WASHINGTON — Two amendments by Virginia Senator Tim Kaine addressing the dangerous conditions in military family housing were included in the final 2020 defense bill.
On Monday, there was a final conference report of the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The Senate and House of Representatives will vote on the final legislation.
“After seeing the horrific housing conditions that Virginia military families have dealt with, including mold issues that were making kids sick, I worked with my colleagues on reforms to make sure the families serving our country have safe places to live," Kaine said in a press release. "I’m proud that we were able to once again secure key wins for Virginia’s defense community in the NDAA, and I hope we can get this final bill across the finish line without delay.”
Sen. Kaine said the first amendment would require the Department of Defense to establish a “move-out checklist” so that both the tenant and military housing office verify that outstanding maintenance needs are fixed and that the tenant is leaving the home in good condition. This provision would help prevent housing companies from charging former tenants fees or failing to repair outstanding maintenance items. It would also help make sure that tenants meet their obligations of leaving the home in an acceptable condition for the next tenant.
Kaine’s second military housing amendment will require the Secretary of Defense to work with local law enforcement to ensure military police can patrol locations where privatized military housing is not located on a military installation. This would address residents’ concerns that neither local law enforcement nor military police were responding to security incidents at off-base military housing because neither believed they had jurisdiction.