Committee bill would change military judicial code

Wilson’s legislation embraced one change proposed by Defense
Secretary Chuck Hagel to prevent commanders from being able to dismiss verdicts
in a post-trial review, although sentences could still be reduced.

{mosads}The proposed change was prompted by widespread outrage in
Congress over a case earlier this year in which a commander tossed out a guilty
verdict in an Air Force sexual assault case.

Hagel ordered a review of the case and the underlying
authority, which led to the proposed change.

Lawmakers have largely endorsed the measure, and Wilson’s
measure drew from legislation proposed by Reps. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) and Niki
Tsongas (D-Mass.).

The subcommittee’s bill also would require dismissal or
dishonorable discharge for any service member convicted of rape or sexual
assault.

The bill also expands a Victims Counsel pilot program and
allows victims apply for a permanent station or unit transfer.

The House panel’s legislation does not include proposals to
remove sexual assault cases from the military’s chain of command, a step that
has been pushed by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Jackie Speier
(D-Calif.).

The bills from Gillibrand and Speier are likely to be
debated during the full committee’s mark-up of the authorization bill in June.

In addition to the sexual assault measures, Wilson’s
subcommittee mark also rejected proposals in the Pentagon’s 2014 budget to
increase TRICARE fees, which would be the second-straight year Congress has said
no to new health fees.