Improving COLA for Military Personnel
H.R. 3120 IH - Improving Cost of Living Adjustments for Military Personnel
A bill was introduced to improve the review and effectiveness of cost of living adjustments to pay and benefits for members of the Armed Forces and civilian employees of the Department of Defense whose permanent duty station is located in the 19th Congressional District of California.
Section 1. Report on Cost of Living Adjustment
A. Sense of Congress
- United States military personnel and Department of Defense civilians should be financially supported as they face frequent relocation over the course of their service, including in high-cost areas that can place financial burdens on these personnel.
- The United States should provide for the basic needs of these personnel, including by offsetting the rising costs of goods and services, which are considerable in the state of California, where the overall cost of living is markedly higher than the national average.
- The current means of calculating cost of living adjustment rates may provide inaccurate or incomplete data, which is a concern as the cost of living in the 19th congressional district of California may exceed the 107 percent index used to determine COLA rates.
- The means for calculating COLA should be periodically reviewed to ensure accuracy and make certain that the United States appropriately cares for military personnel and civilian employees of the Department of Defense.
Section 1. Report on Cost of Living Adjustment (continued)
B. Report
- Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report on cost of living adjustment calculations for purposes of pay and benefits for members of the Armed Forces and civilian employees of the Department of Defense whose permanent duty station is located in the 19th Congressional District of California.
The report shall include:
- An explanation of the methods used to collect data and the factors used to determine cost of living adjustment.
- An assessment of the appropriateness of including in the calculation of cost of living adjustment the presence of military commissaries or exchanges.
- The evaluation of the Under Secretary of Defense regarding whether any locations within the 19th Congressional District of California should be considered a high-cost area and whether providing certain areas with an increased cost of living adjustment is advisably.
- A comparison of the factors that contribute to a determination of cost of living adjustments applied to Monterey, California, and Santa Clara, California.