Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Enlisted Legal Assistance Act”.
Enlisted Legal Assistance Act
A BILL
To amend title 10, United States Code, to require the provision of legal assistance to junior enlisted personnel of the Armed Forces and their dependents in connection with their personal civil legal affairs.
Sec. 2 Guaranteed provision of legal assistance to junior enlisted personnel of the Armed Forces and their dependents
Provision of legal assistance— Section 1044 of title 10, United States Code, is amended—
by redesignating subsections (a) through (e) as subsections (b) through (f), respectively; and
by inserting before subsection (b), as so redesignated, the following new subsection (a):
“(a) Utilizing such legal staff resources as may be necessary, the Secretary of the department concerned shall provide legal assistance in connection with their personal civil legal affairs to the following persons:
“(1) Members of the armed forces under the jurisdiction of that Secretary in pay grades E–1 through E–5 who are on active duty.
“(2) Dependents of members described in paragraph (1).
“(3) Survivors of a deceased member described in paragraph (1) who were dependents of the member at the time of the death of the member, except that the eligibility of such survivors shall be determined pursuant to regulations prescribed by that Secretary.”
Conforming amendments—
Section 1044 of title 10, United States Code, is further amended—
in paragraph (1) of subsection (b), as redesignated by subsection (a)(1), by inserting “not covered by subsection (a)(1)” after “armed forces”; and
in subsection (d), as redesignated by subsection (a)(1), by striking “ subsection (a)” and inserting “ subsection (b)”.
Section 1044e(d)(1) of title 10, United States Code, is amended by striking “section 1044(d)(2)” and inserting “section 1044(e)(2)”.