Bill Overview
Title: PERFORMS Act
Description: This bill expands the membership of the Advisory Panel on Community Support for Military Families with Special Needs and provides for more transparency and accessibility of the panel's meetings and progress. Specifically, the bill requires additional representatives to be added to the panel, including a representative from the Defense Health Agency. In addition, the panel must ensure meetings or other proceedings are accessible to the public. Meeting announcements, minutes, representatives' names, and updates must be made available on a publicly accessible website.
Sponsors: Rep. Wilson, Joe [R-SC-2]
Target Audience
Population: People in military families with special needs globally
Estimated Size: 130000
- The bill focuses on expanding and improving support for military families with special needs.
- There are over 1.3 million active-duty military personnel globally, and thousands of these have family members with special needs.
- The bill may also indirectly affect civilian staff and contractors working within military healthcare systems.
- Improving the representation within the advisory panel aims to better attend to these families' needs through better policy making.
- Increased transparency might invite broader public and NGO engagement in discussions around policies relevant to these families.
Reasoning
- The policy targets military families with special needs, which is a specific category of the population that the PERFORMS Act aims to support.
- There are approximately 130,000 military families in the US with special needs, which is a small but significant part of the population, justifying a targeted policy approach.
- The policy's focus on representation and transparency without direct financial benefits may have varying perceived impacts depending on individual circumstances.
- Given the budget constraints, the policy must focus on systemic improvements and increasing accessibility rather than direct financial support.
- The impact on wellbeing will likely vary depending on how individuals interact with military support systems and the importance they place on representation and communication.
Simulated Interviews
Nurse (Virginia)
Age: 35 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think having more transparency and representation can help us to know who to reach out to for specific needs.
- Increased representation might better address our challenges since health support can be confusing.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Military Officer (Texas)
Age: 40 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Representation is key to addressing the issues military families face.
- It's good to know that meetings' updates are publicly available to keep us informed.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Stay-at-home parent (California)
Age: 29 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 14/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I hope this means more awareness and adjustments from the panel towards our reality.
- Having access to proceedings might help us advocate for necessary resources.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
Retired Military (Florida)
Age: 50 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Transparency is crucial but might not dramatically change our current situation.
- I feel this is more beneficial for those currently active and younger families.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
Social Worker (North Carolina)
Age: 37 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This could really improve the support network and resource accessibility for families.
- I'm optimistic about the increased communication and engagement opportunities.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 8 |
Teacher (Georgia)
Age: 30 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 13/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Looking forward to seeing changes in how support is strategized.
- Representation from the Defense Health Agency can only be a positive change.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Civilian Contractor (Washington)
Age: 45 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I expect minimal personal impact, but others in the community could benefit.
- Remaining informed about policy changes helps in advising others.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Military Spouse (California)
Age: 31 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Transparency could lead to more effective advocacy for all involved.
- Extra voices in the panel can only help us, but immediate changes are hard to predict.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 3 |
IT Specialist (New York)
Age: 42 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy is forward-thinking but may not solve immediate problems.
- Increased dialogue can prevent issues from going unaddressed.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
Rehabilitation Therapist (Texas)
Age: 28 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I see this as a positive movement that could enhance the service structure.
- For practitioners like myself, knowing that input is valued is motivating.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $1000000 (Low: $800000, High: $1500000)
Year 2: $1050000 (Low: $800000, High: $1500000)
Year 3: $1100000 (Low: $800000, High: $1500000)
Year 5: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 10: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 100: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Key Considerations
- Ensuring comprehensive support for over 130,000 military families with special needs in the U.S.
- The enhanced representation in the advisory panel aims to provide better tailored services.
- Transparency efforts are vital for public trust and to attract NGO participation.
- Closely working with the Defense Health Agency could result in better resource allocations.