The Senate Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee approved its mark of the fiscal 2017 defense policy bill on Tuesday, which includes reforms to the military’s legal code.
The changes in the Uniform Code of Military Justice seek to better protect victims of sexual assault, clarify that sexual harassment is a form of misconduct and provide commanders with more authority to stop sexual harassment before it progresses to sexual assault, said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and chairman of the subcommittee.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., called the mark a great “starting point” and commended it for extending the requirement for an annual Pentagon report on sexual assault until 2025. The mark also requires that the Pentagon include the number and nature of reports of domestic sexual assault in the annual document.
The mark also includes a military pay raise of 1.6 percent, less than the 2.1 percent mandated by the bill the House Armed Services Committee passed last month.
The Senate Armed Services Committee will mark up its version of the fiscal 2017 National Defense Authorization Act this week in a closed session. The full House is expected to consider the committee-passed bill next week.
