[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 94 (Thursday, June 7, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S3341]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 2446. Mr. KAINE (for himself, Mr. Perdue, and Mrs. Murray) 
submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 2282 
submitted by Mr. Inhofe (for himself and Mr. McCain) and intended to be 
proposed to the bill H.R. 5515, to authorize appropriations for fiscal 
year 2019 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. 577. TRANSITION ASSISTANCE FOR MILITARY SPOUSES.

       (a) Transition Assistance.--
       (1) In general.--Subchapter I of chapter 88 of title 10, 
     United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 
     1784a the following new section:

     ``Sec. 1784b. Employment assistance, job training assistance, 
       and other transitional assistance for military spouses: 
       Department of Labor

       ``(a) In General.--In carrying out the program of 
     assistance and services required by section 1144 of this 
     title, the Secretary of Labor, in conjunction with the 
     Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and 
     the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, shall also maintain a 
     program of counseling, assistance, help, and related 
     information and services for spouses of members of the armed 
     forces covered by that section in order to assist such 
     spouses during the transition of such members to civilian 
     life.
       ``(b) Elements.--The counseling, assistance, help, and 
     information and services available under the program under 
     this section shall be the following:
       ``(1) Such counseling, assistance, help, and information 
     and services as are available to members under section 1144 
     of title and are suitable to assist spouses during the 
     transition of members as described in subsection (a).
       ``(2) Such other counseling, assistance, help, and 
     information and services to assist spouses during such 
     transition as the Secretaries consider appropriate for 
     purposes of the program.
       ``(c) Participation.--A spouse is eligible to participate 
     in the program under this section during any period in which 
     the spouse's member is eligible to participate in the program 
     of assistance and services required by section 1144 of this 
     title.
       ``(d) Use of Personnel and Organizations.--In carrying out 
     the program under this section, the Secretaries may use any 
     of the authorities, personnel, organizations, and other 
     resources available for the program of assistance and 
     services required by section 1144 of this title that the 
     Secretaries consider appropriate for the effective operation 
     of the program under this section.''.
       (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the 
     beginning of subchapter I of chapter 88 of such title is 
     amended by inserting after the item relating to section 1784a 
     the following new item:

``1784b. Employment assistance, job training assistance, and other 
              transitional assistance for military spouses: Department 
              of Labor.''.

       (b) Effective Date and Commencement of Program.--The 
     amendments made by subsection (a) shall take effect on the 
     date of the enactment of this Act. The Secretary of Labor 
     shall commence the program required by section 1784b of title 
     10, United States Code (as added by such amendments), by such 
     date, not later than one year after the date of the enactment 
     of this Act, as the Secretary considers practicable.
                                 ______