[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 127 (Thursday, July 27, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4478-S4479]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 493. Mr. DAINES submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill H.R. 2810, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2018 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of part II of subtitle F of title V, add the 
     following:

     SEC. 563. ELIGIBILITY AND PRIORITY OF CHILDREN FOR MILITARY 
                   CHILD CARE SERVICES.

       (a) Reorganization of Military Child Care Funding 
     Provisions.--Subchapter II of chapter 88 of title 10, United 
     States Code, is amended--
       (1) by transferring section 1793 so as to appear after 
     section 1791; and
       (2) by redesignating such section, as so transferred, as 
     section 1791a.
       (b) Eligibility and Priority.--
       (1) In general.--Subchapter II of such chapter is further 
     amended by inserting after section 1792 the following new 
     section 1793:

     ``Sec. 1793. Child care services: eligibility and priority 
       for services of eligible children; services and youth 
       program services for children and youth otherwise 
       ineligible

       ``(a) Eligibility on Full-time Basis.--Children are 
     eligible for child care services at military child 
     development centers on a full-time basis as follows:
       ``(1) Children disproportionally affected by military 
     deployment of their parents (to be known as `Priority Group 1 
     Children'), including children as follows:
       ``(A) Children of a member of the armed forces who died in 
     line of duty on active duty.
       ``(B) Children of a member on active duty who previously 
     incurred a wound [or serious injury] in combat in line of 
     duty on active duty.
       ``(C) Children in a single-parent family in which the 
     parent is a regular member of the armed forces.
       ``(D) Children in a dual-parent family in which both 
     parents are regular members of the armed forces.
       ``(2) Children of deployable parents (to be know as 
     `Priority Group 2 Children'), including children as follows:
       ``(A) Children in a dual-parent family in which one of the 
     parents is a regular member of the armed forces.
       ``(B) Children of a member of the Selected Reserve.
       ``(C) Children of an employee of the Department of Defense 
     who is on, or is within 90 days of commencing, an assignment 
     overseas.
       ``(3) Children of parents who support Department of Defense 
     missions (to be known as `Priority Group 3 Children'), 
     including children as follows:
       ``(A) Children of a member of the Individual Ready Reserve.
       ``(B) Children of an employee of the Department of Defense 
     (other than an employee described in paragraph (2)(C)), 
     including children of an employee of a non-appropriated fund 
     instrumentality (NAFI) or otherwise paid for with non-
     appropriated funds.
       ``(4) Children of other parents (to be known as `Priority 
     Group 4 Children'), including children as follows:
       ``(A) Children of a member or former member of the armed 
     forces who is in receipt of, or eligible for receipt of, 
     retired or retainer pay.
       ``(B) Children of an employee of the Federal Government 
     with a department or agency other than the Department of 
     Defense.

[[Page S4479]]

       ``(C) Children of a contractor employee of the Department 
     who is otherwise eligible for child care services under this 
     subchapter.
       ``(b) Priority of Eligibility.--
       ``(1) In general.--Priority of eligibility under subsection 
     (a) shall be in the order of the paragraphs set forth under 
     that subsection, with actual eligibility for child care 
     services at any particular military child development center 
     dependent on the availability of space and resources at such 
     center.
       ``(2) Construction of multiple priorities.--If a child has 
     a priority of eligibility under subsection (a) under more 
     than one paragraph, the child's priority of eligibility under 
     that subsection shall be the higher priority of eligibility 
     under that subsection.
       ``(d) Regulations.--This section shall be administered in 
     accordance with regulations prescribed by the Secretary of 
     Defense for purposes of this section. The regulations shall 
     take into account the objective that the priority of 
     eligibility established by subsection (a) is intended to 
     support the policy and plans for the Department of Defense 
     for the support of military family readiness developed 
     pursuant to section 1781b of this title.''.
       (2) Preservation of existing eligibility and priority.--
     Nothing in the amendment made by paragraph (1) may be 
     construed as terminating, altering, or impairing the 
     eligibility or priority for child care services at military 
     child development centers of any military family in receipt 
     of such services at such a center as of the date of the 
     enactment of this Act for so long after such date as such 
     military family remains in receipt of such services at such 
     center without interruption.
       (c) Restatement in Authority on Eligibility and Priority of 
     Authority for Provision of Child Care and Youth Program 
     Services to Children and Youth Otherwise Ineligible.--
       (1) In general.--Section 1793 of title 10, United States 
     Code, as amended by subsection (b) of this section, is 
     further amended by inserting after subsection (b) the 
     following new subsection (c):
       ``(c) Child Care and Youth Program Services for Children 
     and Youth Otherwise Ineligible.--
       ``(1) Authority.--The Secretary of Defense may authorize 
     participation in child care or youth programs of the 
     Department of Defense, to the extent of the availability of 
     space and services, by children and youth under the age of 19 
     who are not dependents of members of the armed forces or of 
     employees of the Department of Defense and are not otherwise 
     eligible for participation in those programs.
       ``(2) Limitation.--Authorization of participation in a 
     program under paragraph (1) shall be limited to situations in 
     which that participation promotes the attainment of the 
     objectives set forth in paragraph (3), as determined by the 
     Secretary.
       ``(3) Objectives.--The objectives for authorizing 
     participation in a program under paragraph (1) are as 
     follows:
       ``(A) To support the integration of children and youth of 
     military families into civilian communities.
       ``(B) To make more efficient use of Department of Defense 
     facilities and resources.
       ``(C) To establish or support a partnership or consortium 
     arrangement with schools and other youth services 
     organizations serving children of members of the armed 
     forces.''.
       (2) Repeal of superseded authority.--Section 1799 of such 
     title is repealed.
       (d) Clerical Amendments.--The table of sections at the 
     beginning of subchapter II of chapter 88 of such title is 
     amended--
       (1) by inserting after the item relating to section 1791 
     the following new item:

``1791a. Parent fees.'';
       (2) by striking the item relating to section 1793 and 
     inserting the following new item:

``1793. Child care services: eligibility and priority for services of 
              eligible children; services and youth program services 
              for children and youth otherwise ineligible.''; and
       (3) by striking the item relating to section 1799.
                                 ______