2017 US Code
Title 10 - Armed Forces
Subtitle A - General Military Law
Part II - Personnel
Chapter 88 - Military Family Programs and Military Child Care
Subchapter I - Military Family Programs
Sec. 1781c - Office of Special Needs

(a) Establishment.—There is in the Office of Military Family Readiness Policy the Office of Special Needs (in this section referred to as the "Office").

(b) Purpose.—The purpose of the Office is to enhance and improve Department of Defense support around the world for military families with special needs (whether medical or educational needs) through the development of appropriate policies, enhancement and dissemination of appropriate information throughout the Department of Defense, support for such families in obtaining referrals for services and in obtaining service, and oversight of the activities of the military departments in support of such families.

(c) Responsibilities.—The Office shall have the responsibilities as follows:

(d) Policy.—(1) The Office shall develop, and update from time to time, a uniform policy for the Department of Defense regarding military families with special needs. The policy shall apply with respect to members of the armed forces without regard to their location, whether within or outside the continental United States.

(2) The policy developed under this subsection shall include elements regarding the following:

(3) In addressing the assignment of members of the armed forces under paragraph (2)(A), the policy developed under this subsection shall, in a manner consistent with the needs of the armed forces and responsive to the career development of members of the armed forces on active duty, provide for such members each of the following:

(4) In addressing support for military families under paragraph (2)(B), the policy developed under this subsection shall provide the following:

(e) Programs.—(1) The Office shall establish, maintain, and oversee a program to provide information and referral services on special needs matters to military families with special needs on a continuous basis regardless of the location of the member's assignment. The program shall provide for timely access by members of such military families to individual case managers and counselors on matters relating to special needs.

(2) The Office shall establish, maintain, and oversee a program of outreach on special needs matters for military families with special needs. The program shall—

(3)(A) The Office shall provide support to the Secretary of each military department in the establishment and sustainment by such Secretary of a program for the support of military families with special needs under the jurisdiction of such Secretary. Each program shall be consistent with the policy developed by the Office under subsection (d).

(B) Each program under this paragraph shall provide for appropriate numbers of case managers for the development and oversight of individualized services plans for educational and medical support for military families with special needs.

(C) Services under a program under this paragraph may be provided by contract or other arrangements with non-Department of Defense entities qualified to provide such services.

(f) Resources.—The Secretary of Defense shall assign to the Office such resources, including personnel, as the Secretary considers necessary for the discharge of the responsibilities of the Office, including a sufficient number of members of the armed forces to ensure appropriate representation by the military departments in the personnel of the Office.

(g) Reports.—(1) Not later than April 30 each year, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report on the activities of the Office.

(2) Each report under this subsection shall include the following:

(h) Military Family With Special Needs.—For purposes of this section, a military family with special needs is any military family with one or more members who has a medical or educational special need (as defined by the Secretary in regulations for purposes of this section), including a condition covered by the Extended Health Care Option Program under section 1079f of this title.

(Added Pub. L. 111–84, div. A, title V, §563(a)(1), Oct. 28, 2009, 123 Stat. 2304; amended Pub. L. 111–383, div. A, title V, §582(a), (b), title X, §1075(b)(24), Jan. 7, 2011, 124 Stat. 4226, 4227, 4370; Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title IX, §933(b)(1)–(5)(A), Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2364, 2365.)

2016—Pub. L. 114–328, §933(b)(5)(A), substituted "Office of Special Needs" for "Office of Community Support for Military Families With Special Needs" in section catchline.

Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 114–328, §933(b)(2), substituted "Office of Military Family Readiness Policy" for "Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness".

Pub. L. 114–328, §933(b)(1), which directed substitution of "Office of Special Needs" for "Office of Community Support for Military Families with Special Needs", was executed by making the substitution for "Office of Community Support for Military Families With Special Needs" to reflect the probable intent of Congress.

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 114–328, §933(b)(3), (4)(A)–(C), redesignated subsec. (d) as (c), substituted "subsection (d)" for "subsection (e)" in par. (1) and "subsection (e)" for "subsection (f)" in par. (2), and struck out former subsec. (c). Prior to amendment, text read as follows:

"(1) The head of the Office shall be the Director of the Office of Community Support for Military Families With Special Needs, who shall be a member of the Senior Executive Service or a general officer or flag officer.

"(2) In the discharge of the responsibilities of the Office, the Director shall be subject to the supervision, direction, and control of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness."

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 114–328, §933(b)(4)(A), redesignated subsec. (e) as (d). Former subsec. (d) redesignated (c).

Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 114–328, §933(b)(4)(A), (B), redesignated subsec. (f) as (e) and substituted "subsection (d)" for "subsection (e)" in par. (3)(A). Former subsec. (e) redesignated (d).

Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 114–328, §933(b)(4)(A), redesignated subsec. (g) as (f). Former subsec. (f) redesignated (e).

Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 114–328, §933(b)(4)(A), (D), redesignated subsec. (h) as (g) and substituted "subsection (c)(3)" for "subsection (d)(3)" in par. (2)(A) and "subsection (c)(4)" for "subsection (d)(4)" in par. (2)(B). Former subsec. (g) redesignated (f).

Subsecs. (h), (i). Pub. L. 114–328, §933(b)(4)(A), redesignated subsec. (i) as (h). Former subsec. (h) redesignated (g).

2011—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 111–383, §582(a), amended subsec. (c) generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows:

"(1) The head of the Office shall be the Director of the Office of Community Support for Military Families With Special Needs, who shall be appointed by the Secretary of Defense from among civilian employees of the Department of Defense who are members of the Senior Executive Service or members of the armed forces in a general or flag grade.

"(2) The Director shall be subject to the supervision, direction, and control of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness in the discharge of the responsibilities of the Office, and shall report directly to the Under Secretary regarding the discharge of such responsibilities."

Subsec. (d)(7), (8). Pub. L. 111–383, §582(b), added par. (7) and redesignated former par. (7) as (8).

Subsec. (h)(1). Pub. L. 111–383, §1075(b)(24), substituted "April 30 each year" for "180 days after the date of the enactment of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010, and annually thereafter".

For termination, effective Dec. 31, 2021, of provisions in subsec. (g) of this section requiring submittal of annual report to Congress, see section 1061 of Pub. L. 114–328, set out as a note under section 111 of this title.

Pub. L. 111–84, div. A, title V, §563(b), Oct. 28, 2009, 123 Stat. 2307, provided that:

"(1) Establishment authorized.—The Secretary of Defense may establish a foundation for the provision of assistance to the Department of Defense in providing support to military families with special needs.

"(2) Purposes.—The purposes of the foundation shall be to assist the Department of Defense as follows:

"(3) Department of defense funding.—The Secretary may provide the foundation such financial support as the Secretary considers appropriate, including the provision to the foundation of appropriated funds and non-appropriated funds available to the Department of Defense.

"(4) Annual report.—The foundation shall submit to the Secretary, and to the congressional defense committees [Committees on Armed Services and Appropriations of the Senate and the House of Representatives], each year a report on its activities under this subsection during the preceding year. Each report shall include, for the year covered by such report, the following:

"(5) Military family with special needs defined.—In this subsection, the term 'military family with special needs' has the meaning given such term in section 1781c(i) of title 10, United States Code (as added by subsection (a))."

Pub. L. 111–84, div. A, title V, §563(c), as added Pub. L. 111–383, div. A, title V, §582(c)(2), Jan. 7, 2011, 124 Stat. 4227, provided that: "The Secretary of a military department may establish or support centers on or in the vicinity of military installations under the jurisdiction of such Secretary to coordinate and provide medical and educational services for children with special needs of members of the Armed Forces who are assigned to such installations."

Pub. L. 111–84, div. A, title V, §563(d), as added Pub. L. 111–383, div. A, title V, §582(c)(2), Jan. 7, 2011, 124 Stat. 4227, provided that:

"(1) Establishment.—Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this subsection [Jan. 7, 2011], the Secretary of Defense shall establish an advisory panel on community support for military families with special needs.

"(2) Members.—The advisory panel shall consist of seven individuals who are a member of a military family with special needs. The Secretary of Defense shall appoint the members of the advisory panel.

"(3) Duties.—The advisory panel shall—

"(4) Meetings.—The Director shall meet with the advisory panel at such times, and with such frequency, as the Director considers appropriate. The Director shall meet with the panel at least once each year. The Director may meet with the panel through teleconferencing or by other electronic means."