A bill to amend the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 to provide for grants to parents and guardians of certain military dependents, in order to assist the parent and guardians in paying for the cost of child care services provided to the dependents, and for other purposes.

Summary: National Guard and Reserves Child Care Relief Act - Amends the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make child care assistance grants to parents or guardians of dependents of members of the Armed Forces, or reserve components of the Armed Forces, to cover periods when such members are on active duty in, or in support of, specified military operations.Requires an eligible parent or guardian to: (1) have primary responsibility for the care of one or more such dependents; and (2) reside permanently at a location at least 50 miles from the nearest military installation of the Department of Defense (DOD) with available child care facilities and programs, and from the nearest available child development center or family child care home receiving DOD funds.Covers the following military operations: (1) Operation Enduring Freedom; (2) Operation Iraqi Freedom; (3) Operation Noble Eagle; or (4) any successor operation of the U.S. Armed Forces to those three operations.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``National Guard and Reserves Child 
Care Relief Act''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    Section 658B of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 
1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``There is'' and inserting ``(a) In 
        General.--There is'';
            (2) in subsection (a), as so designated, by inserting 
        ``(except section 658T)'' after ``this subchapter''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(b) Child Care for Certain Military Dependents.--There is 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out section 658T $10,000,000 for 
each of fiscal years 2004 through 2008.''.

SEC. 3. CHILD CARE ASSISTANCE FOR MILITARY DEPENDENTS.

    The Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 
9858 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 658T. CHILD CARE ASSISTANCE FOR MILITARY DEPENDENTS.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall make grants to eligible 
persons to assist the persons in paying for the cost of child care 
services provided to dependents by eligible child care providers.
    ``(b) Eligible Person and Dependent.--In this section:
            ``(1) Dependent.--The term `dependent' means an individual 
        who is--
                    ``(A) a dependent, as defined in section 401 of 
                title 37, United States Code, except that such term 
                does not include a person described in paragraph (1) or 
                (3) of subsection (a) of such section; and
                    ``(B) an individual described in subparagraphs (A) 
                and (B) of section 658P(4).
            ``(2) Eligible person.--The term `eligible person' means a 
        person who--
                    ``(A) is a parent of one or more dependents of--
                            ``(i) a member of a reserve component of 
                        the Armed Forces serving on active duty for a 
                        period of more than 30 days in support of a 
                        military operation pursuant to a call or order 
                        to active duty under a provision of law 
                        referred to in section 101(a)(13)(B) of title 
                        10, United States Code; or
                            ``(ii) any other member of the Armed Forces 
                        on active duty who, as determined by the 
                        Secretary of the military department concerned, 
                        is involved in a military operation;
                    ``(B) has the primary responsibility for the care 
                of one or more such dependents; and
                    ``(C) resides permanently at a location at least 50 
                miles from--
                            ``(i) the nearest military installation of 
                        the Department of Defense where child care 
                        facilities and programs are available for use 
                        by dependents of the member; and
                            ``(ii) the nearest child development center 
                        or family child care home that is funded in 
                        whole or in part with appropriations available 
                        to the Department of Defense and is available 
                        for use by dependents of the member.
            ``(3) Military operation.--The term `military operation' 
        means--
                    ``(A) Operation Enduring Freedom;
                    ``(B) Operation Iraqi Freedom;
                    ``(C) Operation Noble Eagle; or
                    ``(D) any successor operation of the United States 
                Armed Forces to an operation named in subparagraph (A), 
                (B), or (C).
    ``(c) Applications.--To be eligible to receive a grant under this 
section, a person shall submit an application to the Secretary, at such 
time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary 
may require, including a description of the eligible child care 
provider who provides the child care services assisted through the 
grant.
    ``(d) Rule.--The provisions of this subchapter, other than section 
658P and provisions referenced in section 658P, that apply to 
assistance provided under this subchapter shall not apply to assistance 
provided under this section.''.

SEC. 4. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.

    Section 658O of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 
1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858m) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``appropriated 
                under this subchapter'' and inserting ``appropriated 
                under section 658B(a)''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``appropriated 
                under section 658B'' and inserting ``appropriated under 
                section 658(a)''; and
            (2) in subsection (b)(1), by striking ``appropriated under 
        section 658B'' and inserting ``appropriated under section 
        658(a)''.