Improving Early Childhood Data Systems Act
Bill: S.4675 | Sponsor: Sen. Hassan, Margaret Wood (D-NH)
Policy area: Families

Summary:
Improving Early Childhood Data Systems Act
This bill provides grants to states to improve the data systems that assist families seeking child care assistance.

To amend the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 to 
      provide grants to States to establish positions to minimize 
    administrative burden on families seeking child care assistance.

    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 ``Improving Early Childhood Data 
Systems Act''.

SEC. 2. STATE ADMINISTRATIVE IMPROVEMENT.

    Section 658L of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 
1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858j) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(c) State Administrative Improvement Activities.--
            ``(1) Grants.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Secretary shall make grants 
                to covered lead agencies--
                            ``(i) to establish, or expand and improve, 
                        activities to obtain existing or future data 
                        collected by--
                                    ``(I) the covered lead agency 
                                involved or a contractor of the agency, 
                                such as a child care resource and 
                                referral agency; or
                                    ``(II) the agency administering a 
                                related program referred to in 
                                paragraph (4)(B), relating to the data 
                                system for the program; and
                            ``(ii) to use the data to inform and 
                        improve administration of child care and 
                        related programs, for the State, territory, or 
                        Indian tribe involved.
                    ``(B) Number of grants.--The Secretary may make 
                grants to not more than 10 covered lead agencies under 
                this subsection.
                    ``(C) Duration and amounts.--The Secretary may make 
                the grants for periods of 5 years, in amounts of not 
                less than $50,000, and not more than $500,000, for each 
                year in the grant period involved.
            ``(2) Application.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
        this subsection, a covered lead agency shall submit an 
        application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and 
        containing such information as the Secretary may require, 
        including--
                    ``(A) how the grant funds will be used to improve 
                data usage and processing;
                    ``(B) how the grant funds will improve utilization 
                of child care assistance, by minimizing the 
                administrative burden on families seeking child care 
                assistance under this subchapter; and
                    ``(C) if the covered lead agency intends to work 
                with other entities to carry out the activities 
                described in this subsection, how the covered lead 
                agency intends to work with such entities.
            ``(3) Priority.--In determining which covered lead agencies 
        receive grants under this subsection, the Secretary shall give 
        priority to the 1 covered lead agency that demonstrates, in the 
        agency's application submitted under paragraph (2), the most 
        need for activities that are described in paragraph (4)(B) and 
        are determined by the Secretary, in the discretion of the 
        Secretary, to be appropriate.
            ``(4) Use of funds.--
                    ``(A) In general.--A covered lead agency that 
                receives a grant under this section shall use the grant 
                funds to analyze the existing or future data described 
                in paragraph (1)(A)(i) to determine how the State, 
                territory, or Indian tribe will improve, and to use the 
                data to improve, one or more of the following:
                            ``(i) Minimizing the administrative burden 
                        on families seeking child care assistance under 
                        this subchapter.
                            ``(ii) Reducing barriers to access to the 
                        child care assistance.
                            ``(iii) Improving equity and reducing 
                        disparities in distribution of that assistance.
                            ``(iv) Improving related customer services.
                            ``(v) Decreasing processing time in 
                        providing those services.
                            ``(vi) Reducing temporary loss of child 
                        care assistance by families of eligible 
                        children, particularly during renewal periods.
                    ``(B) Data systems.--The covered lead agency shall 
                use the grant funds--
                            ``(i) to integrate, or make interoperable, 
                        data systems used to administer the child care 
                        program (operated by the covered lead agency or 
                        a contractor of the agency) with related public 
                        assistance programs; and
                            ``(ii) to provide for a system upgrade for 
                        the data system of the child care program, 
                        including by purchasing new computers and 
                        equipment.
            ``(5) Reports.--A covered lead agency that receives a grant 
        under this subsection shall, not later than the last day of the 
        grant period, prepare and submit to the Secretary a report that 
        describes how the grant funds have enabled the State, 
        territory, or Indian tribe involved to use data and data 
        systems more effectively and to carry out an activity described 
        in paragraph (4)(A).
            ``(6) Definitions.--In this subsection:
                    ``(A) Covered lead agency.--The term `covered lead 
                agency' means--
                            ``(i) with respect to a State, the State's 
                        lead agency; and
                            ``(ii) with respect to a territory or an 
                        Indian tribe, the analogous agency for the 
                        territory or tribe.
                    ``(B) Territory.--The term `territory' means a 
                jurisdiction referred to in section 658O(a)(1).''.

SEC. 3. TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS.

    (a) Administrative Costs.--Section 658E(c)(3)(C) of the Child Care 
and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858c(c)(3)(C)) is 
amended, in the second sentence, by inserting ``or carrying out 
activities under section 658L(c)'' before the period at the end.
    (b) Appropriations.--Section 658O(a) of the Child Care and 
Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858m(a)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraphs (1), (3), and (4), by striking ``this 
        subchapter'' and inserting ``section 658B''; and
            (2) in paragraph (5), by striking ``this subchapter'' the 
        first place it appears and inserting ``section 658B''.
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