[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 158 (Thursday, September 29, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S5769]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 6251. Mrs. MURRAY submitted an amendment intended to be proposed
to amendment SA 5499 submitted by Mr. Reed (for himself and Mr. Inhofe)
and intended to be proposed to the bill H.R. 7900, to authorize
appropriations for fiscal year 2023 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 subtitle D of title VI, add the following:
SEC. 632. PAY FOR DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AND COAST GUARD CHILD
CARE PROVIDERS: STUDIES; ADJUSTMENT.
(a) Department of Defense Child Care Employee Compensation
Review.--
(1) Review required.--The Secretary of Defense shall, for
each geographic area in which the Secretary of a military
department operates a military child development center,
conduct a study--
(A) comparing the total compensation, including all pay and
benefits, of child care employees of each military child
development center in the geographic area to the total
compensation of similarly credentialed employees of public
elementary schools in such geographic area; and
(B) estimating the difference in average pay and the
difference in average benefits between such child care
employees and such employees of public elementary schools.
(2) Schedule.--The Secretary of Defense shall complete the
studies required under paragraph (1)--
(A) for the geographic areas containing the military
installations with the 25 longest wait lists for child care
services at military child development centers, not later
than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act;
and
(B) for geographic areas other than geographic areas
described in subparagraph (A), not later than two years after
the date of the enactment of this Act.
(3) Reports.--
(A) Interim report.--Not later than one year after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall
submit to the congressional defense committees and the Coast
Guard committees a report summarizing the results of the
studies required under paragraph (1) that have been completed
as of the date of the submission of such report.
(B) Final report.--Not later than 120 days after the
completion of all the studies required under paragraph (1),
the Secretary shall submit to the congressional defense
committees and the Coast Guard committees a report
summarizing the results of such studies.
(b) Coast Guard Child Development Center Employee
Compensation Review.--
(1) Review required.--The Secretary of Homeland Security
shall, for each geographic area in which the Secretary
operates a Coast Guard child development center, conduct a
study--
(A) comparing the total compensation (including all pay and
benefits) of child development center employees of each Coast
Guard child development center in such geographic area, to
the total compensation of similarly credentialed employees of
public elementary schools in such geographic area; and
(B) estimating the difference in average pay and the
difference in average benefits between such child development
center employees and such employees of public elementary
schools.
(2) Schedule.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall
complete the studies required under paragraph (1)--
(A) for the geographic areas containing the Coast Guard
installations with the 10 longest wait lists for child
development services at Coast Guard child development
centers, not later than one year after the date of the
enactment of this Act; and
(B) for geographic areas other than geographic areas
described in subparagraph (A), not later than two years after
the date of the enactment of this Act.
(3) Reports.--
(A) Interim report.--Not later than one year after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland
Security shall submit to the Coast Guard committees and the
congressional defense committees a report summarizing the
results of the respective studies required under paragraph
(1) that the Secretary has completed as of the date of the
submission of such report.
(B) Final report.--Not later than 120 days after the
completion of all respective studies required under paragraph
(1), the Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit to the
Coast Guard committees and the congressional defense
committees a report summarizing the results of such studies.
(c) Compensation Adjustment.--
(1) In general.--
(A) Department of defense.--Not later than 90 days after
the date on which the Secretary of Defense completes the
study for a geographic area under subsection (a), the
Secretary of each military department that operates a
military child development center in such geographic area
shall ensure that the dollar value of the total compensation,
including the pay and benefits, of child care employees is
not less than the average dollar value of the total
compensation of similarly credentialed employees of public
elementary schools in such geographic area.
(B) Coast guard.--Not later than 90 days after the date on
which the Secretary of Homeland Security completes the study
for a geographic area under subsection (b), the Commandant of
the Coast Guard shall ensure that the dollar value of the
total compensation, including the pay and benefits, of child
development center employees in such geographic area is not
less than the average dollar value of the total compensation
of similarly credentialed employees of public elementary
schools in such geographic area.
(2) Adjustment limit.--No child care employee or child
development center employee may have his or her pay or
benefits decreased pursuant to paragraph (1).
(3) Reports.--
(A) Department of defense.--Not later than one year after
the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually
thereafter for five years, each Secretary of a military
department shall submit to the congressional defense
committees and the Coast Guard committees a report detailing
the effects of changes in the total compensation under this
subsection, including the effects on the hiring and retention
of child care employees and on the number of children for
which military child development centers provide child care
services.
(B) Coast guard.--Not later than one year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for five
years, the Commandant of the Coast Guard shall submit to the
Coast Guard committees and the congressional defense
committees a report detailing the effects of changes in the
total compensation under this subsection, including the
effects on the hiring and retention of child development
center employees and on the number of children for which
Coast Guard child development centers provide child
development services.
(d) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) The term ``benefits'' includes--
(A) retirement benefits;
(B) any insurance premiums paid by an employer;
(C) education benefits, including tuition reimbursement and
student loan repayment; and
(D) any other compensation an employer provides to an
employee for service performed as an employee (other than
pay), as determined appropriate by the Secretary of Defense
or Secretary of Homeland Security, as applicable.
(2) The terms ``child care employee'' and ``military child
development center'' have the meanings given such terms in
section 1800 of title 10, United States Code.
(3) The terms ``child development center employee'' and
``Coast Guard child development center'' have the meanings
given such terms in section 2921 of title 14, United States
Code.
(4) The term ``Coast Guard committees'' means--
(A) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
of the Senate;
(B) the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of
the House of Representatives; and
(C) the Committees on Appropriations of the Senate and the
House of Representatives.
(5) The term ``elementary school'' means a day or
residential school which provides elementary education, as
determined under State law.
(6) The term ``pay'' includes the basic rate of pay of an
employee and any additional payments an employer pays to an
employee for service performed as an employee.
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