H.R. 840 - 116th Congress (2019-2020) - Veterans' Access to Child Care Act

This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide child care assistance to an eligible veteran for any period that the veteran (1) receives covered health care services at a VA facility, and (2) is required to travel to and return from such facility for the receipt of such services.

The bill defines covered health care services to mean regular mental health care services, intensive mental health care services, or such other intensive health care services that the VA determines would be more accessible to veterans if child care assistance is provided.

The term eligible veteran is defined as a veteran who is the primary caretaker of a child and who is (1) receiving covered health care services from the VA, or (2) needs and would receive such services from the VA but for the lack of child care.

The bill provides for various types of child care assistance, as the VA considers appropriate.

Text (3)

Referred in Senate

February 11, 2019

Engrossed in House

February 8, 2019

Introduced in House

January 29, 2019

Amendments (21)

Feb 08, 2019

Agreed to in House

Sponsorship

House Amendment 40

An amendment numbered 21 printed in House Report 116-6 to provide authority for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to consult with the Secretary of Defense in implementing the bill.

Agreed To

Feb 08, 2019

Agreed to in House

Sponsorship

House Amendment 39

An amendment numbered 20 printed in House Report 116-6 to amend 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.

Agreed To

Feb 08, 2019

Agreed to in House

Sponsorship

House Amendment 38

Amendment states that child care providers may not provide child care 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.

Agreed To

Feb 08, 2019

Agreed to in House

Sponsorship

House Amendment 37

An amendment numbered 18 printed in House Report 116-6 to direct 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.

Agreed To

Feb 08, 2019

Agreed to in House

Sponsorship

House Amendment 36

An amendment numbered 17 printed in House Report 116-6 to expand 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.

Agreed To

Feb 08, 2019

Agreed to in House

Sponsorship

House Amendment 35

An amendment numbered 16 printed in House Report 116-6 to include under definitions in the Health Care Services, Emergency Mental Health Care Services, which provide immediate assistance to individuals experiencing a mental health crisis.

Agreed To

Feb 08, 2019

Agreed to in House

Sponsorship

House Amendment 34

An amendment numbered 15 printed in House Report 116-6 to add extended day programs to the child care services that can receive stipends.

Agreed To

Feb 08, 2019

Agreed to in House

Sponsorship

House Amendment 33

An amendment numbered 14 printed in House Report 116-6 to 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.

Agreed To

Feb 08, 2019

Agreed to in House

Sponsorship

House Amendment 32

An amendment numbered 13 printed in House Report 116-6 to 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.

Agreed To

Feb 08, 2019

Agreed to in House

Sponsorship

House Amendment 31

An amendment numbered 12 printed in House Report 116-6 to 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.

Agreed To

Feb 07, 2019

Agreed to in House

Sponsorship

House Amendment 30

An amendment numbered 11 printed in House Report 116-6 to direct 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.

Agreed To

Feb 07, 2019

Agreed to in House

Sponsorship

House Amendment 29

An amendment numbered 10 printed in House Report 116-6 to clarify 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.

Agreed To

Feb 07, 2019

Agreed to in House

Sponsorship

House Amendment 28

An amendment numbered 9 printed in House Report 116-6 to prevent interpretation by the VA that only one of the two parents could be considered the primary caretaker.

Agreed To

Feb 07, 2019

Agreed to in House

Sponsorship

House Amendment 27

An amendment numbered 8 printed in House Report 116-6 to include intensive health care services related to physical therapy for a service-connected disability in the definition of "covered health care services.".

Agreed To

Feb 07, 2019

Agreed to in House

Sponsorship

House Amendment 26

An amendment numbered 7 printed in House Report 116-6 to require 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.

Agreed To

Feb 07, 2019

Agreed to in House

Sponsorship

House Amendment 25

An amendment numbered 6 printed in House Report 116-6 to require a study of the effects of child care assistance provided under section 2 of the underlying bill and on compliance with treatment protocols.

Agreed To

Feb 07, 2019

Agreed to in House

Sponsorship

House Amendment 24

An amendment numbered 5 printed in House Report 116-6 to specify 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.

Agreed To

Feb 08, 2019

Not Agreed to in House

Sponsorship

House Amendment 23

Amendment sought to prohibit the VA from constructing new structures to be used as childcare centers.

Active

Feb 07, 2019

Agreed to in House

Sponsorship

House Amendment 22

An amendment numbered 3 printed in House Report 116-6 to include substance or drug abuse counseling in the definition of "covered health care services.".

Agreed To

Feb 07, 2019

Agreed to in House

Sponsorship

House Amendment 21

An amendment numbered 2 printed in House Report 116-6 to clarify 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.

Agreed To

Feb 07, 2019

Agreed to in House

Sponsorship

House Amendment 20

An amendment numbered 1 printed in House Report 116-6 to clarify that veterans who receive covered health care services at VA community-based outpatient clinics are eligible for child care assistance.

Agreed To

Actions (50)

Show Only Major Actions

02/11/2019

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

02/08/2019

The Clerk was authorized to correct section numbers, punctuation, and cross references, and to make other necessary technical and conforming corrections in the engrossment of H.R. 840.

02/08/2019

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

02/08/2019

On passage Passed by recorded vote: 400 - 9 (Roll no. 75).

02/08/2019

Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by recorded vote: 400 - 9 (Roll no. 75).

02/08/2019

On motion to recommit with instructions Failed by recorded vote: 200 - 214 (Roll no. 74).

02/08/2019

The previous question on the motion to recommit with instructions was ordered without objection.

02/08/2019

DEBATE - The House proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Barr motion to recommit with instructions. The instructions contained in the motion seek to require the bill to be reported back to the House with an amendment to add a subsection to section 2 pertaining to additional requirements for child care providers.

02/08/2019

Mr. Barr moved to recommit with instructions to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. (text: CR H1479)

02/08/2019

The House adopted the amendment in the nature of a substitute as agreed to by the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union.

02/08/2019

The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.

02/08/2019

The House rose from the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union to report H.R. 840.

02/08/2019

MOMENT OF SILENCE - Mr. Hoyer addressed the Committee and led a moment of silence in memory of the life and legacy of the Honorable John Dingell.

02/08/2019

DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 105, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Slotkin amendment No. 21.

02/08/2019

DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 105, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Sherrill amendment No. 20.

02/08/2019

POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the Sherrill amendment, the Chair put the question on agreeing to the amendment and by voice vote, announced that the ayes had prevailed. Ms. Sherrill demanded a recorded vote and the Chair postponed further proceedings on agreeing to the amendment until a time to be announced.

02/08/2019

DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 105, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Sherrill amendment No. 19.

02/08/2019

DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 105, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Golden amendment No. 18.

02/08/2019

DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 105, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Golden amendment No. 17.

02/08/2019

DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 105, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Delgado amendment No. 16.

02/08/2019

DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 105, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Delgado amendment No. 15.

02/08/2019

DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 105, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Kuster amendment No. 14.

02/08/2019

DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 105, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Moore amendment No. 13.

02/08/2019

DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 105, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Sherrill amendment No. 12.

02/08/2019

The House resolved into Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union for further consideration.

02/08/2019

Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H1469-1482)

02/07/2019

Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union rises leaving H.R. 840 as unfinished business.

02/07/2019

On motion that the committee rise Agreed to by voice vote.

02/07/2019

Mr. Takano moved that the committee rise.

02/07/2019

DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 105, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Cloud amendment No. 11.

02/07/2019

DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 105, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Sablan amendment No. 10.

02/07/2019

DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 105, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Rodney Davis amendment No. 9.

02/07/2019

DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 105, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Cisneros amendment No. 8.

02/07/2019

DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 105, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Cisneros amendment No. 7.

02/07/2019

DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 105, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Barr amendment No. 6.

02/07/2019

DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 105, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Lee (NV) amendment No. 5.

02/07/2019

POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the Bergman amendment, the Chair put the question on agreeing to the amendment and by voice vote, announced that the ayes had prevailed. Mr. Bergman demanded a recorded vote and the Chair postponed further proceedings on agreeing to the amendment until a time to be announced.

02/07/2019

DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 105, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Bergman amendment No. 4.

02/07/2019

DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 105, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Rose of NY amendment No. 3.

02/07/2019

DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 105, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Radewagen amendment No. 2.

02/07/2019

DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 105, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Brindisi amendment No. 1.

02/07/2019

GENERAL DEBATE - The Committee of the Whole proceeded with one hour of general debate on H.R. 840.

02/07/2019

The Speaker designated the Honorable Stacey E. Plaskett to act as Chairwoman of the Committee.

02/07/2019

House resolved itself into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union pursuant to H. Res. 105 and Rule XVIII.

02/07/2019

Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 840 and H. Res. 86. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 840 under a structured rule. Rule provides that H. Res. 86 is adopted. Rule also provides for consideration of motions to suspend the rules through the legislative day of February 15, 2019.

02/07/2019

Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 105. (consideration: CR H1418-1431; text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR H1422)

02/06/2019

Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 105 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 840. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 840 under a structured rule. Rule provides that H. Res. 86 is adopted. Rule also provides for consideration of motions to suspend the rules through the legislative day of February 15, 2019.

02/01/2019

Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

01/29/2019

Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

01/29/2019

Introduced in House

Public Record

Record Updated

Nov 1, 2022 4:03:00 PM