[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4130 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4130

 To require the establishment of a pilot program to expand early child 
    care options for members of the Armed Forces and their families.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 16, 2024

Mrs. Shaheen (for herself and Ms. Ernst) introduced the following bill; 
  which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To require the establishment of a pilot program to expand early child 
    care options for members of the Armed Forces and their families.

    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 ``Expanding Access to Child Care for 
Military Families Act of 2024''.

SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM TO EXPAND EARLY CHILD CARE OPTIONS FOR MEMBERS OF 
              THE ARMED FORCES AND THEIR FAMILIES.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Defense shall direct the 
Secretaries of the military departments to carry out a pilot program to 
improve the access of members of the Armed Forces and their families to 
high quality early child care opportunities by establishing 
partnerships with eligible child care providers--
            (1) to increase the capacity of those providers;
            (2) to improve early child care workforce development; and
            (3) to increase recruitment and retention of employees for 
        eligible child care providers.
    (b) Selection of Eligible Child Care Providers and Networks of Such 
Providers.--
            (1) In general.--Under the pilot program required by 
        subsection (a), the Secretary shall direct the Secretaries of 
        the military departments to enter into a total of 12 
        partnerships with eligible child care providers, or networks of 
        such providers, to, in communities under the jurisdiction of 
        such secretaries--
                    (A) increase the number of early child care slots 
                available to members of the Armed Forces and their 
                families;
                    (B) facilitate recruitment and retention of 
                employees for eligible child care providers; and
                    (C) provide additional professional development 
                opportunities for such employees.
            (2) Limitation.--The Secretary may direct the Secretaries 
        of the military departments to enter into not more than one 
        partnership with each eligible child care provider, or network 
        of such providers, under the pilot program required by 
        subsection (a).
            (3) Locations.--In selecting eligible child care providers 
        or network of such providers with which to enter into 
        partnerships under the pilot program required by subsection 
        (a), the Secretary--
                    (A) shall direct the Secretaries of the military 
                departments--
                            (i) to ensure that--
                                    (I) each partnership is based at a 
                                different military installation; and
                                    (II) at least one partnership is 
                                based at--
                                            (aa) a Navy installation 
                                        that is not a Marine Corps 
                                        installation;
                                            (bb) a Marine Corps 
                                        installation;
                                            (cc) an Army installation;
                                            (dd) an Air Force 
                                        installation that is not a 
                                        Space Force installation;
                                            (ee) a Space Force 
                                        installation; and
                                            (ff) a joint military 
                                        installation; and
                            (ii) to consider--
                                    (I) geographic diversity and 
                                population demographics to reflect the 
                                inclusion of multiple communities 
                                across the United States;
                                    (II) the appropriate 
                                qualifications, consistent with 
                                Department of Defense regulations and 
                                training requirements and under 
                                applicable State and local laws, to 
                                provide services to meet the needs of 
                                eligible children; and
                                    (III) existing resources available 
                                to the eligible child care providers or 
                                networks of such providers to train and 
                                support employees for eligible child 
                                care providers; and
                    (B) may authorize the Secretaries of the military 
                departments to establish partnerships in communities 
                near military installations with military child 
                development centers or other existing early childcare 
                programs of the Department of Defense, including the 
                Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood program.
    (c) Authorized Functions.--In carrying out the pilot program 
required by subsection (a), the Secretary may--
            (1) direct the Secretaries of the military departments--
                    (A) to identify gaps between existing early child 
                care needs and available eligible child care providers 
                in communities where such Secretaries are considering 
                establishing the pilot program;
                    (B) to use resources of the Department of Defense 
                to support eligible child care providers in recruitment 
                and retention of employees, including through 
                professional development and financial incentives for 
                such employees; and
                    (C) to seek to enter into an interagency 
                partnership with a Federal agency with the ability to 
                place national service participants and volunteers 
                trained in education services, including senior 
                volunteer programs, at military child development 
                centers, including such a center at an installation 
                selected for a partnership under subsection (b)(3), in 
                accordance with applicable national service laws and 
                with all the benefits accorded to such participants and 
                volunteers; and
            (2) provide training and resource subsidies to eligible 
        child care providers and networks of such providers 
        participating in partnerships established under subsection (b).
    (d) Assurance of Not Reducing Early Child Care Availability for 
Nonmilitary Families.--
            (1) In general.--As a condition of entering into a 
        partnership under subsection (a), an eligible child care 
        provider or network of such providers participating in a 
        partnership established under subsection (b) is required to 
        provide assurances that the provider or network will not--
                    (A) reduce early child care slots for nonmilitary 
                families after entering into the partnership; or
                    (B) enter into the construction of new child care 
                facilities.
            (2) Assessments.--Not later than 180 days after the pilot 
        program commences under paragraph (1)(A) of subsection (h), and 
        every 180 days thereafter until the pilot program terminates 
        under that subsection, the Secretary shall--
                    (A) assess whether each eligible child care 
                provider or network of such providers with which the 
                Secretary of a military department entered into a 
                partnership under subsection (b)--
                            (i) is providing the assurances required by 
                        paragraph (1); and
                            (ii) has not reduced early child care slots 
                        for nonmilitary families; and
                    (B) if the Secretary determines that the provider 
                or network of providers is not providing such 
                assurances or has reduced such slots--
                            (i) notify the provider or network that the 
                        provider or network has 90 days to restore the 
                        slots; and
                            (ii) if the provider or network does not 
                        restore the slots during that 90-day period, 
                        terminate the partnership.
    (e) Location of Pilot Program.--The Secretary shall direct the 
Secretaries of the military departments to ensure that, pursuant to a 
partnership entered into under the pilot program required by subsection 
(a), the program is administered at or near the site of the eligible 
child care provider or network of such providers with which the 
Secretary entered into the partnership at or near a military 
installation.
    (f) Administration.--Not later than 30 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall direct the Secretaries of 
the military departments to develop one centralized administrative 
system to carry out the pilot program required by subsection (a), which 
may include information on--
            (1) available military child development centers at 
        military installations at which partnerships are established 
        under the pilot program;
            (2) the number of early child care education slots 
        available or needed at such installations;
            (3) the fees and costs associated for parents participating 
        in the pilot program; and
            (4) other relevant administration and technical assistance 
        matters.
    (g) Reporting Requirements.--
            (1) Briefings by secretary of defense.--
                    (A) Initial briefing.--Not later than 180 days 
                after the pilot program required by subsection (a) 
                commences under subsection (h)(1)(A), the Secretary 
                shall direct the Secretaries of the military 
                departments to provide a briefing to the appropriate 
                committees of Congress on the implementation of the 
                pilot program, including--
                            (i) the demonstrated need for eligible 
                        child care providers in the locations of the 
                        pilot program, including--
                                    (I) the number of such providers 
                                present at the start of the pilot 
                                program relative to the number of 
                                eligible children requiring care; and
                                    (II) data on children served 
                                through the pilot program, 
                                disaggregated by criteria such as--
                                            (aa) the number of infants 
                                        and toddlers served;
                                            (bb) providers offering 
                                        early child care during 
                                        nontraditional or extended 
                                        hours;
                                            (cc) early child care in 
                                        rural communities; and
                                            (dd) inclusive early child 
                                        care services for children with 
                                        disabilities;
                            (ii) the change in the number of eligible 
                        child care providers as a result of the pilot 
                        program;
                            (iii) the change in early child care 
                        education capacity for members of the Armed 
                        Forces and their families and an assessment of 
                        unmet need for such education;
                            (iv) an assessment of the efficacy of the 
                        pilot program; and
                            (v) an assessment of the impact of the 
                        pilot program on early child care availability 
                        in communities in which the pilot program is 
                        operating, including the impact of the pilot 
                        program on--
                                    (I) eligible child care providers 
                                operating before the commencement of 
                                the pilot program; and
                                    (II) the number of early child care 
                                slots available to nonmilitary 
                                families, compared to the number of 
                                such slots available before the 
                                commencement of the pilot program.
                    (B) Annual briefings on progress.--Not later than 
                one year after the pilot program required by subsection 
                (a) commences under subsection (h)(1)(A), and annually 
                thereafter until the termination of the pilot program 
                under subsection (h), the Secretary shall direct the 
                Secretaries of the military departments to provide a 
                briefing to the appropriate committees of Congress on 
                the progress of the pilot program.
            (2) Final report by secretary of defense.--Not later than 
        120 days after the termination under subsection (h) of the 
        pilot program required by subsection (a), the Secretary shall 
        direct the Secretaries of the military departments to submit to 
        the appropriate committees of Congress a final report on the 
        pilot program.
            (3) Reports by government accountability office.--
                    (A) Progress report.--Not later than 4 years after 
                the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller 
                General of the United States shall submit to the 
                appropriate committees of Congress an interim report on 
                the progress of the pilot program required by 
                subsection (a).
                    (B) Final report.--Not later than 120 days after 
                the termination under subsection (h) of the pilot 
                program required by subsection (a), the Comptroller 
                General shall submit to the appropriate committees of 
                Congress a final report on the pilot program.
    (h) Duration of Pilot Program.--
            (1) In general.--The pilot program required by subsection 
        (a) shall--
                    (A) commence not later than January 1, 2026; and
                    (B) unless extended in accordance with paragraph 
                (2), terminate on December 31, 2030.
            (2) Extension.--The Secretary may direct the Secretaries of 
        the military departments to extend the pilot program required 
        by subsection (a) to terminate not later than December 31, 
        2032, if the Secretary notifies the appropriate committees of 
        Congress not later than June 30, 2030, of the intention of the 
        Secretary to extend the pilot program, along with a description 
        of the benefits of extending the pilot program.
    (i) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term 
        ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate; 
                and
                    (B) the Committee on Armed Services of the House of 
                Representatives.
            (2) Child care employee.--The term ``child care employee'' 
        has the meaning given that term in section 1800 of title 10, 
        United States Code.
            (3) Eligible child.--The term ``eligible child'' means--
                    (A) an infant or toddler;
                    (B) a three- or four-year-old; or
                    (C) a school-aged child.
            (4) Eligible child care provider.--The term ``eligible 
        child care provider'' has the meaning given that term in 
        section 658P of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act 
        of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858n).
            (5) Military child development center.--The term ``military 
        child development center'' has the meaning given that term in 
        section 1800 of title 10, United States Code.
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