The Secretary of Defense shall develop a policy and plans for the Department of Defense for the support of military family readiness.

The purposes of the policy and plans required under subsection (a) are as follows:

(1) To ensure that the military family readiness programs and activities of the Department of Defense are comprehensive, effective, and properly supported.

(2) To ensure that support is continuously available to military families in peacetime and in war, as well as during periods of force structure change and relocation of military units.

(3) To ensure that the military family readiness programs and activities of the Department of Defense are available to all military families, including military families of members of the regular components and military families of members of the reserve components.

(4) To make military family readiness an explicit element of applicable Department of Defense plans, programs, and budgeting activities, and that achievement of military family readiness is expressed through Department-wide goals that are identifiable and measurable.

(5) To ensure that the military family readiness programs and activities of the Department of Defense undergo continuous evaluation in order to ensure that resources are allocated and expended for such programs and activities to achieve Department-wide family readiness goals.

The policy required under subsection (a) shall include the following elements:

(1) A list of military family readiness programs and activities.

(2) Department of Defense-wide goals for military family support, including joint programs, both for military families of members of the regular components and military families of members of the reserve components.

(3) Policies on access to military family support programs and activities based on military family populations served and geographical location.

(4) Metrics to measure the performance and effectiveness of the military family readiness programs and activities of the Department of Defense.

(5) A summary, by fiscal year, of the allocation of funds (including appropriated funds and nonappropriated funds) for major categories of military family readiness programs and activities of the Department of Defense, set forth for each of the military departments and for the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

(Added Pub. L. 110–181, div. A, title V, § 581(a), Jan. 28, 2008, 122 Stat. 121; amended Pub. L. 111–383, div. A, title X, § 1075(b)(23), Jan. 7, 2011, 124 Stat. 4370; Pub. L. 115–91, div. A, title X, § 1051(a)(9), Dec. 12, 2017, 131 Stat. 1560.)