[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1285 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1285
To amend part A of title IV of the Social Security Act to provide
funding to sustain and increase the supply and quality of child care,
access to child care, and the child care workforce, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
April 3, 2025
Mr. Wyden (for himself, Ms. Warren, Mr. Sanders, Ms. Smith, Mr. Welch,
Mr. Durbin, Mr. Kim, Mr. Booker, Mr. Padilla, Mr. Markey, and Mrs.
Shaheen) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Finance
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend part A of title IV of the Social Security Act to provide
funding to sustain and increase the supply and quality of child care,
access to child care, and the child care workforce, 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 ``Building Child Care for a Better
Future Act''.
SEC. 2. INCREASED FUNDING FOR THE CHILD CARE ENTITLEMENT TO STATES.
(a) In General.--Section 418(a)(3) of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 618(a)(3)) is amended to read as follows:
``(3) Appropriation.--
``(A) In general.--For grants under this section,
there are appropriated--
``(i) for fiscal year 2026,
$20,000,000,000; and
``(ii) for each fiscal year after fiscal
year 2026, the greater of--
``(I) the amount appropriated under
this subparagraph for the previous
fiscal year, increased by the
percentage increase (if any) in the
consumer price index for all urban
consumers (all items; United States
city average) for the most recent 12-
month period for which data is
available; and
``(II) the amount appropriated
under this subparagraph for the
previous fiscal year.
``(B) Amounts reserved.--Of the amount appropriated
under subparagraph (A) for a fiscal year--
``(i) an amount equal to 5 percent of such
amount shall be available for grants to Indian
tribes and tribal organizations;
``(ii) an amount equal to 4 percent of such
amount shall be available for grants to
territories;
``(iii) an amount, not to exceed \1/2\ of 1
percent of such amount, shall be reserved by
the Secretary to support technical assistance
and dissemination activities under paragraphs
(3) and (4) of section 658I(a) of the Child
Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990;
and
``(iv) an amount equal to \1/2\ of 1
percent of such amount appropriated may be
reserved by the Secretary to conduct research
and demonstration activities, as well as
periodic external, independent evaluations of
the impact of the Child Care and Development
Block Grant program established under
subchapter C of chapter 8 of title VI of the
Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981
(Public Law 97-35), as carried out under this
subsection and under such subchapter, on
increasing access to child care services and
improving the safety and quality of child care
services, using scientifically valid research
methodologies, and to disseminate the key
findings of those evaluations widely and on a
timely basis.''.
(b) Redistribution of Funds Reserved for Tribal Grants.--Section
418(a) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 618(a)) is amended--
(1) by redesignating paragraph (5) as paragraph (6); and
(2) by inserting after paragraph (4), the following:
``(5) Redistribution of unused tribal grants.--
``(A) In general.--The Secretary shall determine an
appropriate procedure for redistributing the amounts
described in subparagraph (B) for each fiscal year to
each Indian tribe and tribal organization that applies
for such amounts, to the extent the Secretary
determines that the Indian tribe or tribal organization
will be able to use such additional amounts to provide
child care assistance.
``(B) Amounts described.--The amounts described in
this subparagraph are, with respect to a fiscal year,
the unused amounts of any payment made to an Indian
tribe or tribal organization under this subsection for
the fiscal year which the Secretary determines will not
be used by the Indian tribe or tribal organization
during the period in which such payments are available
to be obligated.''.
(c) Removal of Restriction on Application of Updated FMAP.--Section
418(a)(2)(C) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 618(a)(2)(C)) is amended by
striking ``, as such section was in effect on September 30, 1995''.
(d) Technical and Conforming Amendments.--Section 418 of such Act
(42 U.S.C. 618(a)) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) in paragraph (1), in the matter preceding
subparagraph (A), by striking ``paragraph (3)'' and
inserting ``paragraph (3)(A) and remaining after the
application of paragraph (3)(B)'';
(B) in paragraph (2)(A), by striking ``paragraph
(3)(A),'' and inserting ``paragraph (3)(A) and
remaining after the application of paragraph (3)(B)
and'';
(C) in paragraph (4)--
(i) in subparagraph (A), by striking
``paragraph (3)(C)'' and inserting ``paragraph
(3)(B)(ii)''; and
(ii) by striking subparagraph (E); and
(D) in paragraph (6), (as redesignated by
subsection (b)(1)), by inserting ``(as in effect on
June 29, 2003)'' after ``section 403(a)(1)(D)'';
(2) in subsection (b)(1), by striking ``by a State under
this section'' and inserting ``by a State, a territory, or an
Indian tribe or tribal organization under subsection (a)'';
(3) by striking subsection (c) and inserting the following:
``(c) Application of Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of
1990.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, amounts provided to
a State, a territory, or a Indian tribe or tribal organization under
subsection (a) shall be transferred to the lead agency under the Child
Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990, integrated by the State,
territory, or Indian tribe or tribal organization into the programs
established by the State, territory, Indian tribe or tribal
organization under such Act, and be subject to requirements and
limitations of such Act.''; and
(4) by striking subsection (d) and inserting the following:
``(d) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Indian tribe.--The term `Indian tribe' means entities
included on the list published pursuant to section 104(a) of
the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994 (25
U.S.C. 5131(a)).
``(2) State.--The term `State' means each of the 50 States
and the District of Columbia.
``(3) Territory.--The term `territory' means the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands,
Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands.
``(4) Tribal organization.--The term `tribal organization'
means--
``(A) the recognized governing body of any Indian
tribe, and any legally established organization of
Indians which is controlled, sanctioned, or chartered
by such governing body or which is democratically
elected by the adult members of the Indian community to
be served by such organization and which includes the
maximum participation of Indians in all phases of its
activities, except that in any case where a contract is
let or grant made to an organization to perform
services benefitting more than one Indian tribe, the
approval of each such Indian tribe shall be a
prerequisite to the letting or making of such contract
or grant; and
``(B) includes a Native Hawaiian organization, as
defined in section 6207 of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7517) and a private
nonprofit organization established for the purpose of
serving youth who are Indians or Native Hawaiians.''.
(e) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section take
effect on October 1, 2025.
SEC. 3. GRANTS TO IMPROVE CHILD CARE WORKFORCE, SUPPLY, QUALITY, AND
ACCESS IN AREAS OF PARTICULAR NEED.
(a) In General.--Section 418 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
618), as amended by section 2, is further amended by adding at the end
the following:
``(e) Grants To Improve Child Care Workforce, Supply, Quality, and
Access in Areas of Particular Need.--
``(1) In general.--Except as otherwise provided in this
subsection, the preceding provisions of this section shall not
apply to this subsection.
``(2) Appropriations.--
``(A) In general.--For grants under this subsection
to improve child care workforce, supply, quality, and
access in areas of particular need, there are
appropriated $5,000,000,000 for each fiscal year.
``(B) Amounts reserved.--Of the amount appropriated
under subparagraph (A) for a fiscal year, the Secretary
shall reserve--
``(i) an amount equal to 5 percent of such
amount for grants to Indian tribes and tribal
organizations;
``(ii) an amount equal to 4 percent of such
amount for grants to territories;
``(iii) an amount, not to exceed \1/2\ of 1
percent of such amount, to support technical
assistance and dissemination activities related
to improving child care workforce, supply,
quality, and access, including in areas of
particular need, under paragraphs (3) and (4),
respectively, of section 658I(a) of the Child
Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990;
``(iv) an amount equal to \1/2\ of 1
percent of such amount to carry out the
evaluation required under paragraph (8); and
``(v) an amount, not to exceed 3 percent of
such amount, for administrative expenses of the
Secretary in administering this subsection.
``(3) Grants.--
``(A) Indian tribes and tribal organizations.--The
Secretary shall use the amount reserved under paragraph
(2)(B)(i) for a fiscal year to make grants under this
subsection for the fiscal year to Indian tribes and
tribal organizations in amounts that shall be allotted
among Indian tribes and tribal organizations in
proportion to their respective needs.
``(B) Territories.--The Secretary shall use the
amount reserved under paragraph (2)(B)(ii) for a fiscal
year to make grants under this subsection for the
fiscal year to each territory in amounts that shall be
allotted among the territories in proportion to their
respective needs.
``(C) States.--The Secretary shall use the amount
appropriated under subparagraph (A) of paragraph (2)
for a fiscal year that remains after the application of
subparagraph (B) of that paragraph, to make grants for
the fiscal year under this subsection to each State in
amounts that bear the same proportion to the amount so
remaining as the sum of the amount granted under
paragraph (1) of subsection (a) and the amount allotted
and paid under paragraph (2) of subsection (a) to each
such State for the fiscal year (without regard to
amounts redistributed under subparagraph (D) of
subsection (a)(2) for the fiscal year) bears to the
total amounts granted and allotted to all of the States
under paragraphs (1) and (2) of that subsection for
such fiscal year.
``(4) Incorporation into ccdbg plan.--
``(A) Contents.--In order to be paid a grant under
this subsection for a fiscal year, the lead agency of a
State, territory, Indian tribe, or tribal organization
shall submit to the Secretary, as part of the initial
submission of the Child Care and Development Block
Grant plan for the period that includes such fiscal
year, or as an amendment to that plan, a description of
the planned use of grant funds that--
``(i) describes the demographic and
economic data and other criteria the lead
agency proposes to use to determine whether an
area is in particular need of child care;
``(ii) describes how community members were
engaged to identify community-specific needs
such as diverse types of care delivery, care
for infant and toddlers, multilingual care, and
nontraditional operational hours;
``(iii) identifies specific areas
determined to be in particular need of child
care, where such areas are located, the size
and scope of such areas, and the age groups of
children in need of child care in such areas;
``(iv) outlines how the lead agency
proposes to use the grant funds to increase
child care workforce, supply, quality, and
access for all families, including families who
are eligible for subsidies under the Child Care
and Development Block Grant Act of 1990, in the
areas determined to be in particular need of
child care through activities such as--
``(I) contracting and providing
grants to child care providers to pay
for specified numbers of child care
slots (including slots in family child
care homes) and to build supply and
stability by including expectations for
compensation in the contracts and
grants;
``(II) establishing or expanding
the operation of community or
neighborhood-based family child care
networks by providing grants and
contracts for training and other
activities that increase the supply and
quality of family child care;
``(III) furnishing child care
providers with start-up funding,
technical assistance, support for
improving business practices, and
support navigating real estate
financing and development processes,
including leveraging additional
facilities financing resources;
``(IV) providing guidance to child
care providers on negotiating with
landlords or applying for land or home
ownership;
``(V) providing technical
assistance to child care providers
throughout the child care licensing
process;
``(VI) recruiting child care
providers and staff;
``(VII) supporting the training and
professional development of the child
care workforce including through
apprenticeships, partnerships with
labor unions or labor-management
partnerships, and partnerships with
public and nonprofit institutions of
higher education to provide
comprehensive scholarships that support
equitable access to, and completion of,
credentials and degrees in early
childhood education;
``(VIII) attracting and maintaining