MyCAA Act

MyCAA Act - Directs the Secretary of Defense, as one of the programs established by the Department of Defense (DOD) to assist spouses of members of the Armed Forces serving on active duty, to continue to carry out the current Military Spouse Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) program, under which such spouses may receive up to $6,000 in tuition assistance for education and training courses and licensing and credentialing fees.

Requires the Secretary to establish such assistance programs.

Prohibits the Secretary from restricting MyCAA program participation to spouses of members serving in particular grades.

[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6369 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6369

 To amend title 10, United States Code, to codify the Military Spouse 
Career Advancement Account program (MyCAA) conducted by the Department 
of Defense to assist spouses of members of the Armed Forces serving on 
active duty to pursue educational opportunities and career training, to 
 ensure that such educational opportunities and training are available 
            to all military spouses, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 29, 2010

   Mr. Nye introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 10, United States Code, to codify the Military Spouse 
Career Advancement Account program (MyCAA) conducted by the Department 
of Defense to assist spouses of members of the Armed Forces serving on 
active duty to pursue educational opportunities and career training, to 
 ensure that such educational opportunities and training are available 
            to all military spouses, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``MyCAA Act''.

SEC. 2. MILITARY SPOUSE CAREER ADVANCEMENT ACCOUNT PROGRAM (MYCAA).

    (a) Codification of MyCAA Program.--Subsection (a) of section 1784a 
of title 10, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following new paragraph:
    ``(3)(A) As one of the programs established under this section to 
assist spouses of members of the armed forces, the Secretary shall 
continue to carry out the Military Spouse Career Advancement Account 
(MyCAA) program, under which an eligible spouse may receive up to 
$6,000 in tuition assistance for education and training courses and 
licensing and credentialing fees.
    ``(B) Financial assistance provided under the MyCAA program shall 
be available to cover the costs of the following:
            ``(i) State certifications for teachers, medical 
        professionals, and other occupations requiring recognized 
        certifications.
            ``(ii) Licensing exams and related preparation courses.
            ``(iii) Continuing education classes, including classes 
        offered through professional associations.
            ``(iv) Degree programs, including programs at four-year 
        colleges and universities, leading to employment in portable 
        careers.
            ``(v) Secondary education completion courses, GED tests, 
        and English as a Second Language (ESL) classes.
    ``(C) Financial assistance provided under the MyCAA program may not 
be used to pay for computers, application, graduation or membership 
fees, student activity cards, child care, parking, transportation, or 
medical services.
    ``(D) An eligible spouse must obtain an approved MyCAA Financial 
Assistance document before incurring the tuition fees for which payment 
under the program is sought. The MyCAA program does not provide 
reimbursements of any kind to spouses for any reason. Once the eligible 
spouse obtains the MyCAA Financial Assistance document, there is no 
deadline before which the spouse must complete the education or 
training courses for which assistance is sought under the program.''.
    (b) Guarantee of Education and Training Opportunities for Military 
Spouses.--Subsection (a)(1) of such section is amended by striking 
``may establish'' and inserting ``shall establish''.
    (c) Eligible Military Spouses.--Subsection (b) of such section is 
amended--
            (1) by inserting ``(1)'' before ``Assistance''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
    ``(2) The Secretary of Defense may not restrict participation in 
the MyCAA program required by subsection (a)(3) to the spouses of 
members serving in particular grades. Instead, subject to the 
availability of funds for the MyCAA program, the Secretary shall make 
the MyCAA program available to all eligible spouses.''.
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