I 
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) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agri-
culture 
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 Representa-
tives 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 INI-
TIATIVE. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) CHILDCARE.— 
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(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 kinder-
garten; 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, terri-
tory, 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— 
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(i) a school-based program described 
in subparagraph (A); 
(ii) a facility used for a program de-
scribed in subparagraph (A); and 
(iii) a service provided under a pro-
gram 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 ap-
plicant that proposes to use the loan or grant to ad-
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(1) give priority to communities in farming-de-
pendent 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 organiza-
tion, a staffed family child care network, a community de-
velopment financial institution, a nonprofit organization, 
or a network of nonprofit organizations, with dem-
onstrated expertise in— 
(1) providing technical or financial assistance 
for the acquisition, construction, renovation, or im-
provement 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 devel-
opment. 
(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 qual-
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itative 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 devel-
oped 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. 
Æ 
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