HR6490-119

What This Bill Does

This bill directs the Secretary of Defense to establish a one-year-deadline pilot program called the Push-Text Initiative for members of the Armed Forces assigned to Marine Corps Installations Pacific in Okinawa, Japan, and their adult dependents. The pilot must automatically enroll eligible members and dependents using available text-message contact information, while allowing any recipient to opt out at any time. Required message categories include military spouse employment opportunities, career counseling, support programs, on-base and off-base child care availability, child care fee assistance, TRICARE benefits, enrollment deadlines, health resources, policy and legal changes affecting members or dependents, and any other resources the Secretary considers relevant to well-being. By October 1, 2027, the Secretary must report to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees on implementation, participation, usage, opt-out rates, message frequency and types, participant feedback, benefits, costs, efficiencies from consolidating other outreach, and recommendations on whether to continue or expand the program across DoD.

Who Benefits and How

Service members in Okinawa benefit because key benefit and family-support information reaches them by text rather than requiring them to search multiple offices or websites. Adult military dependents benefit from direct updates about spouse employment, child care, TRICARE, and policy changes. Military spouses benefit from employment-opportunity and career-counseling notices. Congressional Armed Services Committees benefit from usage data, cost analysis, and expansion recommendations by October 2027.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Defense Department communications staff must build the text-message pilot, use available contact data, manage automatic enrollment, preserve opt-out rights, and curate recurring messages. Marine Corps Installations Pacific administrators must support implementation for Okinawa locations. Privacy and records staff must handle contact information used for enrollment. Federal taxpayers fund the pilot, and DoD must document costs, participation, opt-out rates, and efficiency claims for Congress.

Key Provisions

• Requires DoD to establish the Push-Text Initiative within one year for Marine Corps Installations Pacific in Okinawa.
• Requires automatic enrollment of eligible service members and adult dependents using available text-message contact information.
• Provides an opt-out right for all text-message recipients.
• Requires messages on spouse employment, child care, TRICARE, policy changes, and well-being resources.
• Requires an October 1, 2027 report to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees on participation, benefits, costs, efficiencies, and expansion options.