,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bhbe  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,november #g1  
#bjai,ms4 ,duckworth introduced the     
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on          
,veterans' ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
amend title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 
to require the ,secretary of ,veterans  
,affairs to provide child care          
assistance to veterans receiving certain
 training or vocational rehabilitation1 
and for other purposes4  #a4 ,short     
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,veteran ,employment and ,child ,care   
,access ,act of #bjai4  #b4 ,child care 
assistance for veterans receiving       
certain training or vocational          
rehabilitation  7a7 ,in general ,chapter
 #ca of title #ch1 ,united ,states      
,code1 is amended by adding at the end  
the following new section3  #cabc4      
,child care assistance for veterans     
receiving training or vocational        
rehabilitation  7a7 ,in general  7#a7   

,except as provided in paragraph 7#b71  
the ,secretary shall provide child care 
assistance to an eligible veteran for   
any period that the veteran--  7,a7     
receives any training or vocational     
rehabilitation under this chapter1      
chapter #da1 or section #agah1 #bjba1 or
 #bjba;,a of this title2 and  7,b7 is   
required to travel to and return from a 
facility for the receipt of such        
training or vocational rehabilitation4  
7#b7 7,a7 ,except as provided in        
subparagraph 7,b71 the ,secretary may   
only provide child care assistance under
 paragraph 7#a7--  7i7 once for a child2
 and  7ii7 for a period shorter than six
 months4  7,b7 ,the ,secretary may waive
 the limitations of subparagraph 7,a7 as
 the ,secretary considers appropriate4  
7b7 ,eligible veterans ,for purposes of 
this section1 an eligible veteran is any
 veteran--  7#a7 who-- 7,a7 is the      
primary caretaker of a child or         
children2 and  7,b7 is-- 7i7 receiving  
training or vocational rehabilitation   

described in subsection 7a77#a7 on a    
full-time basis2 or  7ii7 in need of    
such training or vocational             
rehabilitation on a full-time basis1 and
 but for lack of child care services1   
would receive such training or          
vocational rehabilitation on a full-time
 basis2 and  7#b7 whose family's        
adjusted gross income does not exceed   
#he percent of the median adjusted gross
 income of the ,state in which the      
veteran resides4  7c7 ,child care       
assistance  7#a7 ,child care assistance 
provided under this section may include 
any of the following3 7,a7 ,a stipend   
for the payment of child care offered by
 a licensed child care center 7either   
directly or through a voucher program74 
7,b7 ,direct provision of child care at 
an on-site facility of the ,department  
or the ,department of ,labor4  7,c7 ,a  
collaboration with a facility or program
 of another ,federal department or      
agency4  7,d7 ,such other form of       
assistance as the ,secretary considers  

appropriate4  7#b7 ,in the case that    
child care assistance under this section
 is provided as a stipend under         
paragraph 7#a77;,a71 such stipend--     
7,a7 shall cover the full cost of such  
child care and associated fees1         
including application fees and full day1
 full week1 and full month requirements 
of the child care provider2 and  7,b7   
such stipend shall be paid to the       
eligible veteran4  7d7 ,coordination    
,whenever practicable1 the ,secretary   
shall coordinate with the heads of other
 ,federal agencies and with ,states and 
local entities in carrying out this     
section to ensure accessibility and     
continuity of care4  7e7 ,rule of       
construction ,nothing in this section   
shall be construed to require any       
provider of child care to change the    
provider's standard eligibility         
requirements or practices4  7f7         
,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7     
,notwithstanding section #aja of this   
title1 the term child means--  7,a7 a   

person-- 7i7 who is under the age of #ac
 years2 or  7ii7 7,i7 who is under the  
age of #ah years2  7,,ii7 who is #ac    
years of age or older2 and  7,,iii7 who 
is physically or mentally incapable of  
caring for themselves2 or  7,b7 such    
other person as the ,secretary considers
 appropriate4  7#b7 ,the term licensed  
child care center means a center-based  
child care provider1 a family child care
 provider1 or another provider of child 
care services for compensation on a     
regular basis1 that is licensed1        
regulated1 or registered under ,federal 
or ,state law4  7#c7 ,the term primary  
caretaker1 with respect to a child1     
means-- 7,a7 the parent of the child2 or
  7,b7 such other individual as the     
,secretary considers appropriate4  4    
7b7 ,clerical amendment ,the table of   
sections at the beginning of such       
chapter is amended by inserting after   
the item relating to section #cabb the  
following new item3  #cabc4 ,child care 
assistance for veterans receiving       

training or vocational rehabilitation4  
4