,,ii  #aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #bcgi  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,february #f1  
#bjah ,mr4 ,kaine 7for himself1 ,mrs4   
,gillibrand1 and ,mrs4 ,murray7         
introduced the following bill2 which was
 read twice and referred to the         
,committee on ,armed ,services  ,a      
,,bill  ,to improve and expand          
authorities1 programs1 services1 and    
benefits for military spouses and       
military families1 and for other        
purposes4  #a4 ,short title  ,this ,act 
may be cited as the ,military ,spouse   
,employment ,act of #bjah4  #b4         
,expansion of authority for             
noncompetitive appointments of military 
spouses by ,federal agencies  7a7       
,expansion ,to include all spouses of   
members of the ,armed ,forces on active 
duty ,section #cccj;d of title #e1      
,united ,states ,code1 is amended-- 7#a7
 in subsection 7a7--  7,a7 by striking  
paragraphs 7#c71 7#d71 and 7#e72 and    
7,b7 by redesignating paragraph 7#f7 as 

paragraph 7#c72  7#b7 by striking       
subsections 7b7 and 7c7 and inserting   
the following new subsection 7b73  7b7  
,appointment authority ,the head of an  
agency may appoint noncompetitively--   
7#a7 a spouse of a member of the ,armed 
,forces on active duty2 or  7#b7 a      
spouse of a disabled or deceased member 
of the ,armed ,forces4  2  7#c7 by      
redesignating subsection 7d7 as         
subsection 7c72 and  7#d7 in subsection 
7c71 as so redesignated1 by striking    
subsection 7a77#f7 in paragraph 7#a7 and
 inserting subsection 7a77#c74  7b7     
,heading amendment ,the heading of such 
section is amended to read as follows3  
#cccj;d4 ,appointment of military       
spouses  4  7c7 ,clerical amendment ,the
 table of sections at the beginning of  
chapter #cc of such title is amended by 
striking the item relating to section   
#cccj;d and inserting the following new 
item3  #cccj;d4 ,appointment of military
 spouses4  4  #c4 ,report on mechanisms 
to increase participation in ,department

 of ,defense contracts of firms with    
programs to employ military spouses ,not
 later than #ahj days after the date of 
the enactment of this ,act1 the         
,secretary of ,defense shall submit to  
,congress a report that sets forth      
various mechanisms to be used by the    
,department of ,defense to increase the 
participation in ,department contracts  
of businesses that implement and        
maintain programs to employ military    
spouses4 ,for each mechanism set forth1 
the report shall include a              
recommendation for the legislative or   
administrative action necessary to      
implement such mechanism4  #d4          
,improvement of education and career    
opportunities programs for military     
spouses  7a7 ,outreach on availability  
of ,my,c,a,a program  7#a7 ,in general  
,the ,secretary of ,defense shall take  
appropriate actions to ensure that      
military spouses who are eligible for   
participation in the ,my ,career        
,advancement ,account 7,my,c,a,a7       

program of the ,department of ,defense  
are1 to extent practicable1 made aware  
of the program and their eligibility for
 the program4  7#b7 ,digital            
advertisement ,the actions taken by the 
,secretary pursuant to paragraph 7#a7   
shall include a state-of-the-art digital
 advertising campaign on the ,my ,career
 ,advancement ,account program designed 
to target military spouses4  7#c7 ,do,d 
report ,not later than #ahj days after  
the date of the enactment of this ,act1 
the ,secretary shall submit to ,congress
 a report setting forth the following3  
7,a7 ,an assessment of the extent to    
which military spouses who are eligible 
for the ,my ,career ,advancement        
,account program are aware of the       
program and their eligibility for the   
program4  7,b7 ,a description of the    
levels of participation in the ,my      
,career ,advancement ,account program   
among military spouses who are eligible 
to participate in the program4  7#d7    
,comptroller ,general report ,not later 

than #ahj days after the submittal of   
the report required by paragraph 7#c71  
the ,comptroller ,general of the ,united
 ,states shall submit to ,congress a    
report setting forth the following3     
7,a7 ,an assessment of the report under 
paragraph 7#c74  7,b7 ,such             
recommendations as the ,comptroller     
,general considers appropriate regarding
 the following3  7i7 ,mechanisms to     
increase awareness of the ,my ,career   
,advancement ,account program among     
military spouses who are eligible to    
participate in the program4  7ii7       
,mechanisms to increase participation in
 the ,my ,career ,advancement ,account  
program among military spouses who are  
eligible to participate in the program4 
7b7 ,training for installation career   
counselors on ,my,c,a,a program ,the    
,secretaries of the military departments
 shall take appropriate actions to      
ensure that career counselors at        
military installations receive          
appropriate training and current        

information on eligibility for and use  
of benefits under the ,my ,career       
,advancement ,account program1 including
 financial assistance to cover costs    
associated with professional            
recertification1 portability of         
occupational licenses1 professional     
credential exams1 and other mechanisms  
in connection with the portability of   
professional licenses4  7c7 ,report on  
expansion of ,,seco ,program ,the       
,secretary of ,defense shall submit to  
,congress a report setting forth a      
proposal for the expansion of           
specialized coaching modules within the 
,spouse ,education and ,career          
,opportunities 7,,seco7 ,program of the 
,department of ,defense4  #e4 ,military 
family child care matters  7a7          
,assessment of use of subsidized1       
off-,installation childcare services    
,subsection 7a7 of section #ege of the  
,national ,defense ,authorization ,act  
for ,fiscal ,year #bjah 7,public ,law   
#aae-ia7 is amended by adding at the end

 the following new paragraph3  7#e7     
,modifying the rate of use of           
subsidized1 off-installation childcare  
services by military families in light  
of the full implementation of           
,military,child,care4com1 including     
whether the availability of             
off-installation childcare services for 
military families could be increased by 
altering policies of the ,armed ,forces 
on capping the amount of subsidies for  
military families for such services     
based on the cost of living for families
 and the average cost of civilian       
childcare services4  4  7b7 ,provisional
 or interim clearances ,to provide      
childcare services  7#a7 ,in general    
,the ,secretary of ,defense shall       
implement a policy to permit the        
issuance of clearances on a provisional 
or interim basis for the provision of   
childcare services at military childcare
 centers4  7#b7 ,elements ,the policy   
required by this subsection shall       
provide for the following3 7,a7 ,any    

clearance issued under the policy shall 
be temporary and contingent upon the    
satisfaction of such requirements for   
the issuance of a clearance on a        
permanent basis as the ,secretary       
considers appropriate4  7,b7 ,any       
individual issued a clearance on a      
provisional or interim basis under the  
policy shall be subject to such         
supervision in the provision of         
childcare services using such clearance 
as the ,secretary considers appropriate4
  7#c7 ,clearance defined ,in this      
subsection1 the term clearance1 with    
respect to an individual and the        
provision of childcare services1 means  
the formal approval of the individual1  
after appropriate vetting and other     
review1 to provide childcare services to
 children at a military childcare center
 of the ,department of ,defense4  #f4   
,expansion of period of availability of 
,military ,one,source program for       
retired and discharged members of the   
,armed ,forces and their immediate      

families  7a7 ,in general ,under        
regulations prescribed by the ,secretary
 of ,defense1 the period of eligibility 
for the ,military ,one,source program of
 the ,department of ,defense of an      
eligible individual retired1 discharged1
 or otherwise released from the ,armed  
,forces1 and for the eligible immediate 
family members of such an individual1   
shall be the one-year period beginning  
on the date the retirement1 discharge1  
or release1 as applicable1 of such      
individual4  7b7 ,outreach ,the         
,secretary shall undertake a marketing  
and advertising campaign designed to    
inform military families and families of
 veterans of the ,armed ,forces of the  
wide range of benefits available through
 the ,military ,one,source program4 ,the
 campaign shall include well-researched 
and targeted marketing and advertising  
collateral issued at the following3     
7#a7 ,offices at military installations 
that issue identification cards4  7#b7  
,locations at which activities under the

 ,transition ,assistance ,program       
7,,tap7 are being carried out4  #g4     
,transition assistance for military     
spouses  7a7 ,transition assistance     
7#a7 ,in general ,subchapter ,i of      
chapter #hh of title #aj1 ,united       
,states ,code1 is amended by inserting  
after section #aghd;a the following new 
section3  #aghd;b4 ,employment          
assistance1 job training assistance1 and
 other transitional assistance for      
military spouses3 ,department of ,labor 
7a7 ,in general ,in carrying out the    
program of assistance and services      
required by section #aadd of this title1
 the ,secretary of ,labor1 in           
conjunction with the ,secretary of      
,defense1 the ,secretary of ,homeland   
,security1 and the ,secretary of        
,veterans ,affairs1 shall also maintain 
a program of counseling1 assistance1    
help1 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  
life4  7b7 ,elements ,the counseling1   
assistance1 help1 and information and   
services available under the program    
under this section shall be the         
following3  7#a7 ,such counseling1      
assistance1 help1 and information and   
services as are available to members    
under section #aadd of title and are    
suitable to assist spouses during the   
transition of members as described in   
subsection 7a74  7#b7 ,such other       
counseling1 assistance1 help1 and       
information and services to assist      
spouses during such transition as the   
,secretaries consider appropriate for   
purposes of the program4  7c7           
,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 #aadd 
of this title4  7d7 ,use of personnel   
and organizations ,in carrying out the  

program under this section1 the         
,secretaries may use any of the         
authorities1 personnel1 organizations1  
and other resources available for the   
program of assistance and services      
required by section #aadd of this title 
that the ,secretaries consider          
appropriate for the effective operation 
of the program under this section4  4   
7#b7 ,clerical amendment ,the table of  
sections at the beginning of subchapter 
,i of chapter #hh of such title is      
amended by inserting after the item     
relating to section #aghd;a the         
following new item3  #aghd;b4           
,employment assistance1 job training    
assistance1 and other transitional      
assistance for military spouses3        
,department of ,labor4  4  7#c7         
,effective date and commencement of     
program ,the amendments made by this    
subsection shall take effect on the date
 of the enactment of this ,act4 ,the    
,secretary of ,labor shall commence the 
program required by section #aghd;b of  

title #aj1 ,united ,states ,code 7as    
added by such amendments71 by such date1
 not later than one year after the date 
of the enactment of this ,act1 as the   
,secretary considers practicable4  7b7  
,participation of spouses in ,,tap for  
members ,section #aadd of title #aj1    
,united ,states ,code1 is amended-- 7#a7
 in subsection 7a77#a71 by striking and 
the spouses of such members2  7#b7 in   
subsection 7c71 by inserting of members 
after ,participation2  7#c7 by          
redesignating subsections 7d7 and 7e7 as
 subsections 7e7 and 7f71 respectively2 
and  7#d7 by inserting after subsection 
7c7 the following new subsection 7d73   
7d7 ,participation of spouses ,the      
,secretaries shall permit the spouses of
 members participating in the program   
carried out under this section to       
participate in the receipt by such      
members of assistance and services      
provided under the program to the extent
 that the participation of such spouses 
in receipt of such assistance and       

services will assist such members and   
spouses in maximizing the benefits of   
the program carried out under this      
section4  4  #h4 ,public-private        
partnerships on health1 safety1 welfare1
 and morale of military families  7a7   
,plan for initiative required ,the      
,secretary of ,defense shall1 acting    
through the ,office of ,community       
,relations of the ,department of        
,defense1 submit to ,congress a report  
setting forth a proposal for one or more
 initiatives between the military       
departments and appropriate non-,federal
 entities for public-private            
partnerships designed to support and    
enhance the health1 safety1 welfare1 and
 morale of military families4 ,the      
initiatives shall be designed to provide
 the military departments flexibility in
 the commitment of resources to the     
partnerships according to the unique    
requirements of the military departments
 and the ,armed ,forces4  7b7           
,initiative elements ,in identifying    

appropriate elements for the initiatives
 described in subsection 7a71 the       
,secretary shall take into account the  
results of the following3  7#a7 ,two    
current studies by the ,office of the   
,secretary of ,defense on the health1   
safety1 welfare1 and morale of military 
families4  7#b7 ,the public-private     
partnership initiative of the           
,department of ,veterans ,affairs on the
 health1 safety1 welfare1 and morale of 
families of veterans4  #i4 ,small       
business activities of military spouses 
on military installations  7a7          
,assessment of small business activity  
,the ,secretary of ,defense shall submit
 to ,congress a report setting forth an 
assessment of the feasibility and       
advisability of encouraging             
entrepreneurship among military spouses 
by permitting military spouses to engage
 in small business activities on        
military installations and in           
partnership with commissaries1 exchange 
stores1 and other morale1 welfare1 and  

recreation facilities of the ,armed     
,forces4  7b7 ,elements ,the assessment 
shall-- 7#a7 take into account the usage
 by military spouses of installation    
facilities1 utilities1 and other        
resources in the conduct of small       
business activities on military         
installations and such other matters in 
connection with the conduct of such     
business activities by military spouses 
as the ,secretary considers appropriate2
 and  7#b7 seek to identify mechanisms  
to ensure that costs and fees associated
 with the usage by military spouses of  
such facilities1 utilities1 and other   
resources in connection with such       
business activities does not            
meaningfully curtail or eliminate the   
opportunity for military spouses to     
profit reasonably from such business    
activities4  #aj4 ,report on assessment 
of frequency of permanent changes of    
station of members of the ,armed ,forces
 on employment among military spouses   
7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary of      

,defense shall submit to ,congress a    
report setting forth an assessment of   
the effects of the frequency of         
permanent changes of station 7,,pcs7 of 
members of the ,armed ,forces on        
stability of employment among military  
spouses4  7b7 ,elements ,the report     
under subsection 7a7 shall include the  
following3 7#a7 ,an assessment of the   
effects of the frequency of permanent   
changes of station of members of the    
,armed ,forces on stability of          
employment among military spouses1      
including the contribution of frequent  
permanent changes of station to         
unemployment or underemployment among   
military spouses4  7#b7 ,an assessment  
of the effects of unemployment and      
underemployment among military spouses  
on force readiness4  7#c7 ,such         
recommendations as the ,secretary       
considers appropriate regarding         
legislative or administration action to 
achieve force readiness and             
stabilization through the minimization  

of the impacts of frequent permanent    
changes on stability of employment among
 military spouses4