To facilitate the availability of child care for the children of members of the Armed Forces on active duty in connection with Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom.

1. Adds SEC. 653. CHILD CARE FOR CHILDREN OF MEMBERS OF ARMED FORCES ON ACTIVE DUTY FOR OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM OR OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM at the end of subtitle E of title VI

   Adds a section

   In S. 2400 · Placed on Calendar Senate

   "(ii) a certificate of citizenship has been issued for such child under section 322 of that Act (8 U.S.C. 1433).".

   Inserted: SEC. 653. CHILD CARE FOR CHILDREN OF MEMBERS OF ARMED FORCES ON ACTIVE DUTY FOR OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM OR OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM.

   Inserted: (a) Child Care for Children Without Access to Military Child Care.--(1) In any case where the children of a covered member of the Armed Forces are geographically dispersed and do not have practical access to a military child development center, the Secretary of Defense may, to the extent funds are available for such purpose, provide such funds as are necessary permit the member's family to secure access for such children to State licensed child care and development programs and activities in the private sector that are similar in scope and quality to the child care and development programs and activities the Secretary would otherwise provide access to under subchapter II of chapter 88 of title 10, United States Code, and other applicable provisions of law.

   Inserted: (2) Funds may be provided under paragraph (1) in accordance with the provisions of section 1798 of title 10, United States Code, or by such other mechanism as the Secretary considers appropriate.

   Inserted: (3) The Secretary shall prescribe in regulations priorities for the allocation of funds for the provision of access to child care under paragraph (1) in circumstances where funds are inadequate to provide all children described in that paragraph with access to child care as described in that paragraph.

   Inserted: (b) Preservation of Services and Programs.--The Secretary shall provide for the attendance and participation of children in military child development centers and child care and development programs and activities under subsection (a) in a manner that preserves the scope and quality of child care and development programs and activities otherwise provided by the Secretary.

   Inserted: (c) Funding.--Amounts otherwise available to the Department of Defense and the military departments under this Act may be available for purposes of providing access to child care under subsection (a).

   Inserted: (d) Definitions.--In this section:

   Inserted: (1) The term "covered members of the Armed Forces" means members of the Armed Forces on active duty, including members of the Reserves who are called or ordered to active duty under a provision of law referred to in section 101(a)(13)(B) of title 10, United States Code, for Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom.

   Inserted: (2) The term "military child development center" has the meaning given such term in section 1800(1) of title 10, United States Code.

   Original wording

   At the end of subtitle E of title VI, add the following:

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As printed