HR6146-119

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Supporting Tours Across Years Act or the STAY Act.

2. Report on reducing frequency of permanent changes of station and naval vessel to onshore rotations Not later than March 1, 2026, the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, in coordination with the Secretaries of the military departments, shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report on options to reduce the frequency of permanent changes of station of members of the Armed Forces and the rotations of such members between assignments to naval vessels and onshore assignments (commonly referred to as sea-shore rotations). The report under subsection (a) shall include the following: An analysis of the costs associated with the permanent changes of station and rotations specified in subsection (a), disaggregated by military department and occupational specialty, over the five fiscal years preceding the date of the report. An assessment of the potential cost savings of the Department of Defense to be realized through a reduction in the frequency of such permanent changes of station and rotations. An evaluation of the effects of a reduction in such frequency on retention of members of the Armed Forces, employment for the spouses of such members, and education of the children of such members. An identification of billets, duty stations, and communities with respect to which extended tour lengths or rotation adjustments would be operationally feasible while sustaining mission readiness and career progression requirements. Recommendations for any legislative or policy changes necessary to conduct a pilot program for, or otherwise implement, extensions to tour lengths or rotation adjustments. In this section, the term congressional defense committees has the meaning given that term in section 101(a) of title 10, United States Code.