SEC. 105. EXPANSION OF AUTHORITY OF A COMMANDING 
OFFICER TO AUTHORIZE A BASIC ALLOW-
ANCE FOR HOUSING FOR A MEMBER PER-
FORMING INITIAL FIELD OR SEA DUTY. 
Subsection (f) of section 403 of title 37, United 
States Code, is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘certifies that the member 
was necessarily required to procure quarters at 
the member’s expense.’’ and inserting an em 
dash; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following new 
subparagraphs: 
‘‘(A) certifies that the member was required to 
procure housing at the member’s expense; or 
‘‘(B) determines that quarters at the duty sta-
tion or in the field environment are inadequate or an 
impediment to morale, good order, or discipline.’’; 
and 
(2) in paragraph (2)(B)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘the Secretary may author-
ize’’ and inserting ‘‘a commanding officer may 
authorize’’; 
(B) by striking ‘‘who is serving in pay 
grade E–4 or E–5’’ and inserting ‘‘who is serv-
ing in a pay grade below E–6’’; and 
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(C) by striking ‘‘members serving in pay 
grades E–4 and E–5’’ and inserting ‘‘such 
members. In authorizing an allowance under 
this subparagraph, the commanding officer 
shall consider the availability of quarters for the 
member and whether such quarters are inad-
equate or an impediment to morale, good order, 
or discipline’’. 
SEC. 106. REPORT REGARDING THE CALCULATION OF 
COST-OF-LIVING ALLOWANCES. 
(a) REPORT REQUIRED.—Not later than April 1, 
2025, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Com-
mittees on Armed Services of the Senate and House of 
Representatives a report regarding the CONUS COLA 
and OCONUS COLA. Such report shall include the fol-
lowing elements: 
(1) The factors used to calculate the CONUS 
COLA and OCONUS COLA. 
(2) An explanation of how the factors described 
in paragraph (1) are determined. 
(3) An explanation of how the CONUS COLA 
and OCONUS COLA may be adjusted, including— 
(A) timelines for such an adjustment; 
(B) bases for such an adjustment; and 
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(C) the relationship between CONUS 
COLA and OCONUS COLA. 
(4) The evaluation of the Secretary whether the 
surveys used to collect data from members to cal-
culate the CONUS COLA and OCONUS COLA are 
effective. 
(5) The evaluation of the Secretary whether the 
calculation of the CONUS COLA and OCONUS 
COLA is effective. 
(6) The assessment of the Secretary whether 
the calculation of the CONUS COLA or OCONUS 
COLA should include additional factors, including— 
(A) the number of dependents a member 
has; 
(B) vicinity and commissary costs; 
(C) the reimbursement of expenses (includ-
ing tolls and taxes) incurred by a member based 
on the duty station of such member; 
(D) remoteness; 
(E) hardship; 
(F) loss of spousal income; 
(G) the unavailability of goods or services 
in the vicinity of a duty station; and 
(H) any other factor that the Secretary de-
termines appropriate. 
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(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘CONUS COLA’’ means the cost- 
of-living allowance paid to a member of the uni-
formed services under section 403b of title 37, 
United States Code. 
(2) The term ‘‘OCONUS COLA’’ means a cost- 
of-living allowance paid to a member of the uni-
formed services on the basis that— 
(A) the member is assigned to a perma-
nent duty station located outside the conti-
nental United States; or 
(B) the dependents of such member reside 
outside the continental United States but not in 
the vicinity of the permanent duty station of 
such member. 
TITLE II—CHILD CARE 
SEC. 201. COMPETITIVE PAY FOR DEPARTMENT OF DE-
FENSE CHILD CARE PERSONNEL. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1792(c) of title 10, 
United States Code, is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(c) COMPETITIVE RATES OF PAY.—(1) For the pur-
pose of providing military child development centers with 
a qualified and stable civilian workforce, employees at a 
military installation who are directly involved in providing 
child care and who are paid from nonappropriated funds— 
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‘‘(A) in the case of entry-level employees, shall 
be paid a rate of pay competitive with the rates of 
pay paid to other equivalent non-Federal positions 
within the metropolitan statistical area or non-met-
ropolitan statistical area (as the case may be) in 
which such Department employee’s position is lo-
cated; and 
‘‘(B) in the case of any employee not covered by 
subparagraph (A), shall be paid a rate of pay com-
petitive with the rates of pay paid to other employ-
ees with similar training, seniority, and experience 
within the metropolitan statistical area or non-met-
ropolitan statistical area (as the case may be) in 
which such Department employee’s position is lo-
cated. 
‘‘(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), no employee 
shall receive a rate of pay under this subsection that is 
lower than the minimum hourly rate of pay applicable to 
civilian employees of the Department of Defense. 
‘‘(3) For purposes of determining the rates of pay 
under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall use the metro-
politan and nonmetropolitan area occupational employ-
ment and wage estimates published monthly by the Bu-
reau of Labor Statistics.’’. 
(b) APPLICATION.— 
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(1) IN
GENERAL.—The amendment made by 
subsection (a) shall take effect on the first day of 
the first pay period beginning after the date of the 
enactment of this Act. 
(2) RATES OF PAY.— 
(A) CURRENT EMPLOYEE PAY RATE NOT 
REDUCED.—The rate of pay for any individual 
who is an employee covered by subsection (c) of 
section 1792 of title 10, United States Code, as 
amended by subsection (a) of this section, on 
the date of the enactment of this Act shall not 
be reduced by operation of such amendment. 
(B) PAY BAND MINIMUM.—Any employee 
whose rate of pay is fixed under such sub-
section (c), as so amended, and who is within 
any pay band shall receive a rate of pay not less 
than the minimum rate of pay applicable to 
such pay band. 
SEC. 202. PARENT FEES AT MILITARY CHILD DEVELOP-
MENT CENTERS FOR CHILD CARE EMPLOY-
EES. 
Section 1793 of title 10, United States Code, is 
amended by striking subsection (d) and inserting the fol-
lowing new subsections: 
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‘‘(d) CHILD CARE EMPLOYEE DISCOUNT.—In order 
to support recruitment and retention initiatives, the Sec-
retary of Defense shall charge reduced fees for the attend-
ance, at a military child development center, of the chil-
dren of a child care employee as follows: 
‘‘(1) For the first child, no fee. 
‘‘(2) For each other child, a fee equal to or less 
than a fee discounted under subsection (c). 
‘‘(e) PROHIBITION OF CONCURRENT DISCOUNTS.— 
A family may not receive discounts under subsections (c) 
and (d) concurrently.’’. 
SEC. 203. CHILD CARE SERVICES AND YOUTH PROGRAM 
SERVICES FOR DEPENDENTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the availability of ap-
propriations, the Secretary of Defense shall fully fund re-
quests for financial assistance to eligible civilian providers 
of child care services or youth program services under sec-
tion 1798 of title 10, United States Code. 
(b) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—This section shall not 
be construed to limit the authority of the Secretary under 
subsection (a) of section 1798 of such title to determine 
whether to provide such financial assistance to an eligible 
provider. 
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SEC. 204. BRIEFINGS ON MILITARY CHILD DEVELOPMENT 
CENTERS. 
(a) BRIEFINGS REQUIRED.—The Secretary of De-
fense, in coordination with the Secretaries of the military 
departments, shall submit to the Committees on Armed 
Services of the Senate and House of Representatives brief-
ings regarding child care services at military child develop-
ment centers according to the following schedule: 
(1) Once every three months beginning on 
March 1, 2025, and ending on March 1, 2026. 
(2) On March 1 of each year thereafter through 
2030. 
(b) ELEMENTS.—Each briefing shall include, with re-
gard to the period covered by the briefing, the following 
elements: 
(1) 
Waiting 
lists 
for 
such 
services, 
disaggregated by military installation. 
(2) Shortages of child care employees at mili-
tary child development centers, disaggregated by 
military installation. 
(3) Insufficient capacity of military child devel-
opment centers, disaggregated by military installa-
tion. 
(4) Efforts of the Secretary of Defense to miti-
gate such shortages or insufficiencies in order to 
shorten such waiting lists. 
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(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section, the terms ‘‘mili-
tary child development center’’ and ‘‘child care employee’’ 
have the meanings given such terms in section 1800 of 
title 10, United States Code. 
TITLE III—MILITARY HOUSING 
SEC. 301. BUDGET JUSTIFICATION FOR CERTAIN FACILI-
TIES 
SUSTAINMENT, 
RESTORATION, 
AND 
MODERNIZATION PROJECTS. 
Chapter 9 of title 10, United States Code, is amended 
by inserting after section 226 the following new section: 
‘‘§ 227. Budget justification for covered military unac-
companied 
housing 
Facilities 
Sustainment, 
Restoration, 
and 
Mod-
ernization projects 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Along with the budget for each 
fiscal year submitted by the President pursuant to section 
1105(a) of title 31, United States Code, each Secretary 
of a military department shall include a consolidated budg-
et justification display that individually identifies— 
‘‘(1) for the fiscal year covered by the budget, 
the total requested expenditure for Facilities 
Sustainment, 
Restoration, 
and 
Modernization 
projects for covered military unaccompanied housing, 
disaggregated by military department; and 
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‘‘(2) 
the 
total 
expenditure 
for 
Facilities 
Sustainment, 
Restoration, 
and 
Modernization 
projects made during the fiscal year beginning two 
years before the fiscal year covered by the budget, 
disagggregated by— 
‘‘(A) military installation; 
‘‘(B) the type of facility repaired or re-
stored under such projects; 
‘‘(C) the number of such projects that were 
for sustainment or repair of a facility; and 
‘‘(D) the number of such projects that 
were for restoration or modernization of a facil-
ity. 
‘‘(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) The term ‘covered military unaccompanied 
housing’ has the meaning given in section 2856 of 
this title. 
‘‘(2) The terms ‘facility’ and ‘military installa-
tion’ have the meanings given, respectively, in sec-
tion 2801 of this title.’’. 
SEC. 302. DIGITAL FACILITIES MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS FOR 
MILITARY DEPARTMENTS. 
(a) DIGITAL FACILITIES MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS 
FOR MILITARY DEPARTMENTS.— 
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(1) CRITERIA.—Not later than 180 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Assistant 
Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations, and 
Environment, in coordination with each covered As-
sistant Secretary, shall develop criteria for a new or 
established digital facilities management system for 
each military department. Each such system shall 
have the capability to, with respect to each military 
installation— 
(A) track conditions of individual facilities, 
applying the uniform index developed under sec-
tion 2838 of the National Defense Authoriza-
tion Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (Public Law 
118–31), for each military installation under 
the jurisdiction of each such covered Assistant 
Secretary; 
(B) plan for maintenance actions for each 
facility; and 
(C) generate reports that include data 
on— 
(i) the type and function of each facil-
ity; 
(ii) the overall condition of each facil-
ity; 
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(iii) planned maintenance for each fa-
cility during a 5-year period following the 
date of submission of the criteria; 
(iv) conditions that may lead to a fail-
ure to maintain minimum physical security 
or configuration standards for members of 
the Armed Forces during the 12-month pe-
riod following the date of submission of the 
criteria; and 
(v) the date on which the facility will 
have been in use for 40 years. 
(2) BRIEFING.—Not later than 30 days after 
the date on which the Assistant Secretary of De-
fense for Energy, Installations, and Environment de-
velops the criteria required under paragraph (1), the 
Assistant Secretary shall provide to Congress a 
briefing on such criteria. 
(3) IMPLEMENTATION.—Not later than one 
year after the date on which the Assistant Secretary 
of Defense for Energy, Installations, and Environ-
ment develops the criteria required under paragraph 
(1), each covered Assistant Secretary shall imple-
ment a digital facilities management system for the 
military department under the jurisdiction of that 
meets the criteria described in paragraph (1). 
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(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘covered Assistant Secretary’’ 
means— 
(A) the Assistant Secretary of the Army 
for Installations, Energy, and Environment; 
(B) the Assistant Secretary of the Navy 
for Energy, Installations, and Environment; 
and 
(C) the Assistant Secretary of the Air 
Force for Installations, Environment, and En-
ergy. 
(2) The term ‘‘facility’’ has the meaning given 
in section 2801 of title 10, United States Code. 
(3) The term ‘‘military department’’ has the 
meaning given in section 101 of such title. 
(4) The term ‘‘military installation’’ has the 
meaning given in section 2801 of such title. 
SEC. 303. STRATEGY FOR USE OF EXISTING LEASING AU-
THORITIES TO ADDRESS SHORTAGES OF COV-
ERED MILITARY UNACCOMPANIED HOUSING 
REQUIRED. 
(a) STRATEGY REQUIRED.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Each Secretary of a military 
department shall develop a strategy to use the au-
thorities of such Secretary, in effect as of such date, 
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to lease real property to address shortages of cov-
ered military unaccompanied housing. 
(2) ELEMENTS.—Each strategy required by 
paragraph (1) shall include, with respect to military 
installations under the jurisdiction of the Secretary 
of the military department concerned— 
(A) an identification of military installa-
tions with the largest shortages of covered mili-
tary unaccompanied housing; 
(B) an identification of military installa-
tions where existing facilities of covered military 
unaccompanied housing are in poor or failing 
condition under the uniform index for evalu-
ating the condition of covered military unac-
companied housing required by section 2838 of 
the National Defense Authorization Act for Fis-
cal Year 2024 (Public Law 118–31; 10 U.S.C. 
note prec. 2851); 
(C) plans of such Secretary in effect as of 
the date of the enactment of this Act to address 
shortages of covered military unaccompanied 
housing or the condition of facilities of covered 
military unaccompanied housing using— 
(i) military construction projects; or 
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(ii) facility sustainment, restoration, 
or modernization funds; and 
(D) an assessment of whether the leasing 
authority under section 2661 of title 10, United 
States Code, or intergovernmental support 
agreements under section 2679 of such title 
would be suitable for use by such Secretary to 
address— 
(i) shortages of covered military unac-
companied housing; or 
(ii) the poor or failing condition of a 
facility of covered military unaccompanied 
housing. 
(3) DEADLINE.—Each Secretary of a military 
department shall submit to the congressional defense 
committees a report that includes the strategy re-
quired by subsection (a) by not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—The fol-
lowing amounts are authorized to be appropriated to the 
Secretary of Defense to carry out actions that may be 
taken pursuant to a strategy required by subsection (a): 
(1) $15,000,000 for Operations and Mainte-
nance, Army. 
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(2) $9,000,000 for Operations and Mainte-
nance, Navy. 
(3) $6,000,000 for Operations and Mainte-
nance, Marine Corps. 
(4) $15,000,000 for Operations and Mainte-
nance, Air Force. 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘congressional defense commit-
tees’’ has the meaning given such term in section 
101(a)(16) of title 10, United States Code. 
(2) The term ‘‘covered military unaccompanied 
housing’’ has the meaning given such term in section 
2856 of such title. 
(3) The terms ‘‘facility’’ and ‘‘military construc-
tion project’’ have the meanings given such terms in 
section 2801 of such title. 
SEC. 304. INDEPENDENT ASSESSMENT OF ESTIMATED 
COSTS OF CERTAIN STRATEGIES TO AD-
DRESS SHORTAGES OF COVERED MILITARY 
UNACCOMPANIED HOUSING. 
(a) AGREEMENT.—Not later than 60 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense 
shall seek to enter into an agreement with an FFRDC 
for an assessment that compares the estimated total cost 
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to the United States during the 20-year period beginning 
on the date of the enactment of this Act of— 
(1) the construction and maintenance of facili-
ties of covered military unaccompanied housing to 
address shortages in covered military unaccompanied 
housing; and 
(2) the modification of policies of the Depart-
ment of Defense and each military department to 
permit a greater number of members of the Armed 
Forces to reside in housing facilities other than cov-
ered military unaccompanied housing (including 
such policies relating to the payment of basic allow-
ance for housing under section 403 of title 37, 
United States Code). 
(b) REPORT ON ASSESSMENT.—An FFRDC that en-
ters into an agreement under subsection (a) shall submit 
to the Secretary of Defense a report on such assessment. 
Such report shall include— 
(1) a comprehensive review of— 
(A) the total lifecycle costs, disaggregated 
by each military department, of the construc-
tion, sustainment, and modernization of facili-
ties of covered unaccompanied housing to 
meet— 
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(i) the needs for housing for members 
of the Armed Forces as of the date of the 
enactment of this Act; and 
(ii) the projected needs for such hous-
ing during the 20-year period beginning on 
the date of the enactment of this Act, as 
determined by each Secretary concerned; 
(B) the applicable policies of each military 
department with respect to which members of 
the Armed Forces are required to reside in cov-
ered military unaccompanied housing; and 
(C) for each military department, the ex-
pected expenditure for basic allowance for hous-
ing under section 403 of title 37, United States 
Code, during the 20-year period beginning on 
the date of the enactment of this Act compared 
to such total lifecycle costs; 
(2) a summary of the research and other activi-
ties carried out as part of such comprehensive re-
view; and 
(3) recommendations of the FFRDC with re-
spect to requirements and policies of the Depart-
ment of Defense and each military department for 
covered military unaccompanied housing. 
(c) SUBMISSION TO CONGRESS.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 30 days after 
the date on which the Secretary of Defense receives 
the report under subsection (b), such Secretary shall 
submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the 
House of Representatives and the Senate a report 
that includes— 
(A) an unaltered copy of the report of the 
FFRDC submitted to the Secretary of Defense 
pursuant to subsection (b); and 
(B) the written responses of the Secretary 
of the Defense and the Secretaries concerned 
with respect to the results of such report. 
(2) FORM.—The report required by paragraph 
(1) shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may 
include a classified annex. 
(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘covered military unaccompanied 
housing’’ has the meaning given such term in section 
2856 of title 10, United States Code. 
(2) The term ‘‘facility’’ has the meaning given 
such term in section 2801 of such title. 
(3) The term ‘‘FFRDC’’ means a federally 
funded research and development center. 
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TITLE IV—ACCESS TO HEALTH 
CARE 
SEC. 401. TRICARE PROGRAM: WAIVER OF REFERRAL RE-
QUIREMENT UNDER TRICARE PRIME FOR 
CERTAIN CARE IN A MILITARY MEDICAL 
TREATMENT FACILITY. 
Section 1095f(a)(2) of title 10, United States Code, 
is amended— 
(1) by inserting ‘‘(A)’’ before ‘‘The Secretary’’; 
and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
paragraph: 
‘‘(B) The Secretary shall waive the referral require-
ment in paragraph (1) in the case of a member of the 
Armed Forces serving on active duty who seeks to obtain 
any of the following kinds of care in a military medical 
treatment facility: 
‘‘(i) Physical therapy. 
‘‘(ii) Nutritional. 
‘‘(iii) Audiological. 
‘‘(iv) Optometric. 
‘‘(v) Podiatric. 
‘‘(vi) Primary and preventive health care serv-
ices for women (as such term is defined in section 
1074d of this title).’’. 
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SEC. 402. REFERRAL OF A MEMBER OF THE ARMED 
FORCES TO A TRICARE PROVIDER FOR UR-
GENT BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES. 
Section 722 of the National Defense Authorization 
Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (Public Law 116–92; 10 U.S.C. 
1071 note) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘If’’ and inserting ‘‘(a) IN GEN-
ERAL.—Subject to subsection (b), if’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(b) URGENT BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—If the Secretary of Defense 
is unable to provide urgent behavioral health services 
in a military medical treatment facility to a covered 
individual during the three-day period following the 
date on which such services are first requested by 
the covered individual, the Secretary shall refer the 
covered 
individual 
to 
a 
provider 
under 
the 
TRICARE program to receive such services. 
‘‘(2) COVERED INDIVIDUAL DEFINED.—In this 
subsection, the term ‘covered individual’ means— 
‘‘(A) a member of the Armed Forces on 
active duty; 
‘‘(B) a retired member of the Armed 
Forces; 
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‘‘(C) a dependent of a member described in 
paragraph (1); or 
‘‘(D) a dependent of a former member de-
scribed in paragraph (2).’’. 
SEC. 403. RETENTION OF HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS: SUR-
VEYS; BRIEFING; REPORTS. 
(a) SURVEYS.—The Secretary of a military depart-
ment shall conduct an annual survey of health care pro-
viders under the jurisdiction of such Secretary to deter-
mine why such providers remain on, or separate from, ac-
tive duty in such military department. 
(b) BRIEFING.—Not later than 90 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of a military 
department shall provide to the Committees on Armed 
Services of the Senate and House of Representatives a 
briefing regarding the plan of such Secretary to carry out 
the survey under this section. 
(c) REPORTS.—Not later than September 30 of each 
year, beginning in 2025, the Secretary of a military de-
partment shall submit to the Committees on Armed Serv-
ices of the Senate and House of Representatives a report 
regarding the most recent survey under this section. 
(1) ELEMENTS.—Each report shall include the 
following elements: 
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(A) Demographic data regarding the pro-
viders, disaggregated under paragraph (2). 
(B) Reasons providers gave for remaining. 
(C) Reasons providers gave for separating. 
(D) The determination of the Secretary 
whether there is a trend regarding retention or 
such reasons. 
(E) Efforts of the Secretary to reverse a 
negative trend or encourage a positive trend. 
(F) Legislative recommendations of the 
Secretary regarding how to reverse a negative 
trend or encourage a positive trend. 
(2) DEMOGRAPHIC DATA.—In each report, the 
Secretary 
of 
a 
military 
department 
shall 
disaggregate demographic data regarding providers 
who participated in the most recent survey on the 
bases of the following categories: 
(A) Medical specialty. 
(B) Rank. 
(C) Gender. 
(D) Years of service in such military de-
partment. 
(E) Whether the provider became an offi-
cer on active duty in such military depart-
ment— 
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(i) pursuant to the Armed Forces 
Health Professions Scholarship and Finan-
cial Assistance program under subchapter 
I of chapter 105 of title 10, United States 
Code; 
(ii) after graduating from the Uni-
formed Services University of the Health 
Sciences established under section 2112 of 
such title; or 
(iii) otherwise. 
(d) TERMINATION.—This section shall cease to have 
effect on September 30, 2030. 
TITLE V—SUPPORT FOR 
MILITARY SPOUSES 
SEC. 501. INTERSTATE COMPACTS FOR PORTABILITY OF 
OCCUPATIONAL 
LICENSES 
OF 
MILITARY 
SPOUSES: PERMANENT AUTHORITY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1784(h) of title 10, 
United States Code, is amended by striking paragraph (5). 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 
subsection (a) shall take effect as if enacted immediately 
following the enactment of the National Defense Author-
ization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (Public Law 116–92), 
to which such amendment relates. 
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SEC. 502. PERMANENT MILITARY SPOUSE CAREER ACCEL-
ERATOR PROGRAM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Section 1784 of title 10, 
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following new subsection: 
‘‘(i) EMPLOYMENT FELLOWSHIP OPPORTUNITIES.— 
The Secretary of Defense shall carry out a program to 
provide spouses of members of the Armed Forces with 
paid fellowships with employers in various industries. To 
carry out such program, the Secretary shall take the fol-
lowing steps: 
‘‘(1) Enter into an agreement with an entity to 
conduct such program. 
‘‘(2) Determine the appropriate capacity for the 
program based on the availability of appropriations 
for such purpose. 
‘‘(3) Establish criteria to evaluate the effective-
ness and cost-effectiveness of the program in sup-
porting the employment of such spouses.’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Subsection (i) of such sec-
tion shall take effect on January 1, 2026. 
(c) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The pilot program 
under section 564 of the National Defense Authorization 
Act for Fiscal Year 2022 (Public Law 117–81; 10 U.S.C. 
1784 note) shall terminate on January 1, 2026. 
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SEC. 503. CHILD CARE SERVICES AND YOUTH PROGRAM 
SERVICES FOR DEPENDENTS: PERIOD OF 
SERVICES FOR A MEMBER WITH A SPOUSE 
SEEKING EMPLOYMENT. 
(a) PERIOD.—The Secretary of a military department 
may provide a covered member with covered services for 
a period of at least 180 days. 
(b) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sec-
tion shall be construed to— 
(1) entitle a covered member to covered serv-
ices; or 
(2) give priority to a covered member for pur-
poses of a determination regarding who shall receive 
covered services. 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘covered member’’ means a mem-
ber of the Armed Forces— 
(A) who has a dependent child; and 
(B) whose spouse is seeking employment. 
(2) The term ‘‘covered services’’ means child 
care services or youth program services provided or 
paid for by the Secretary of Defense under sub-
chapter II of chapter 88 of title 10, United States 
Code. 
Æ 
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