H.R. 9810

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9810 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 9810

To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out an 
early childhood educator loan assistance program, and for other 
purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

September 25, 2024

Ms. Clark of Massachusetts (for herself, Ms. Bonamici, Mr. Gomez, Ms. 
McClellan, Ms. Pettersen, and Ms. Tokuda) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the 
Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out an 
early childhood educator loan assistance program, 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 ``Child Care Workforce Development 
Act''.

SEC. 2. EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATOR LOAN ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

(a) Authority.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services may 
carry out a program of entering into contracts with eligible early 
childhood educators under which such educators agree to serve for a 
period of 5 years as early childhood educators with a qualified 
employer, in consideration of the Federal Government agreeing to repay, 
for each year of such service, not more than $6,000 of the principal 
and interest of the educational loans of such educators.
(b) Recertification.--An eligible early childhood educator seeking 
to continue to receive payments under this section shall submit on an 
annual basis to the Secretary such information as the Secretary may 
require to certify that the educator is continuing to meet the criteria 
to be considered an eligible early childhood educator.
(c) Maximum Amount of Loan.--The total amount of payments received 
by an eligible early childhood educator under this section may not 
exceed the total amount of the principal and interest of the 
educational loans of such educator.
(d) Applicability of Certain Provisions.--The following provisions 
of the National Health Service Corps Loan Assistance Program 
established in subpart III of part D of the Public Health Service Act 
(42 U.S.C. 254l et seq.) shall apply to the program established under 
this section in the same manner and to the same extent as such 
provisions apply to the National Health Service Corps Loan Assistance 
Program:
(1) Paragraphs (1) through (3) of section 338B(c) of such 
Act (42 U.S.C. 254l-1(c); relating to application information, 
understandability, and availability).
(2) Section 338B(c)(4) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 254l-1(c)(4); 
relating to recruitment and retention).
(3) Section 338B(d) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 254l-1(d); 
relating to factors considered in providing contracts).
(4) Section 338(e) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 254l-1(e); 
relating to the approval required for participation).
(5) Section 338B(f) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 254l-1(f); 
relating to contents of contracts).
(6) Section 338B(g) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 254l-1(g); 
relating to payments, including repayment schedule and tax 
liability).
(e) Report to Congress.--Not later than 5 years after the date of 
enactment of this section, the Secretary shall submit to the Congress a 
report on the implementation of this section.
(f) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) The term ``eligible early childhood educator'' means an 
individual who--
(A) as of the date on which the agreement referred 
to in subsection (a)(1) is entered into--
(i) has outstanding Federal direct loans 
obtained for purposes of pursuing an 
associate's degree, including a child 
development associate credential, a bachelor's 
degree, a graduate degree, or a combined 
bachelor and master's degree, in early 
childhood education or a related field from an 
accredited institution (including any such loan 
for which the individual is enrolled in an 
income-based repayment plan); and
(ii) is in good standing with respect to 
the loans referred to in clause (i); and
(B) agrees to--
(i) serve as an early childhood educator 
with a qualified employer for a period of not 
less than 5 years; and
(ii) make timely payments with respect to 
the loans described in subparagraph (A)(i).
(2) The term ``qualified employer'' means a childcare 
provider that receives or is eligible to receive vouchers or 
assistance under the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act 
of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9857 et seq.).
(3) The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Health 
and Human Services.
(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $25,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2025 through 2030.

SEC. 3. GRANTS FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS.

(a) In General.--Beginning not later than 180 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Education (referred to 
in this section as the ``Secretary'') shall carry out a program under 
which the Secretary makes payments to institutions of higher education 
with a qualified early childhood educator program to enable such 
institutions to make grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible 
individuals who file an application and agreement in accordance with 
subsections (b) and (c).
(b) Applications.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall periodically set dates 
by which eligible individuals shall file applications for a 
grant under this section. Each eligible individual desiring a 
grant under this section shall file with the Secretary an 
application containing such information and assurances as the 
Secretary may determine necessary to enable the Secretary to 
carry out the functions and responsibilities of this section.
(2) Renewal.--A grant awarded under this section may be 
renewed for additional one-year periods if--
(A) the recipient submits a renewal application 
containing such information and assurances as the 
Secretary may determine necessary; and
(B) the grant is renewed not more than three times, 
for a total of not more than four academic years for 
each eligible recipient.
(c) Service Obligation.--
(1) Agreements to serve.--Each application under subsection 
(b) shall include, or be accompanied by--
(A) an agreement by the applicant that--
(i) in the event that the applicant 
receives a grant under this section, the 
applicant shall--
(I) not later than 4 years after 
completing the qualified early 
childhood program for which the 
applicant will be receiving such grant, 
serve as a full-time or part-time 
educator in a licensed early learning 
program for a total of not less than 
one academic year, and four additional 
months for each subsequent grant 
renewal; and
(II) submit a certification of 
service in a licensed early learning 
program in such form as the Secretary 
may determine necessary; and
(ii) in the event that the applicant is 
determined to have failed or refused to carry 
out such service obligation, the sum of the 
amounts of any grants received by such 
applicant under this section will be treated as 
a loan and collected from the applicant in 
accordance with paragraph (3) and the 
regulations thereunder; and
(B) a plain-language disclosure form developed by 
the Secretary that clearly describes the nature of the 
grant award, the service obligation, and the loan 
repayment requirements that are the consequence of the 
failure to complete the service obligation.
(2) Treatment of concurrent service.--An individual who 
serves as a full or part-time educator in a licensed early 
childhood education program concurrently while enrolled in a 
qualified early childhood educator program may count such 
service toward the fulfillment of the service obligation in the 
agreement under paragraph (1).
(3) Repayment for failure to complete service.--
(A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraph 
(B), in the event that any recipient of a grant under 
this section fails or refuses to comply with the 
service obligation in the agreement under paragraph 
(1), the sum of the amounts of any grants received by 
such recipient shall, upon a determination of such a 
failure or refusal in such service obligation, be 
treated as a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan 
under part D of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087a et seq.) except that--
(i) no interest shall accrue on such 
amounts; and
(ii) such amounts shall be subject to 
repayment in accordance with--
(I) an income-contingent or income-
based repayment plan described in 
subparagraph (D) or (E) of section 
455(d)(1) of the Higher Education Act 
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087e(d)(1)), 
respectively, if the individual meets 
the eligibility requirements for such a 
repayment plan; and
(II) such other terms and 
conditions as are specified by the 
Secretary in regulations promulgated 
under this section.
(B) Hardship extension.--In the case of a recipient 
who has made a good faith effort to find employment in 
a licensed early learning program and has been unable 
to acquire such employment, the Secretary is authorized 
to provide a hardship extension for a period of not 
more than one year to grant recipients who fail to 
complete their service requirement within the 4-year 
period described in paragraph (1)(A)(i).
(d) Grant Amount.--An eligible individual selected to receive a 
grant or a grant renewal under this section shall receive a grant in an 
amount not to exceed $4,000 for each academic year during which the 
individual is enrolled on a full-time or part-time basis in the 
qualified early childhood educator program for which the grant was 
awarded.
(e) Grant Disbursement.--Payments under this section to an eligible 
institution shall be made in accordance with regulations promulgated by 
the Secretary for such purpose and in such manner as will best 
accomplish the purposes of this section, provided--
(1) any disbursement made by crediting a grant recipient's 
account shall be limited to tuition and fees and other 
materials necessary for the completion of coursework in a 
qualified early childhood educator program as determined by the 
Secretary; and
(2) not less than 85 percent of any funds provided to an 
eligible institution under subsection (a) shall be advanced to 
the institution prior to the start of each payment period and 
shall be based upon an amount requested by the institution as 
needed to cover the total cost of grants awarded to eligible 
recipients until such time as the Secretary determines and 
publishes in the Federal Register with an opportunity for 
comment, an alternative payment system that provides payments 
to institutions in an accurate and timely manner, except that 
this sentence shall not be construed to limit the authority of 
the Secretary to place an institution on a reimbursement system 
of payment.
(f) Direct Payment.--Nothing in this section shall be construed to 
prohibit the Secretary from making a grant directly to an eligible 
individual in a case in which an institution of higher education with a 
qualified early childhood educator program does not participate in the 
program under subsection (a).
(g) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Eligible individual.--The term ``eligible individual'' 
means an individual who is enrolled on a full-time or part-time 
basis in a qualified early childhood educator program.
(2) Institution of higher education.--The term 
``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given that 
term in section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 1002).
(3) Qualified early childhood educator program.--The term 
``qualified early childhood educator program'' means a course 
of study leading to an associate's degree or a certificate in 
early childhood education or a related field from an 
institution of higher education.
(4) Licensed early learning program.--The term ``licensed 
early learning program'' means any State-licensed or State-
regulated program or provider, regardless of setting or funding 
source, that provides early care and education for children 
from birth to kindergarten entry, including programs operated 
by child care centers and in family child care homes.
(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--
(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to 
carry out this section $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
2025 through 2029.
(2) Limitation.--Of the amount made available under 
paragraph (1) in any fiscal year, not more than 3 percent may 
be used by the Secretary for evaluation, monitoring, salaries, 
and administrative expenses.
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