To extend the current Department of Defense telecommunications benefit program through the end of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom and to provide for the application of the program to other contingency operations.

May 16, 2005

Mr. FILNER (for himself, Mr. PETRI, Mr. SHAYS, Mrs. TAUSCHER, Mr. SNYDER, Mr. RYAN of Ohio, and Mr. STRICKLAND) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services

To extend the current Department of Defense telecommunications benefit program through the end of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom and to provide for the application of the program to other contingency operations.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Troops Phone Home Free Extension Act'.

SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE TELECOMMUNICATIONS BENEFIT PROGRAM.

(a) Termination at End of Contingency Operation- Subsection (c) of section 344 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004 (Public Law 108-136; 117 Stat. 1449), as amended by section 341 of the Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005 (Public Law 108-375; 118 Stat. 1857), is further amended by striking `terminate on September 30, 2006' and inserting `terminate with respect to a contingency operation on the date that is 60 days after the date on which the Secretary determines that the contingency operation has ended'.

(b) Application to Other Contingency Operations- Such section is further amended--

(1) in subsection (a), by striking `Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom' and inserting `a contingency operation'; and

(2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:

`(g) Contingency Operation Defined- In this section, the term `contingency operation' has the meaning given that term in section 101(a)(13) of title 10, United States Code. The term includes Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.'.

(c) Extension to Hospitalized Members- Subsection (a) of such section is further amended--

(1) by striking `As soon as possible after the date of the enactment of this Act, the' and inserting `The'; and

(2) by adding at the end the following new sentence: `As soon as possible after the date of the enactment of the Troops Phone Home Free Extension Act, the Secretary shall extend such telecommunications benefit to members of the Armed Forces who, although no longer covered by the preceding sentence, are hospitalized as a result of wounds or other injuries incurred while serving in direct support of a contingency operation.'.

END