Rural Child Care Access Act

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