[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 95 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

<DOC>
115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 H. R. 95


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 31, 2017

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
   To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs to provide child care assistance to veterans receiving 
    certain medical services provided by the Department of Veterans 
                                Affairs.

    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 ``Veterans' Access to Child Care 
Act''.

SEC. 2. CHILD CARE ASSISTANCE FOR VETERANS RECEIVING MENTAL HEALTH CARE 
              AND OTHER INTENSIVE HEALTH CARE SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE 
              DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

    (a) In General.--Subchapter III of chapter 17 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 1730B. Child care assistance for veterans receiving mental 
              health care and other intensive health care services
    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall provide child care 
assistance to an eligible veteran for any period that the veteran--
            ``(1) receives covered health care services at a facility 
        of the Department; and
            ``(2) is required travel to and return from such facility 
        for the receipt of such health care services.
    ``(b) 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) which shall be, to the extent practicable, 
        modeled after the Department of Veterans Affairs Child Care 
        Subsidy Program established pursuant to section 590 of title 
        40.
            ``(B) Direct provision of child care at an on-site facility 
        of the Department.
            ``(C) A payment made directly to a private child care 
        agency.
            ``(D) A collaboration with a facility or program of another 
        Federal department or agency.
            ``(E) 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 shall cover 
the full cost of such child care.
    ``(c) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) The term `eligible veteran' means a veteran who--
                    ``(A) is the primary caretaker of a child or 
                children; and
                    ``(B) is--
                            ``(i) receiving covered health care 
                        services from the Department; or
                            ``(ii) in need of covered health care 
                        services, and but for lack of child care 
                        services, would receive such covered health 
                        care services from the Department.
            ``(2) The term `covered health care services' means--
                    ``(A) regular mental health care services;
                    ``(B) intensive mental health care services; or
                    ``(C) such other intensive health care services 
                that the Secretary determines that provision of 
                assistance to the veteran to obtain child care would 
                improve access to such health care services by the 
                veteran.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 
1730A the following new item:

``1730B. Child care assistance for veterans receiving mental health 
                            care and other intensive health care 
                            services.''.

SEC. 3. EXTENSION OF REDUCTION IN AMOUNT OF PENSION FURNISHED BY 
              DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS FOR CERTAIN VETERANS 
              COVERED BY MEDICAID PLANS FOR SERVICES FURNISHED BY 
              NURSING FACILITIES.

    Section 5503(d)(7) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by 
striking ``September 30, 2024'' and inserting ``September 30, 2026''.

SEC. 4. EXTENSION OF REQUIREMENT FOR COLLECTION OF FEES FOR HOUSING 
              LOANS GUARANTEED BY SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

    Section 3729(b)(2) of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (A)--
                    (A) in clause (iii), by striking ``September 30, 
                2024'' and inserting ``December 31, 2024''; and
                    (B) in clause (iv), by striking ``September 30, 
                2024'' and inserting ``December 31, 2024'';
            (2) in subparagraph (B)--
                    (A) in clause (i), by striking ``September 30, 
                2024'' and inserting ``December 31, 2024''; and
                    (B) in clause (ii), by striking ``September 30, 
                2024'' and inserting ``December 31, 2024'';
            (3) in subparagraph (C)--
                    (A) in clause (i), by striking ``September 30, 
                2024'' and inserting ``December 31, 2024''; and
                    (B) in clause (ii), by striking ``September 30, 
                2024'' and inserting ``December 31, 2024''; and
            (4) in subparagraph (D)--
                    (A) in clause (i), by striking ``September 30, 
                2024'' and inserting ``December 31, 2024''; and
                    (B) in clause (ii), by striking ``September 30, 
                2024'' and inserting ``December 31, 2024''.

            Passed the House of Representatives July 28, 2017.

            Attest:

                                                 KAREN L. HAAS,

                                                                 Clerk.