Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Children’s Literacy Initiative on Military Bases Act of 2022” or the “CLIMB Act of 2022”.
Children’s Literacy Initiative on Military Bases Act of 2022
A BILL
To amend title 10, United States Code, to authorize a program of the Department of Defense to promote early literacy among certain young children as part of pediatric primary care, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Authority for Department of Defense program to promote early literacy among certain young children as part of pediatric primary care
Program— Chapter 55 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 1109 the following new section (and conforming the table of sections at the beginning of such chapter accordingly):
“1109A. Authority for program to promote early literacy among certain young children as part of pediatric primary care
“(a) Authority—The Secretary of Defense may carry out a program to promote early literacy among young children the caregivers of whom are members of the armed forces as part of the pediatric primary care of such children.
“(b) Activities—Activities under the program under subsection (a) shall be evidence-informed and include the following:
“(1) The provision to pediatric primary care providers and other appropriate personnel of the Department of training on early literacy promotion.
“(2) The purchase and distribution of age-appropriate books to covered caregivers.
“(3) The modification of waiting rooms in military medical treatment facilities, including in specific clinics within such facilities, to ensure such waiting rooms include materials that reinforce language-rich interactions between young children and their covered caregivers, including a full selection of literature for young children.
“(4) The dissemination to covered caregivers of education materials on pediatric early literacy.
“(5) Such other activities as the Secretary determines appropriate.
“(c) Locations—In carrying out the program under subsection (a), the Secretary may conduct the activities under subsection (b) at any military medical treatment facility.
“(d) Definitions—In this section:
“(1) The term “covered caregiver” means a member of the armed forces who is a caregiver of a young child.
“(2) The term “young child” means any child from birth to the age of five years old, inclusive.”
Report— Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the House of Representatives and the Senate a report on the extent to which the authority under section 1109A(a) of title 10, United States Code, (as added by subsection (a)) is used, including a description of any activities carried out under the program so authorized.
Rule of construction— Nothing in this section, or the amendments made by this section, shall be construed as requiring that a child have more than one caregiver as a condition of receiving services under, or otherwise participating in, the program authorized under such section 1109A.