[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 106 (Monday, June 24, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S4465]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 852. Mr. BOOKER submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to
amendment SA 764 proposed by Mr. Inhofe to the bill S. 1790, to
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2020 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. 582. AUTHORITY TO EXPAND ELIGIBILITY FOR THE MY CAREER
ADVANCEMENT ACCOUNT PROGRAM TO CERTAIN MILITARY
SPOUSES.
(a) Eligibility for Participants Whose Spouses Receive
Promotions.--Beginning on October 1, 2020, the Secretary of
Defense may grant continued eligibility to a military spouse
who is participating in the My Career Advancement Account
program of the Department of Defense (in this section
referred to as the ``Program'') if such spouse would
otherwise lose eligibility to participate in the Program
solely because the member of the Armed Forces to whom the
military spouse is married receives a promotion in grade.
(b) Report Required.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall
submit to Congress a report on the Program.
(2) Elements.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall
include the following:
(A) An assessment of employment rates for military spouses
that identifies--
(i) the career fields most military spouses frequently
pursue; and
(ii) the extent to which such rates may be improved by
expanding the Program to include reimbursements for licensing
reciprocity.
(B) An assessment of costs required to expand the Program
as described in subparagraph (A)(ii).
(c) Funding.--Of the amounts authorized to be appropriated
for fiscal year 2021 for the Department of Defense for
operation and maintenance, Defense-wide, not more than
$5,000,000 may be available for the purposes of this section.
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