Redesignation of Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness; reorganization of Assistant Secretaries of Defense

(a) Redesigation of Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness as Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Health Affairs (1) In general Section 136 of title 10, United States Code, is amended— (A) in the section heading, by striking Readiness and inserting Health Affairs; and (B) by striking and Readiness each place it appears and inserting and Health Affairs. (2) References Any reference in any law or regulation to the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness or the office of that Under Secretary shall, on and after the effective date described in subsection (d), be deemed to be a reference to Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Health Affairs or the office of that Under Secretary, as the case may be. (3) Conforming amendments Title 10, United States Code, is amended— (A) by striking Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness each place it appears and inserting Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Health Affairs; and (B) by striking Under Secretary for Personnel and Readiness each place it appears and inserting Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Health Affairs. (b) Reorganization of Assistant Secretaries of Defense (1) Establishment of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment and Readiness (A) Establishment Section 138(b) of title 10, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph: (10) One of the Assistant Secretaries is the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment and Readiness, who shall report directly to the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics. The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment and Readiness shall serve as the principal advisor to the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics and the Secretary of Defense on all matters relating to the sustainment and readiness of the armed forces.. (B) Responsibility for functions of Assistant Secretaries of Defense for Sustainment and for Readiness The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment and Readiness shall exercise— (i) all functions vested in the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment before the date of the enactment of this Act, including responsibility for logistics, materiel readiness, maintenance policy, transportation, and related sustainment activities; and (ii) all functions transferred from the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Readiness under paragraph (3)(B), including responsibility for military readiness reporting, readiness policy, training support, and related readiness activities. (2) Redesignation of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment (A) In general The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment, within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (as in effect on the day before the date of the enactment of this Act), is redesignated as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment and Readiness, as established by paragraph (10) of section 138(b) of title 10, United States Code, as added by paragraph (1)(A). (B) References Any reference in any law, regulation, guidance, directive, or other document to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment shall, on and after the effective date described in subsection (d), be deemed to refer to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment and Readiness. (3) Elimination of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Readiness (A) In general The position of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Readiness within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness (as in effect on the day before the date of the enactment of this Act) is eliminated. (B) Transfer of functions All functions, duties, powers, and authorities of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Readiness are transferred to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment and Readiness established by paragraph (10) of section 138(b) of title 10, United States Code, as added by paragraph (1)(A). (C) References Any reference in any law, regulation, guidance, directive, or other document to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Readiness shall, on and after the effective date described in subsection (d), be deemed to refer to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment and Readiness established by paragraph (10) of section 138(b) of title 10, United States Code, as added by paragraph (1)(A). (4) Establishment of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Housing, Personnel Movement, and Travel Policy Section 138(b) of title 10, United States Code, as amended by paragraph (1)(A), is further amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph: (11) (A) One of the Assistant Secretaries is the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Housing, Personnel Movement, and Travel Policy, who shall serve as a principal assistant secretary within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Health Affairs. (B) The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Housing, Personnel Movement, and Travel Policy shall be appointed from among persons who have substantial experience in military housing, personnel policy, or related fields. (C) Subject to the authority, direction, and control of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Health Affairs, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Housing, Personnel Movement, and Travel Policy shall have, as the principal duties of the Assistant Secretary, the overall supervision of the policy and programs of the Department of Defense relating to— (D) privatized military housing under subchapter IV of chapter 169 of this title, including any privatized military family housing programs; (E) unaccompanied personnel housing, including the management, oversight, and policy for all unaccompanied housing programs of the Department; (F) travel regulations, including policies and entitlements with respect to permanent changes of station and related travel programs; (G) the Defense Travel Management Office and all Department-wide travel management programs; and (H) the Defense Personal Property Program, including the household goods and personally procured move programs.. (5) Designation of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Housing, Personnel Movement, and Travel Policy Chief Housing Officer (A) In general Section 2851a(a) of title 10, United States Code, is amended by striking the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations, and Environment and inserting the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Housing, Personnel Movement, and Travel Policy. (B) Transfer of Chief Housing Officer functions All functions, duties, and authorities vested in the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations, and Environment in the capacity of Chief Housing Officer of the Department of Defense are transferred to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Housing, Personnel Movement, and Travel Policy established by paragraph (11) of section 138(b) of title 10, United States Code, as added by paragraph (4). (C) References Any reference in any law, regulation, guidance, directive, or other document to the Chief Housing Officer or to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations, and Environment acting in the capacity of the Chief Housing Officer shall, on and after the effective date described in subsection (d), be deemed to refer to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Housing, Personnel Movement, and Travel Policy established by paragraph (11) of section 138(b) of title 10, United States Code, as added by paragraph (4). (c) Implementation Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall— (1) submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a plan for implementing this section and the amendments made by this section; and (2) revise Department of Defense Directive 5124.02 (relating to the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness) and any other relevant documents issued by the Department in accordance with that plan. (d) Effective date (1) In general This section (other than subsection (c)), and the amendments made by this section, shall take effect on January 20, 2029. (2) Authority for early implementation Notwithstanding the effective date described in paragraph (1), the Secretary of Defense may implement any provision of or amendment made by this section before that effective date if the Secretary determines that doing so is in the best interests of the Department of Defense.