119-hr3274

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3274 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 3274

 To provide assistance with respect to child care infrastructure.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 May 8, 2025

 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 Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To provide assistance with respect to child care infrastructure.

 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 Infrastructure Act''.

SEC. 2. INFRASTRUCTURE GRANTS TO IMPROVE CHILD CARE SAFETY.

    (a) In General.--Part A of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 601 et seq.) is amended by inserting after 

section 418 the 
following:

``

SEC. 418A. INFRASTRUCTURE GRANTS TO IMPROVE CHILD CARE SAFETY.

 ``

    (a) Short Title.--This section may be cited as the 
`Infrastructure Grants To Improve Child Care Safety Act'.
 ``

    (b) Needs Assessments.--
 ``

    (1) Immediate needs assessment.--
 ``
        (A) In general.--The Secretary shall conduct an 
 immediate needs assessment of the condition of child 
 care facilities throughout the United States (with 
 priority given to child care programs that receive 
 Federal funds), that--
 ``
            (i) considers the infrastructure needs, 
 as of the date of the enactment of this 
 section, of a variety of child care centers, 
 including home-based centers; and
 ``
            (ii) considers how the COVID-19 pandemic 
 has impacted specific metrics, such as--
 ``
            (I) capacity;
 ``
            (II) investments in 
 infrastructure changes;
 ``
            (III) the types of infrastructure 
 changes centers need to implement and 
 their associated costs;
 ``
            (IV) the price of tuition; and
 ``
            (V) any changes or anticipated 
 changes in the number and demographic 
 of children attending.
 ``
        (B) Timing.--The immediate needs assessment 
 should occur simultaneously with the first grant-making 
 cycle under subsection
            (c) .
 ``
            (C) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date 
 of the enactment of this section, the Secretary shall 
 submit to the Congress a report containing the result 
 of the needs assessment conducted under subparagraph
        (A) , and make the assessment publicly available.
 ``

    (2) Long-term needs assessment.--
 ``
        (A) In general.--The Secretary shall conduct a 
 long-term assessment of the condition of child care 
 facilities throughout the United States (with priority 
 given to child care programs that receive Federal 
 funds). The assessment may be conducted through 
 representative random sampling.
 ``
        (B) Report.--Not later than 4 years after the 
 date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary 
 shall submit to the Congress a report containing the 
 results of the needs assessment conducted under 
 subparagraph
        (A) , and make the assessment publicly 
 available.
 ``
            (c) Child Care Facilities Grants.--
 ``

    (1) Grants to states.--
 ``
        (A) In general.--The Secretary may award grants 
 to States for the purpose of helping child care 
 providers acquire, construct, renovate, or improve 
 child care facilities, including adapting, 
 reconfiguring, or expanding the facilities.
 ``
        (B) Prioritized facilities.--The Secretary may 
 not award a grant to a State under subparagraph
        (A) unless the State involved agrees, with respect to the 
 use of grant funds, to prioritize--
 ``
            (i) child care facilities primarily 
 serving low-income populations;
 ``
            (ii) child care facilities primarily 
 serving children who have not attained the age 
 of 5 years with a significant percentage of 
 infants and toddlers enrolled;
 ``
            (iii) child care facilities that--
 ``
            (I) are currently unable to serve 
 young children, had to significantly 
 reduce capacity, or are unable to serve 
 more children, due to factors such as 
 the inadequate condition, quality, or 
 availability of facilities; or
 ``
            (II) are seeking to build 
 capacity and expand the number of 
 children served;
 ``
            (iv) child care facilities that operate 
 under nontraditional hours; and
 ``
            (v) child care facilities located in 
 rural or underserved communities.
 ``
            (C) Duration of grants.--A grant under this 
 subsection shall be awarded for a period of not more 
 than 5 years.
 ``
            (D) Application.--To seek a grant under this 
 subsection, a State shall submit to the Secretary an 
 application at such time, in such manner, and 
 containing such information as the Secretary may 
 require, which information shall--
 ``
            (i) be disaggregated as the Secretary may 
 require; and
 ``
            (ii) include a plan to use a portion of 
 the grant funds to report back to the Secretary 
 on the impact of using the grant funds to 
 improve child care facilities.
 ``
        (E) Priority.--In selecting States for grants 
 under this subsection, the Secretary shall prioritize 
 States that--
 ``
            (i) plan to improve center-based and 
 home-based child care programs, which may 
 include a combination of child care and early 
 Head Start or Head Start programs;
 ``
            (ii) aim to meet specific needs across 
 urban, suburban, or rural areas as determined 
 by the State, such as prioritizing improvements 
 to programs that serve children from families 
 with low incomes or children with disabilities; 
 and
 ``
            (iii) show evidence of collaboration 
 with--
 ``
            (I) local government officials;
 ``
            (II) other State agencies;
 ``
            (III) nongovernmental 
 organizations, such as--
 ``

    (aa) organizations within 
 the philanthropic community;
 ``

    (bb) certified community 
 development financial 
 institutions as defined in 
 

section 103 of the Community 
 Development Banking and 
 Financial Institutions Act of 
 1994 (12 U.S.C. 4702) that have 
 been certified by the Community 
 Development Financial 
 Institutions Fund (12 U.S.C. 
 4703); and
 ``
            (cc) organizations that 
 have demonstrated experience 
 in--

 ``

    (AA) providing 
 technical or financial 
 assistance for the 
 acquisition, 
 construction, 
 renovation, or 
 improvement of child 
 care facilities;

 ``

    (BB) providing 
 technical, financial, 
 or managerial 
 assistance to child 
 care providers; and

 ``
            (CC) securing 
 private sources of 
 capital financing for 
 child care facilities 
 or other low-income 
 community development 
 projects; and

 ``
            (IV) local community 
 organizations, such as--
 ``

    (aa) child care 
 providers;
 ``

    (bb) community care 
 agencies;
 ``
            (cc) resource and 
 referral agencies; and
 ``
            (dd) unions.
 ``
        (F) Consideration.--In selecting States for 
 grants under this subsection, the Secretary shall 
 consider--
 ``
            (i) whether the applicant--
 ``
            (I) has or is developing a plan 
 to address child care facility needs; 
 and
 ``
            (II) demonstrates the capacity to 
 execute such a plan; and
 ``
            (ii) after the date the report required 
 by subsection

    (b)

    (1)
            (C) is submitted to the 
 Congress, the needs of the applicants based on 
 the results of the assessment.
 ``
        (G) Diversity of awards.--In awarding grants 
 under this section, the Secretary shall give equal 
 consideration to States with varying capacities under 
 subparagraph
        (F) .
 ``
        (H) Matching requirement.--
 ``
            (i) In general.--As a condition for the 
 receipt of a grant under subparagraph
        (A) , a 
 State that is not an Indian tribe shall agree 
 to make available (directly or through 
 donations from public or private entities) 
 contributions with respect to the cost of the 
 activities to be carried out pursuant to 
 subparagraph
        (A) , which may be provided in cash 
 or in kind, in an amount equal to 10 percent of 
 the funds provided through the grant.
 ``
            (ii) Determination of amount 
 contributed.--Contributions required by clause
            (i) may include--
 ``
            (I) amounts provided by the 
 Federal Government, or services 
 assisted or subsidized to any 
 significant extent by the Federal 
 Government; or
 ``
            (II) philanthropic or private-
 sector funds.
 ``
            (I) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the last 
 day of the grant period, a State receiving a grant 
 under this paragraph shall submit a report to the 
 Secretary as described in subparagraph
            (D) --
 ``
            (i) to determine the effects of the grant 
 in constructing, renovating, or improving child 
 care facilities, including any changes in 
 response to the COVID-19 pandemic and any 
 effects on access to and quality of child care; 
 and
 ``
            (ii) to provide such other information as 
 the Secretary may require.
 ``
        (J) Amount limit.--The annual amount of a grant 
 under this paragraph may not exceed $250,000,000.
 ``

    (2) Grants to intermediary organizations.--
 ``
        (A) In general.--The Secretary may award grants 
 to intermediary organizations, such as certified 
 community development financial institutions, tribal 
 organizations, or other organizations with demonstrated 
 experience in child care facilities financing, for the 
 purpose of providing technical assistance, capacity-
 building, and financial products to develop or finance 
 child care facilities.
 ``
        (B) Application.--A grant under this paragraph 
 may be made only to intermediary organizations that 
 submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in 
 such manner, and containing such information as the 
 Secretary may require.
 ``
            (C) Priority.--In selecting intermediary 
 organizations for grants under this subsection, the 
 Secretary shall prioritize intermediary organizations 
 that--
 ``
            (i) demonstrate experience in child care 
 facility financing or related community 
 facility financing;
 ``
            (ii) demonstrate the capacity to assist 
 States and local governments in developing 
 child care facilities and programs;
 ``
            (iii) demonstrate the ability to leverage 
 grant funding to support financing tools to 
 build the capacity of child care providers, 
 such as through credit enhancements;
 ``
            (iv) propose to focus on child care 
 facilities that operate under nontraditional 
 hours;
 ``
            (v) propose to meet a diversity of needs 
 across States and across urban, suburban, and 
 rural areas at varying types of center-based, 
 home-based, and other child care settings, 
 including early care programs located in 
 freestanding buildings or in mixed-use 
 properties; and
 ``
            (vi) propose to focus on child care 
 facilities primarily serving low-income 
 populations and children who have not attained 
 the age of 5 years.
 ``
            (D) Amount limit.--The amount of a grant under 
 this paragraph may not exceed $15,000,000.
 ``

    (3) Report.--Not later than the end of fiscal year 2030, 
 the Secretary shall submit to the Congress a report on the 
 effects of the grants provided under this subsection, and make 
 the report publicly accessible.
 ``
            (d) Labor Standards for All Grants.--
 ``

    (1) All laborers and mechanics employed by contractors or 
 subcontractors in the performance of construction, renovation, 
 improvement, repair, alteration, adaptation, reconfiguration, 
 or expansion of child care facilities funded in whole or in 
 part under this section shall be paid wages at rates not less 
 than those prevailing on projects of a character similar in the 
 locality as determined by the Secretary of Labor in accordance 
 with subchapter IV of chapter 31 of part A of subtitle II of 
 title 40, United States Code (commonly referred to as the 
 `Davis-Bacon Act').
 ``

    (2) The Secretary shall require that each entity, 
 including grantees and subgrantees, that applies for an 
 infrastructure grant for constructing, renovating, or improving 
 child care facilities, including adapting, reconfiguring, or 
 expanding such facilities, which is funded in whole or in part 
 under this section, shall include in its application written 
 assurance that all laborers and mechanics employed by 
 contractors or subcontractors in the performance of 
 construction, alternation or repair, as part of such project, 
 shall be paid wages in accordance with paragraph

    (1) . The 
 Secretary shall not approve any such funding without first 
 obtaining adequate assurance that required labor standards will 
 be maintained with respect to any such construction work.
 ``

    (3) The Secretary of Labor shall have, with respect to 
 the labor standards specified in paragraph

    (1) , the authority 
 and functions set forth in Reorganization Plan Numbered 14 of 
 1950 (15 Fed. Reg. 3176; 5 U.S.C. App.) and 

section 276c of 
 title 40, United States Code.
 ``

    (e) Limitations on Authorization of Appropriations.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--To carry out this section, there is 
 authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000,000 for fiscal year 
 2026, which shall remain available through fiscal year 2030.
 ``

    (2) Reservations of funds.--
 ``
        (A) Indian tribes.--The Secretary shall reserve 3 
 percent of the total amount made available to carry out 
 this section, for payments to Indian tribes.
 ``
        (B) Territories.--The Secretary shall reserve 3 
 percent of the total amount made available to carry out 
 this section, for payments to territories.
 ``

    (3) Grants for intermediary organizations.--Not less than 
 10 percent and not more than 15 percent of the total amount 
 made available to carry out this section may be used to carry 
 out subsection
            (c) (2) .
 ``

    (4) Limitation on use of funds for needs assessments.--
 Not more than $5,000,000 of the amounts made available to carry 
 out this section may be used to carry out subsection

    (b) .
 ``

    (f) Definition of State.--In this section, the term `State' has 
the meaning provided in 

section 419, except that it includes the 
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and any Indian tribe.''.

    (b) Exemption of Territory Grants From Limitation on Total Payments 
to the Territories.--

Section 1108

    (a)

    (2) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
1308

    (a)

    (2) ) is amended by inserting ``418A
            (c) ,'' after ``413

    (f) ,''.
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