Veteran Employment and Child Care Access Act of 2019
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide child care assistance to an eligible veteran for any period that the veteran (1) receives VA training or vocational rehabilitation, and (2) is required to travel to and from a facility for the receipt of such training or rehabilitation. Child care assistance may only be provided once for a child and for a period shorter than six months, but the VA is authorized to waive such limitations.
The term eligible veteran is defined as a veteran who is the primary caretaker of a child and (1) who is receiving VA training or vocational rehabilitation on a full-time basis, or needs and would receive such training or rehabilitation from the VA but for the lack of child care; and (2) whose family's adjusted gross income meets certain criteria.
The bill provides for various types of child care assistance, as the VA considers appropriate.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5045 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 5045
To amend title 38, United States Code, to require the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs to provide child care assistance to veterans receiving
certain training or vocational rehabilitation, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
November 12, 2019
Mr. Correa (for himself, Mrs. Napolitano, Mr. Kilmer, Ms. Norton, and
Ms. Schakowsky) introduced the following bill; which was referred to
the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to require the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs to provide child care assistance to veterans receiving
certain training or vocational rehabilitation, 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 ``Veteran Employment and Child Care
Access Act of 2019''.
SEC. 2. CHILD CARE ASSISTANCE FOR VETERANS RECEIVING CERTAIN TRAINING
OR VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION.
(a) In General.--Chapter 31 of title 38, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 3123. Child care assistance for veterans receiving training or
vocational rehabilitation
``(a) In General.--(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), the
Secretary shall provide child care assistance to an eligible veteran
for any period that the veteran--
``(A) receives any training or vocational rehabilitation
under this chapter, chapter 41, or section 1718, 2021, or 2021A
of this title; and
``(B) is required to travel to and return from a facility
for the receipt of such training or vocational rehabilitation.
``(2)(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the Secretary may
only provide child care assistance under paragraph (1)--
``(i) once for a child; and
``(ii) for a period shorter than six months.
``(B) The Secretary may waive the limitations of subparagraph (A)
as the Secretary considers appropriate.
``(b) Eligible Veterans.--For purposes of this section, an eligible
veteran is any veteran--
``(1) who--
``(A) is the primary caretaker of a child or
children; and
``(B) is--
``(i) receiving training or vocational
rehabilitation described in subsection (a)(1)
on a full-time basis; or
``(ii) in need of such training or
vocational rehabilitation on a full-time basis,
and but for lack of child care services, would
receive such training or vocational
rehabilitation on a full-time basis; and
``(2) whose family's adjusted gross income does not exceed
85 percent of the median adjusted gross income of the State in
which the veteran resides.
``(c) Child Care Assistance.--(1) Child care assistance provided
under this section may include any of the following:
``(A) A stipend for the payment of child care offered by a
licensed child care center (either directly or through a
voucher program).
``(B) Direct provision of child care at an on-site facility
of the Department or the Department of Labor.
``(C) A collaboration with a facility or program of another
Federal department or agency.
``(D) Such other form of assistance as the Secretary
considers appropriate.
``(2) In the case that child care assistance under this section is
provided as a stipend under paragraph (1)(A), such stipend--
``(A) shall cover the full cost of such child care and
associated fees, including application fees and full day, full
week, and full month requirements of the child care provider;
and
``(B) such stipend shall be paid to the eligible veteran.
``(d) Coordination.--Whenever practicable, the Secretary shall
coordinate with the heads of other Federal agencies and with States and
local entities in carrying out this section to ensure accessibility and
continuity of care.
``(e) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be
construed to require any provider of child care to change the
provider's standard eligibility requirements or practices.
``(f) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Notwithstanding section 101 of this title, the term
`child' means--
``(A) a person--
``(i) who is under the age of 13 years; or
``(ii)(I) who is under the age of 18 years;
``(II) who is 13 years of age or older; and
``(III) who is physically or mentally
incapable of caring for themselves; or
``(B) such other person as the Secretary considers
appropriate.
``(2) The term `licensed child care center' means a center-
based child care provider, a family child care provider, or
another provider of child care services for compensation on a
regular basis, that is licensed, regulated, or registered under
Federal or State law.
``(3) The term `primary caretaker', with respect to a
child, means--
``(A) the parent of the child; or
``(B) such other individual as the Secretary
considers appropriate.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of
such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section
3122 the following new item:
``3123. Child care assistance for veterans receiving training or
vocational rehabilitation.''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line