Sec. 556. REIMBURSEMENT FOR STATE LICENSURE AND CERTIFICATION COSTS OF A SPOUSE OF A MEMBER OF THE ARMED FORCES ARISING FROM RELOCATION TO ANOTHER STATE

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## SEC. 556 REIMBURSEMENT FOR STATE LICENSURE AND CERTIFICATION COSTS OF A SPOUSE OF A MEMBER OF THE ARMED FORCES ARISING FROM RELOCATION TO ANOTHER STATE ###

(a)Reimbursement Authorized Section 476 of title 37, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: > > ### “(p) > > > ####

(1)> > From amounts otherwise made available for a fiscal year to provide travel and transportation allowances under this chapter, the Secretary concerned may reimburse a member of the armed forces for qualified relicensing costs of the spouse of the member when— > > > ##### “(A) > > the member is reassigned, either as a permanent change of station or permanent change of assignment, from a duty station in one State to a duty station in another State; and > > > ##### “(B) > > the movement of the member’s dependents is authorized at the expense of the United States under this section as part of the reassignment. > > > #### “(2) > > Reimbursement provided to a member under this subsection may not exceed $500 in connection with each reassignment described in paragraph (1). > > > #### “(3) > > Not later than December 31, 2021, the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security with respect to the Coast Guard, shall submit to the congressional defense committees, the Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs of the Senate, and the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House of Representatives a report— > > > ##### “(A) > > describing the extent to which the reimbursement authority provided by this subsection has been used; and > > > ##### “(B) > > containing a recommendation by the Secretaries regarding whether the authority should be extended beyond the date specified in paragraph (4). > > > #### “(4) > > No reimbursement may be provided under this subsection for qualified relicensing costs paid or incurred after December 31, 2022. > > > #### “(5) > > In this subsection, the term ‘qualified relicensing costs’ means costs, including exam and registration fees, that— > > > ##### “(A) > > are imposed by the State of the new duty station to secure a license or certification to engage in the same profession that the spouse of the member engaged in while in the State of the original duty station; and > > > ##### “(B) > > are paid or incurred by the member or spouse to secure the license or certification from the State of the new duty station after the date on which the orders directing the reassignment described in paragraph

(1)are issued.” > . ###

(b)Development of Recommendations to Expedite License Portability for Military Spouses ####

(1)Consultation with states The Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of Homeland Security with respect to the Coast Guard, shall consult with States— #####

(A)to identify barriers to the portability between States of a license, certification, or other grant of permission held by the spouse of a member of the Armed Forces to engage in an occupation when the spouse moves between States as part of a permanent change of station or permanent change of assignment of the member; and #####

(B)to develop recommendations for the Federal Government and the States, together or separately, to expedite the portability of such licenses, certifications, and other grants of permission for military spouses. ####

(2)Specific considerations In conducting the consultation and preparing the recommendations under paragraph (1), the Secretaries shall consider the feasibility of— #####

(A)States accepting licenses, certifications, and other grants of permission described in paragraph

(1)issued by another State and in good standing in that State; #####

(B)the issuance of a temporary license pending completion of State-specific requirements; and #####

(C)the establishment of an expedited review process for military spouses. ####

(3)Report required Not later than March 15, 2018, the Secretaries shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees and the States a report containing the recommendations developed under this subsection. ####

(4)Appropriate congressional committees defined In this subsection, the term “appropriate congressional committees” means the congressional defense committees, the Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs of the Senate, and the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House of Representatives.