Military Spouse Employment and Child Care Readiness Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9848 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9848

    To direct the Secretary of Defense to report to Congress on the 
 workforce, readiness, and policy challenges associated with military 
   child care and military child development centers, and for other 
                               purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 22, 2026

 Ms. Escobar introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
    To direct the Secretary of Defense to report to Congress on the 
 workforce, readiness, and policy challenges associated with military 
   child care and military child development centers, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Military Spouse Employment and Child 
Care Readiness Act''.

SEC. 2. REPORT ON STRENGTHENING THE MILITARY CHILD CARE WORKFORCE.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 120 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the 
congressional defense committees a report assessing workforce, 
readiness, and policy challenges associated with military child care 
and military child development centers.
    (b) Contents.--The report under subsection (a) shall include the 
following:
            (1) An analysis of the current workforce of military child 
        development centers, including--
                    (A) the percentage of employees who are military 
                spouses; and
                    (B) the percentage of employees who are spouses of 
                retired or separated members of the Armed Forces.
            (2) A feasibility assessment of increasing the 
        transferability of licenses or certifications for military 
        spouses employed at military child development centers when 
        accompanying a service member on a permanent change of station.
            (3) An assessment of vacancy rates across military child 
        development centers and the reasons for such vacancies.
            (4) An assessment of the number of additional children who 
        could be served by military child development centers if such 
        centers were fully staffed.
            (5) A feasibility assessment of permitting military spouses 
        residing in on-post housing to provide childcare within their 
        homes under a supervisory program coordinated by a military 
        child development center.
            (6) Recommendations for incentives to attract and retain 
        military spouses in the military child care workforce, 
        including--
                    (A) professional development opportunities;
                    (B) stipend or subsidy programs; and
                    (C) flexible scheduling options.
    (c) Congressional Defense Committees Defined.--In this section, the 
term ``congressional defense committees'' has the meaning given that 
term in section 101(a)(16) of title 10, United States Code.
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