a military occupational speciality for Sexual Assault Response Coordinators; and (2) if determined to be feasible and advisable, the optimal approach to establishing and maintaining such a military occupational speciality. (b) Report and Briefing.— (1) Report.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report on the results of the study conducted under subsection (a). (2) Briefing.—Not later than 30 days after the date on which the report is submitted under paragraph (1), the Secretary of Defense shall provide to the congressional defense committees a briefing on the results of the study conducted under subsection (a). (c) Elements.—The report and briefing under subsection (b) shall include the following: (1) The determination of the Secretary of Defense as to whether creating a military occupational speciality for Sexual Assault Response Coordinators is feasible and advisable. (2) If the Secretary determines that the creation of such a specialty is feasible and advisable— (A) a recommendation on the rank and level of experience required for a military occupational speciality for Sexual Assault Response Coordinators; (B) recommendations for strengthening recruitment and retention of members of the Armed Forces of the required rank and experience identified under subparagraph (A), including recommendations with respect to— (i) designating Sexual Assault Response Coordinators as a secondary military occupational speciality instead of a primary military occupational speciality; (ii) providing initial or recurrent bonuses or duty stations of choice to members who qualify for the military occupational speciality for Sexual Assault Response Coordinators; (iii) limiting the amount of time that a member who has qualified for such military occupational speciality can serve as a Sexual Assault Response Coordinator in a given period; or (iv) requiring evaluations, completed by an officer in the rank of O-6 or higher, for members who have qualified for such military occupational speciality and are serving as a Sexual Assault Response Coordinator; (C) recommendations for standardizing training and education for members of the Armed Forces seeking a military occupational speciality for Sexual Assault Response Coordinators or those serving as a Sexual Assault Response Coordinator, including by establishing dedicated educational programs for such members within each Armed Force; (D) an analysis of the impact of a military occupational speciality for Sexual Assault Response Coordinators on the personnel management of the existing Sexual Assault Response Coordinator program, including recruitment and retention; (E) an analysis of the requirements for a Sexual Assault Response Coordinator-specific chain of command; (F) analysis of the costs of establishing and maintaining a military occupational speciality for Sexual Assault Response Coordinators; (G) analysis of the potential impacts of a military occupational specialty for Sexual Assault Response Coordinators on the mental health of personnel within the specialty; and (H) any other matters the Secretary of Defense determines relevant for inclusion.