Hearing Information
Amendment Deadline
Monday, February 4, 2019 - 1:00pm H-312, the Capitol View Announcement »
Meeting Information
Wednesday, February 6, 2019 - 3:00pm H-313, the Capitol View Announcement »
H.R. 840 - Veterans’ Access to Child Care Act
Video
Bill Text
Hearing Documents
Rule Information
COMMITTEE ACTION:
REPORTED BY VOICE VOTE on Wednesday, February 6, 2019.
FLOOR ACTION ON H. RES. 105:
Agreed to by record vote of 225-193, after agreeing to the previous question by record vote of 227-189, on Wednesday, February 7, 2019.
MANAGERS: Morelle/Woodall
1. Structured rule for H.R. 840.
2. Provides one hour of general debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
3. Waives all points of order against consideration of the bill.
4. Makes in order as original text for the purpose of amendment the amendment in the nature of a substitute consisting of the text of Rules Committee Print 116-3 and provides that it shall be considered as read.
5. Waives all points of order against that amendment in the nature of a substitute.
6. Makes in order only those further amendments printed in the Rules Committee report. Each such amendment may be offered only in the order printed in the report, may be offered only by a Member designated in the report, shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for the time specified in the report equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent, shall not be subject to amendment, and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question.
7. Waives all points of order against the amendments printed in the report.
8. Provides one motion to recommit with or without instructions.
9. Provides that House Resolution 86 is hereby adopted.
10. Provides that it shall be in order at any time through the legislative day of February 15, 2019, for the Speaker to entertain motions that the House suspend the rules and that the Speaker or her designee shall consult with the Minority Leader or his designee on the designation of any matter for consideration pursuant to this section.
Amendments (click headers to sort)
| # | Version # | Sponsor(s) | Party | Summary | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Version 1 | Moore (WI) | Democrat | Withdrawn Add services related to military sexual assault to the list of eligible VA services for which child care assistance under the bill can be provided. | Withdrawn |
| 2 | Version 1 | Moore (WI) | Democrat | Require annual reports on participation in this program and biannual reports on any other child care related barriers that remain for veterans seeking care at VA medical facilities. | Made In Order |
| 3 | Version 2 | Sablan (MP) | Democrat | Revised Clarifies that veterans who receive telemental health services furnished by the Department as opposed to in-person mental health services would be eligible for child care assistance authorized under the bill. | Made In Order |
| 4 | Version 2 | Sherrill (NJ) | Democrat | Revised States that child care providers may not provide child care under the bill if they employ 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 deems appropriate. It also states that nothing in the amendment would lower more restrictive existing federal, state, or local standards of hiring and screening at child care centers within this Act. | Made In Order |
| 5 | Version 1 | Sherrill (NJ) | Democrat | Withdrawn Provides for public notice of the availability and eligibility requirements of the expanded and cost-free child care assistance provided. | Withdrawn |
| 6 | Version 1 | Sherrill (NJ), Kuster (NH), Moore (WI) | Democrat | Amends the bill to specifically include Military Sexual Trauma counseling and care services under section 1720D of title 38 in the definition of 'covered health care services.' | Made In Order |
| 7 | Version 1 | Norcross (NJ), Kuster (NH) | Democrat | Adds services related to substance use disorder and diseases of addiction, such as opioid use disorder, as a covered service. | Submitted |
| 8 | Version 1 | Case (HI), Barr (KY) | Bi-Partisan | Extends child care assistance to every vet who gets assistance from an authorized provider – whether that is in the private sector or through the VA system. The goal is to ensure all veterans are treated equally regardless of where they get their health care. | Submitted |
| 9 | Version 1 | Delgado (NY), Lawrence (MI) | Democrat | Adds extended day programs to the child care services that can receive stipends. Extended day programs are before and after school programs held at educational institutions for students whose parents have obligations prior to school hours and/or obligations that extend beyond school hours. | Made In Order |
| 10 | Version 1 | Delgado (NY), Stefanik (NY), Harder (CA) | Bi-Partisan | Include under definitions in the Health Care Services, Emergency Mental Health Care Services, which provide immediate assistance to individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. The goals are to prevent the crisis from worsening, relieve immediate distress, and prevent individuals from harming themselves and/or others. | Made In Order |
| 11 | Version 1 | Pappas (NH), Kuster (NH), Gabbard (HI) | Democrat | Extend eligibility for child care assistance to veterans who receive care at a non-VA facility in those states where no full-service Department hospital is located. | Submitted |
| 12 | Version 2 | Davis, Rodney (IL), Panetta (CA) | Bi-Partisan | Revised Prevents interpretation by the VA that only one of the two parents could be considered the primary caretaker. | Made In Order |
| 13 | Version 1 | Brindisi (NY), Kuster (NH) | Democrat | Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit a report on how the VA can improve access to licensed child care centers, including on-site child care facilities of the Department, for veterans residing in rural areas. | Submitted |
| 14 | Version 2 | Brindisi (NY), Kuster (NH) | Democrat | Revised Clarifies that veterans who receive covered health care services at VA community-based outpatient clinics are eligible for child care assistance. | Made In Order |
| 15 | Version 2 | Rose, Max (NY), Norcross (NJ) | Democrat | Revised Include substance or drug abuse counseling in the definition of “covered health care services." | Made In Order |
| 16 | Version 1 | Cloud (TX) | Republican | Directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to conduct an annual report to Congress on its processing system for child care payments to veterans and private care providers. Moreover, the VA must identify the number of unprocessed child care claims that have been left unresolved in its report. | Made In Order |
| 17 | Version 1 | Barr (KY) | Republican | Require a study of the effects of child care assistance provided under section 2 of the underlying bill and on compliance with treatment protocols. | Made In Order |
| 18 | Version 1 | Roe (TN) | Republican | Allow for flexibility for the Asset and Infrastructure Review (AIR) Commission by removing the requirement for the Commission to meet only in calendar years 2022 and 2023. | Submitted |
| 19 | Version 1 | Arrington (TX) | Republican | Prohibit any employee hired by the Secretary to provide childcare under this bill from using taxpayer-funded union time. | Submitted |
| 20 | Version 2 | Bilirakis (FL) | Republican | Revised Offset the bill by extending the current funding fee rates for the use of certain VA Home Loans through December 31, 2028. | Revised |
| 21 | Version 3 | Cisneros (CA), Welch (VT) | Democrat | Revised Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a feasibility study to determine how the Department of Veterans Affairs could provide child care assistance for veterans who receive covered health care services from non-Department facilities. | Made In Order |
| 22 | Version 1 | Cisneros (CA) | Democrat | Include intensive health care services related to physical therapy for a service-connected disability in the definition of “covered health care services.” | Made In Order |
| 23 | Version 2 | Allred (TX), Sherrill (NJ), Torres, Norma (CA) | Democrat | Revised Require the Secretary to provide public notification on VA.gov to ensure veterans are aware of the expanded, cost-free child care services within this Act, and to perform outreach to inform eligible veterans. | Made In Order |
| 24 | Version 2 | Kuster (NH) | Democrat | Revised Require the Secretary to establish criteria for furnishing child care assistance to eligible veterans that accounts for unusual or excessive access burdens, such as excessive driving distance, geographic challenges, and other environmental factors. It would also correct a technical error to the Rules Committee print. | Made In Order |
| 25 | Version 2 | Golden (ME), Kuster (NH) | Democrat | Revised Expands the scope of services under which a veteran would qualify for free child care to include health care services provided as part of readjustment counseling. | Made In Order |
| 26 | Version 1 | Golden (ME), Brindisi (NY) | Democrat | Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit a report to Congress regarding the accessibility and effectiveness of the program for eligible individuals who reside in rural and highly rural areas. | Made In Order |
| 27 | Version 2 | Radewagen (AS) | Republican | Revised Clarifies that the child care benefit be made available for veterans while they are traveling to or attending VA appointments and not at any other time. | Made In Order |
| 28 | Version 2 | Bergman (MI) | Republican | Revised Prohibits VA from constructing new structures to be used as childcare centers. | Made In Order |
| 29 | Version 1 | Torres, Norma (CA) | Democrat | Late Withdrawn Requires Secretary perform outreach to inform eligible veterans of the provisions of this legislation upon receiving eligible care. | Withdrawn |
| 30 | Version 1 | Lee, Susie (NV), Lesko (AZ) | Bi-Partisan | Late Specifies that all Vet Centers, not just Vet Centers located within a physical area in which VA has jurisdiction, would also be a place where veterans could be eligible for no-cost child care. | Made In Order |
| 31 | Version 1 | Slotkin (MI) | Democrat | Late Provide authority for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to consult with the Secretary of Defense in implementing the bill. | Made In Order |
| 32 | Version 1 | Rice, Kathleen (NY) | Democrat | Late Clarifies that veterans with other-than-honorable discharges are eligible for child care assistance under the bill. | Submitted |
Committee Votes
Rules Committee Record Vote No. 12
Motion by Mr. Cole to make in order and provide the necessary waivers for amendment #20 offered by Representative Bilirakis (FL), which would offset the bill by extending the current funding fee rates for the use of certain VA Home Loans through December 31, 2028. Defeated: 4-8.
Majority Member
Vote
Mr. Hastings
No Vote
Mrs. Torres
Nay
Ms. Matsui
Nay
Mr. Perlmutter
Nay
Mr. Raskin
Nay
Ms. Scanlon
Nay
Mr. Morelle
Nay
Ms. Shalala
Nay
Mr. McGovern, Chairman
Nay
Minority Member
Vote
Mr. Cole
Yea
Mr. Woodall
Yea
Mr. Burgess
Yea
Mrs. Lesko
Yea