Section 1. Short title

This Act may be cited as the Supporting Troops’ Access to Recognition Services Act or STARS Act.

Sec. 2. Requirement for the Department of Defense to maintain identification and eligibility facilities within 30 miles of major metropolitan areas

Chapter 50 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

996. Requirements for locations of facilities providing identification and eligibility services

(a) Requirement

The Secretary of Defense shall ensure that—

(1)

a covered identification and eligibility facility is located not more than a 30 mile distance from each metropolitan statistical area (as defined by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget) with a population of 300,000 or more according to the most recent United States census population estimates available; and

(2)

each such covered identification and eligibility facility is open and staffed by at least one person qualified to assist members of the armed forces and eligible dependents of such members with covered identification matters not less than two days per week during regular business hours.

(b) Definitions

In this section:

(1)

The term covered identification and eligibility facility means a physical location capable of assisting members of the armed forces and eligible dependents of members of the armed forces with covered identification matters.

(2)

The term covered identification matters means matters relating to the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System and Real-Time Automated Personnel Identification System, or any successor to either such system, including the issuance of appropriate identification related to each such system.