,i  #aadth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #efhc  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,july #g1 #bjaf,ms4  
,stefanik 7for herself1 ,ms4 ,meng1 ,mr4
 ,bishop of ,georgia1 ,mr4 ,bishop of   
,utah1 ,mr4 ,ashford1 ,mrs4 ,roby1 ,mr4 
,gibson1 ,mr4 ,jones1 ,mrs4 ,comstock1  
,mr4 ,veasey1 ,mr4 ,curbelo of ,florida1
 ,ms4 ,kaptur1 ,mr4 ,o',rourke1 ,mr4    
,cook1 and ,mr4 ,wittman7 introduced the
 following bill2 which was referred to  
the ,committee on ,armed ,services  ,a  
,,bill  ,to amend title #cg1 ,united    
,states ,code1 to authorize1 in         
connection with the permanent change of 
station of a member of the ,armed       
,forces requiring relocation to another 
,state1 the reimbursement of the member 
for qualified relicensing costs incurred
 by the spouse of the member to secure a
 license or certification required by   
the ,state to which the member and      
spouse relocate1 to encourage ,states to
 expedite license portability for       
military spouses1 and for other         

purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,lift the           
,relocation ,burden from ,military      
,spouses ,act4  #b4 ,reimbursement for  
,state licensure and certification costs
 of a spouse of the ,armed ,forces      
arising from a permanent change of      
station of the member to another ,state 
7a7 ,reimbursement authorized ,section  
#dgf of title #cg1 ,united ,states      
,code1 is amended by adding at the end  
the following new subsection3  7p7  7#a7
 ,the ,secretary concerned may reimburse
 a member of the armed forces who is    
reassigned for a permanent change of    
station or permanent change of          
assignment from a duty station in one   
,state to a duty station in another     
,state to which the movement of the     
member's dependents is authorized at the
 expense of the ,united ,states under   
this section for qualified relicensing  
costs of the spouse of the member4  7#b7
 ,reimbursement to a member under this  
subsection may not exceed #ejj for each 

change of station or change of          
assignment4  7#c7 ,in this subsection1  
the term qualified relicensing costs    
means costs1 including exam and         
registration fees1 that-- 7,a7 are      
imposed by the ,state of the new duty   
station to secure a license or          
certification to engage in the same     
profession that the spouse engaged in   
while in the ,state of the original duty
 station2 and  7,b7 are paid or incurred
 by the member or spouse to secure the  
license or certification from the ,state
 of the new duty station after the date 
on which the orders directing the       
permanent change of station or permanent
 change of assignment are issued4  4    
7b7 ,expedited license portability for  
military spouses ,the ,secretary of     
,defense1 and the ,secretary of         
,homeland ,security with respect to the 
,coast ,guard1 shall work with ,states  
to improve the portability between      
,states of a license1 certification1 or 
other grant of permission held by the   

spouse of a member of the ,armed ,forces
 to engage in a particular activity in a
 ,state4 ,the strategies to be          
recommended by the ,secretaries to      
improve license portability for military
 spouses shall include the following3   
7#a7 ,recognition by a ,state of a      
license issued by another ,state and in 
good standing in that ,state4  7#b7     
,issuance of a temporary license pending
 completion of ,state-specific          
requirements4  7#c7 ,provision of an    
expedited review process for military   
spouses4  7c7 ,report on extent of      
unemployment and underemployment of     
military spouses ,not later than #ahj   
days after the date of the enactment of 
this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,defense   
shall submit to the ,committees on      
,armed ,services of the ,senate and the 
,house of ,representatives a report     
evaluating the extent to which spouses  
of members of the ,armed ,forces are    
unemployed and underemployed1 in        
comparison to the general population4   

,the report shall include an estimate of
 the number and percentage of unemployed
 and underemployed military spouses1 the
 primary reasons for their unemployment 
or underemployment1 and recommendations 
to increase employment opportunities for
 military spouses4