H.R. 8456

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8456 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8456

To support infrastructure investment in small and rural child care 
facilities.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

April 22, 2026

Mr. Pappas introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Education and Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To support infrastructure investment in small and rural child care 
facilities.

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 ``Rural Child Care Access Act''.

SEC. 2. BUILDING UP INFRASTRUCTURE FOR LOCAL CHILD CARE GRANT PROGRAM.

(a) Grant Authorization.--The Secretary of Health and Human 
Services is authorized to make grants to State and local child care 
facilities that serve jurisdictions with fewer than 50,000 residents 
for use in accordance with subsection (b).
(b) Use of Funds.--
(1) In general.--Funds made available to a State or local 
child care facility under this section shall be used for 
projects to modify, upgrade, or construct a child care 
facility, which projects shall have a substantial nexus to--
(A) the improvement of the provision of child care;
(B) the training and development of child care 
providers;
(C) the recruitment and retention of child care 
providers; or
(D) community engagement.
(2) Clarification.--No portion of funds made available 
under this section for a project to modify, upgrade, or 
construct a child care facility may be used for any part of the 
facility that does not have a substantial nexus to 
subparagraphs (A) through (D).
(c) Application.--The head of a child care facility seeking a grant 
under this section shall submit to the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services an application at such time, in such manner, and containing 
such information as the Secretary of Health and Human Services may 
reasonably require, including an estimate of the cost of the project 
for which the grant will be used, as well as a demonstration of 
financial need for the grant.
(d) Duties of the Secretary of Health and Human Services.--
(1) Guidance.--Not later than 120 days after the date of 
enactment of this section, the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services shall issue guidance to carry out the grant program 
under this section.
(2) Distribution of information.--The Secretary of Health 
and Human Services shall distribute information about the grant 
program under this section to eligible child care facilities.
(3) Equitable distribution.--In awarding grants under this 
section, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall 
ensure, to the extent practicable, an equitable geographic 
distribution among the regions of the United States.
(4) Report.--On the date that is 2 years after the date of 
enactment of this section, and biannually thereafter until the 
date that is 6 years after the date of enactment of this 
section, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall 
submit to Congress and make publicly available a report on the 
grant program administered under this section, which shall 
include--
(A) updates on building progress for projects 
funded by grants awarded under this section, including 
information on whether projects are complete or 
experiencing delays;
(B) impacts of the project on the community; and
(C) existing project needs.
(e) Grant Amount.--A grant awarded under this section may not 
exceed $4,000,000.
(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out 
this section $250,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2029.

SEC. 3. REPORT.

The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall periodically 
conduct and publish a study of the met and unmet construction and 
renovation needs of a national sample of child care facilities.
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