April 22, 2026
Mr. Pappas introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce
To support infrastructure investment in small and rural child care facilities.
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.