I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7683 
To amend the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 to 
make projects that directly or indirectly increase the accessibility of 
affordable, quality child care eligible for certain grants, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 20, 2020 
Ms. FINKENAUER (for herself and Mr. HAGEDORN) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infra-
structure, and in addition to the Committee on Financial Services, for a 
period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the com-
mittee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend the Public Works and Economic Development 
Act of 1965 to make projects that directly or indirectly 
increase the accessibility of affordable, quality child care 
eligible for certain grants, 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 ‘‘Affordable Child Care 
for Economic Strategies and Success Act’’ or the ‘‘AC-
CESS Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. GRANTS FOR PUBLIC WORKS AND ECONOMIC DE-
VELOPMENT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 201 of the Public Works 
and Economic Development Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3141) 
is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) in paragraph (1) by striking ‘‘; and’’ 
and inserting a semicolon; 
(B) in paragraph (2) by striking the period 
and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(3) planning, developing, or creating a project 
or facility that will directly or indirectly increase the 
accessibility of affordable, quality child care.’’; and 
(2) in subsection (b)(1)— 
(A) in subparagraph (B) by striking ‘‘; or’’ 
and inserting a semicolon; 
(B) in subparagraph (C) by striking the 
semicolon and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(D) increase the accessibility of afford-
able, quality child care;’’. 
(b) REGULATIONS.—Not later than 120 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
Commerce, in consultation with the Secretary of Health 
and Human Services, shall issue such regulations as are 
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necessary to establish criteria for whether a project di-
rectly or indirectly increases the accessibility of affordable, 
quality child care. Such criteria shall consider: 
(1) The availability, validity, and accessibility of 
timely data. 
(2) The extent to which a project contributes to 
a family’s financial security. 
(3) The extent to which a project address child 
care needs in child care deserts or areas otherwise 
recognized as being in shortage. 
(c) CHILD CARE DESERT DEFINED.—In this section, 
the term ‘‘child care desert’’ means— 
(1) an area— 
(A) within a census tract; and 
(B) in which the number of children who 
are under age 5 (as determined using the most 
recent American Community Survey 1-year Es-
timates, as published by the Bureau of the Cen-
sus) is more than 3 times the number of slots 
provided by child care providers who are li-
censed or registered by the State involved; or 
(2) a community that the State or tribal entity 
involved determines has a low supply of quality, af-
fordable child care. 
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SEC. 3. GRANTS FOR PLANNING AND GRANTS FOR ADMIN-
ISTRATIVE EXPENSES. 
Section 203(b)(4) of the Public Works and Economic 
Development Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3143(b)(4)) is 
amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(4) formulating and implementing an economic 
development program that includes systematic ef-
forts to— 
‘‘(A) reduce unemployment and increase 
incomes; or 
‘‘(B) increase the accessibility of afford-
able, quality child care.’’. 
SEC. 4. GRANTS FOR TRAINING, RESEARCH, AND TECH-
NICAL ASSISTANCE. 
Section 207(a)(2) of the Public Works and Economic 
Development Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3147(a)(2)) is 
amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (H) by striking ‘‘; and’’; 
(2) by redesignating subparagraph (I) as sub-
paragraph (J); and 
(3) by inserting after subparagraph (H) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(I) the planning, development, or creation 
of a project or facility that will directly or indi-
rectly increase the accessibility of affordable, 
quality child care; and’’. 
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