S.Amdt. 2446

SA 2446. Mr. KAINE (for himself, Mr. Perdue, and Mrs. Murray)
submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 2282
submitted by Mr. Inhofe (for himself and Mr. McCain) and intended to be
proposed to the bill H.R. 5515, to authorize appropriations for fiscal
year 2019 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for
military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of
Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year,
and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as
follows:

At the end of part II of subtitle F of title V, add the
following:

SEC. 577. TRANSITION ASSISTANCE FOR MILITARY SPOUSES.

(a) Transition Assistance.--
(1) In general.--Subchapter I of chapter 88 of title 10,
United States Code, is amended by inserting after section
1784a the following new section:

``Sec. 1784b. Employment assistance, job training assistance,
and other transitional assistance for military spouses:
Department of Labor

``(a) In General.--In carrying out the program of
assistance and services required by section 1144 of this
title, the Secretary of Labor, in conjunction with the
Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, shall also maintain a
program of counseling, assistance, help, and related
information and services for spouses of members of the armed
forces covered by that section in order to assist such
spouses during the transition of such members to civilian
life.
``(b) Elements.--The counseling, assistance, help, and
information and services available under the program under
this section shall be the following:
``(1) Such counseling, assistance, help, and information
and services as are available to members under section 1144
of title and are suitable to assist spouses during the
transition of members as described in subsection (a).
``(2) Such other counseling, assistance, help, and
information and services to assist spouses during such
transition as the Secretaries consider appropriate for
purposes of the program.
``(c) Participation.--A spouse is eligible to participate
in the program under this section during any period in which
the spouse's member is eligible to participate in the program
of assistance and services required by section 1144 of this
title.
``(d) Use of Personnel and Organizations.--In carrying out
the program under this section, the Secretaries may use any
of the authorities, personnel, organizations, and other
resources available for the program of assistance and
services required by section 1144 of this title that the
Secretaries consider appropriate for the effective operation
of the program under this section.''.
(2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the
beginning of subchapter I of chapter 88 of such title is
amended by inserting after the item relating to section 1784a
the following new item:

``1784b. Employment assistance, job training assistance, and other
transitional assistance for military spouses: Department
of Labor.''.

(b) Effective Date and Commencement of Program.--The
amendments made by subsection (a) shall take effect on the
date of the enactment of this Act. The Secretary of Labor
shall commence the program required by section 1784b of title
10, United States Code (as added by such amendments), by such
date, not later than one year after the date of the enactment
of this Act, as the Secretary considers practicable.
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