119-hr5363

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5363 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 5363

To authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out an initiative to 
 develop, expand, and improve rural childcare, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 September 15, 2025

 Ms. Perez (for herself, Mr. Mann, Ms. Underwood, and Mr. Baird) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
 Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

To authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out an initiative to 
 develop, expand, and improve rural childcare, 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 ``Expanding Childcare in Rural America 
Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. EXPANDING CHILDCARE IN RURAL AMERICA INITIATIVE.

    (a) 

=== Definitions. ===
-In this section:

    (1) Childcare.--
        (A) In general.--The term ``childcare'' means any 
 program that--
            (i) provides quality care and early 
 education for young children who--
            (I) are in kindergarten; or
            (II) have not yet entered 
 kindergarten; and
            (ii) is operated by--
            (I) an eligible childcare provider 
 described in 

section 658P

    (6)
        (A) of the 
 Child Care and Development Block Grant 
 Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858n

    (6)
        (A) ); or
            (II) a childcare provider that, on 
 the date of enactment of this Act--

    (aa) is licensed, 
 regulated, or registered in the 
 State, territory, or Indian 
 Tribe in which the provider is 
 located; and

    (bb) meets applicable 
 State, Tribal, territorial, and 
 local health and safety 
 requirements.
        (B) Inclusions.--The term ``childcare'' includes--
            (i) a school-based program described in 
 subparagraph
        (A) ;
            (ii) a facility used for a program 
 described in subparagraph
        (A) ; and
            (iii) a service provided under a program 
 described in subparagraph
        (A) .

    (2) Initiative.--The term ``Initiative'' means the 
 Expanding Childcare in Rural America Initiative established 
 under subsection

    (b) .

    (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
 of Agriculture.

    (b) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish an initiative, to 
be known as the ``Expanding Childcare in Rural America Initiative'', 
under which the Secretary shall provide, for each of fiscal years 2026 
through 2030, priority in accordance with subsection
            (c) to address the 
availability, quality, and cost of childcare in agricultural and rural 
communities.
            (c) Childcare Priorities.--

    (1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
 law, in selecting recipients of loans and grants under a 
 program described in paragraph

    (2) , the Secretary shall give 
 priority to any qualified applicant that proposes to use the 
 loan or grant to address the availability, quality, or cost of 
 childcare in an agricultural or rural community.

    (2) Description of programs.--The programs referred to in 
 paragraph

    (1) are the following:
        (A) The essential community facilities loan and 
 grant programs authorized under 

section 306

    (a) of the 
 Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 
 1926

    (a) ).
        (B) The technical assistance and training grant 
 program authorized under 

section 306

    (a) of that Act (7 
 U.S.C. 1926

    (a) ).
            (C) The rural business development grant program 
 authorized under 

section 310B
            (c) of that Act (7 U.S.C. 
 1932
            (c) ).
            (D) The business and industry direct and guaranteed 
 loan program authorized under 

section 310B

    (g) of that 
 Act (7 U.S.C. 1932

    (g) ).
        (E) The rural microentrepreneur assistance program 
 authorized under 

section 379E of that Act (7 U.S.C. 
 2008s).
        (F) The rural innovation stronger economy

    (RISE) grant program authorized under 

section 379I of that Act 
 (7 U.S.C. 2008w).
            (d) Requirements.--In providing funding in accordance with the 
Initiative, the Secretary shall--

    (1) give priority to communities in farming-dependent 
 counties, as described in the 2015 county typology codes 
 published by the Economic Research Service (as revised); and

    (2) ensure a balanced geographical distribution of the 
 benefits under the Initiative.

    (e) Use of Intermediaries.--In providing funding in accordance with 
the Initiative, the Secretary may make awards through a childcare 
resource and referral organization, a staffed family child care 
network, a community development financial institution, a nonprofit 
organization, or a network of nonprofit organizations, with 
demonstrated expertise in--

    (1) providing technical or financial assistance for the 
 acquisition, construction, renovation, or improvement of 
 childcare facilities;

    (2) providing technical, financial, or managerial 
 assistance to childcare providers; or

    (3) securing private sources of capital financing for 
 childcare or other low-income community development.

    (f) Evaluation; Report.--

    (1) Evaluation.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
 enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall conduct a 
 comprehensive quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the 
 projects carried out using assistance provided under the 
 Initiative, including--
        (A) a description of--
            (i) the types of projects carried out;
            (ii) the communities in which the projects 
 are carried out;
            (iii) the organizations and entities 
 participating in the projects; and
            (iv) the types of partnerships developed to 
 carry out the projects; and
        (B) the economic and social impacts of the 
 investments in the projects.

    (2) Report.--Not later than 3 years after the date of 
 enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the 
 Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate 
 and the Committee on Agriculture of the House Representatives a 
 report describing the evaluation conducted under paragraph

    (1) , 
 including a thorough analysis of the outcomes of the 
 evaluation.
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