I 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 9707 
To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a block 
grant program to provide incentives to underage mothers to stay in 
school and remain off of welfare, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 3, 2023 
Mr. GOHMERT introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Education and Labor 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to 
establish a block grant program to provide incentives 
to underage mothers to stay in school and remain off 
of welfare, 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 ‘‘Making Opportunities 
for Mothers Act’’ or the ‘‘MOM Act’’. 
SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services shall establish a grant program under 
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which the Secretary makes block grants to States to be 
administered in accordance with this section. 
(b) USE OF GRANT.—A State that receives a grant 
under subsection (a) shall use such grant to pay the cost 
of— 
(1) child care services for an eligible mother 
who is a student enrolled in elementary school or 
secondary school or enrolled on not less than a half- 
time basis in an institution of higher education, 
which enable such mother to attend the courses in 
which she is enrolled; and 
(2) child care services for an eligible mother de-
scribed in paragraph (1) who has employment after 
attending the courses in which she is enrolled, which 
enable such mother to be so employed. 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.—The term ‘‘elemen-
tary school’’ has the meaning given such term in 
section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 
(2) ELIGIBLE MOTHER.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The term ‘‘eligible 
mother’’ means an individual who— 
(i) has not attained the age of 18; 
(ii) has given birth to a child; and 
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(iii) has not been permanently sepa-
rated from such child. 
(B) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in 
this Act shall be construed to make a mother 
ineligible for payments or services under this 
Act by virtue of being married. 
(3) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 
term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the 
meaning given the term in section 102 of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002). 
(4) SECONDARY
SCHOOL.—The term ‘‘sec-
ondary school’’ has the meaning given such term in 
section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 
(5) STATE.—In this section, the term ‘‘State’’ 
means the several States and the District of Colum-
bia. 
Æ 
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