H.R. 840 — what changed

“1730D. Child care assistance for veterans receiving mental health care and other intensive health care services

changed “(a) In general—The general—Subject to subsection (c), the Secretary shall provide child care assistance to an eligible veteran for any period that the veteran—

changed “(1) receives covered health care services at a facility of the Department; Department, such as a community-based outpatient clinic; and

changed “(2) is required to travel to and return from such facility for the receipt of such health care services.

“(b) Child Care Assistance

changed “(1) Child Subject to subsection (c), child care assistance provided under this section may include any of the following:

changed “(A) A stipend for the payment of child care offered by a licensed child care center or extended day program (either directly or through a voucher program) which shall be, to the extent practicable, modeled after the Department of Veterans Affairs Child Care Subsidy Program established pursuant to section 590 of title 40.

“(B) Direct provision of child care at an on-site facility of the Department.

“(C) A payment made directly to a private child care agency.

“(D) A collaboration with a facility or program of another Federal department or agency.

“(E) Such other form of assistance as the Secretary considers appropriate.

“(2) In the case that child care assistance under this section is provided as a stipend under paragraph (1)(A), such stipend shall cover the full cost of such child care.

changed “(c) Definitions—In this section:“(3) The Secretary shall establish criteria for providing child care assistance under paragraph (1) designed to ensure reasonable access to such assistance for veterans who experience any unusual or excessive burden to accessing child care services, including excessive driving distances, geographic challenges, and other environmental factors that impede such access.

added “(c) Condition on receipt of assistance

added “(1) The Secretary may not provide any child care assistance under this section to an eligible veteran who is receiving covered health care services from the Department unless that eligible veteran actively participates in such services.

added “(2) For purposes of this subsection, the term “actively participates” means, with respect to covered health care services—

added “(A) engaging in transit to and from appointments for such services;

added “(B) attending appointments for such services; and

added “(C) such other activities as the Secretary determines appropriate.

added “(d) Annual report

added “(1) In general—The Secretary shall submit to Congress an annual report on the provision of child care assistance under this section. Each such report shall include, for the year covered by the report, each of the following for each of the categories of child care assistance specified in paragraph (2):

added “(A) The average amount of time required by the Department to provide a payment for child care assistance.

added “(B) The average cost of child care assistance.

added “(C) The extent to which the Department has a backlog of unprocessed claims for child care assistance.

added “(D) The number of Department employees who worked on the processing of claims for child care assistance.

added “(E) The average amount of time required by such an employee to process such a claim.

added “(F) The number of improper or duplicative payments of child care assistance made.

added “(G) The recommendations of the Secretary for improving the processing of claims for child care assistance.

added “(2) Categories of child care assistance—The categories of child care assistance specified in this paragraph are each of the following:

added “(A) Direct stipends.

added “(B) Payments made directly to a child care agencies.

added “(C) Stipends provided through a voucher program.

added “(e) Outreach—The Secretary shall perform outreach to inform eligible veterans of the child care assistance available under this section.

added “(f) Requirements; rule of construction

added “(1) In accordance with paragraph (2), a child care center, child care agency, or any other child care provider described in subsection (b) may not provide child care under this section if the center, agency, or provider employs an individual who has been convicted of a sex crime, an offense involving a child victim, a violent crime, a drug felony, or other offense the Secretary determines appropriate.

added “(2) Nothing in paragraph (1) shall supersede, nullify, or diminish any Federal or State law (including any local law or ordinance), contract, agreement, policy, plan, practice, or other matter that establishes standards and requirements for employees of child care centers, child care agencies, or other child care providers described in subsection (b) that are more restrictive than the requirements specified in paragraph (1).

added “(g) Definitions—In this section:

“(1) The term eligible veteran means a veteran who—

added “(A) is a primary caretaker of a child or children; and

removed “(A) is the primary caretaker of a child or children; and

“(B) is—

“(i) receiving covered health care services from the Department; or

“(ii) in need of covered health care services, and but for lack of child care services, would receive such covered health care services from the Department.

“(2) The term covered health care services means—

added “(A) regular mental health care services, including telemental health services furnished by the Department, including health care services provided as part of readjustment counseling;

added “(B) intensive mental health care services, including telemental health services furnished by the Department, including counseling and care and services under section 1720D of this title;

added “(C) health care services related to substance or drug abuse counseling;

added “(D) intensive health care services related to physical therapy for a service-connected disability;

added “(E) emergency mental health care services; or

added “(F) such other intensive health care services that the Secretary determines that provision of assistance to the veteran to obtain child care would improve access to such health care services by the veteran.

added “(3) The term “facility of the Department” includes any Vet Center.

added “(4) The term “Vet Center” has the meaning given that term in section 1712A of this title.”

removed “(A) regular mental health care services;

removed “(B) intensive mental health care services; or

removed “(C) such other intensive health care services that the Secretary determines that provision of assistance to the veteran to obtain child care would improve access to such health care services by the veteran.”