CLIMB Act of 2022
Bill: H.R.8208 | Sponsor: Rep. Houlahan, Chrissy (D-PA)
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Children's Literacy Initiative on Military Bases Act of 2022 or the CLIMB Act of 2022
This bill authorizes the Department of Defense to implement a program to promote early literacy among children whose caregivers are members of the Armed Forces as part of the pediatric primary care of such children.

To amend title 10, United States Code, to authorize a program of the 
  Department of Defense to promote early literacy among certain young 
  children as part of pediatric primary care, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Children's Literacy Initiative on 
Military Bases Act of 2022'' or the ``CLIMB Act of 2022''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORITY FOR DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE PROGRAM TO PROMOTE EARLY 
              LITERACY AMONG CERTAIN YOUNG CHILDREN AS PART OF 
              PEDIATRIC PRIMARY CARE.

    (a) Program.--Chapter 55 of title 10, United States Code, is 
amended by inserting after section 1109 the following new section (and 
conforming the table of sections at the beginning of such chapter 
accordingly):
``Sec. 1109A. Authority for program to promote early literacy among 
              certain young children as part of pediatric primary care
    ``(a) Authority.--The Secretary of Defense may carry out a program 
to promote early literacy among young children the caregivers of whom 
are members of the armed forces as part of the pediatric primary care 
of such children.
    ``(b) Activities.--Activities under the program under subsection 
(a) shall be evidence-informed and include the following:
            ``(1) The provision to pediatric primary care providers and 
        other appropriate personnel of the Department of training on 
        early literacy promotion.
            ``(2) The purchase and distribution of age-appropriate 
        books to covered caregivers.
            ``(3) The modification of waiting rooms in military medical 
        treatment facilities, including in specific clinics within such 
        facilities, to ensure such waiting rooms include materials that 
        reinforce language-rich interactions between young children and 
        their covered caregivers, including a full selection of 
        literature for young children.
            ``(4) The dissemination to covered caregivers of education 
        materials on pediatric early literacy.
            ``(5) Such other activities as the Secretary determines 
        appropriate.
    ``(c) Locations.--In carrying out the program under subsection (a), 
the Secretary may conduct the activities under subsection (b) at any 
military medical treatment facility.
    ``(d) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) The term `covered caregiver' means a member of the 
        armed forces who is a caregiver of a young child.
            ``(2) The term `young child' means any child from birth to 
        the age of five years old, inclusive.''.
    (b) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the 
Committees on Armed Services of the House of Representatives and the 
Senate a report on the extent to which the authority under section 
1109A(a) of title 10, United States Code, (as added by subsection (a)) 
is used, including a description of any activities carried out under 
the program so authorized.
    (c) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section, or the 
amendments made by this section, shall be construed as requiring that a 
child have more than one caregiver as a condition of receiving services 
under, or otherwise participating in, the program authorized under such 
section 1109A.
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