Improving Access to Child Care Act
Bill: H.R.4540 | Sponsor: Rep. Smucker, Lloyd (R-PA)
Policy area: Social Welfare

Summary:
Improving Access to Child Care Act
This bill eliminates certain funding for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program and increases certain funding for child care assistance. Specifically, the bill (1) eliminates the TANF Contingency Fund, which provides additional funds to states in economic distress; and (2) increases and extends child care assistance provided to states and tribes through the Child Care Entitlement to States.

To amend title IV-A of the Social Security Act, and for other purposes.

    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 Access to Child Care 
Act''.

SEC. 2. IMPROVING ACCESS TO CHILD CARE TO SUPPORT WORK.

    Section 418(a)(3) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 618(a)(3)) 
is amended--
            (1) by striking ``$3,550,000,000 for each fiscal year'' and 
        inserting ``$4,158,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 
        through 2027''; and
            (2) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``$3,375,000,000'' and 
        inserting ``$3,983,000,000''.

SEC. 3. ELIMINATION OF CONTINGENCY FUND.

    (a) In General.--Section 403 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
603) is amended by striking all of subsection (b) except paragraph (5).
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--
            (1) Transfer of needy state definition.--
                    (A) In general.--Paragraph (5) of section 403(b) of 
                such Act (42 U.S.C. 603(b)(5)) is--
                            (i) amended--
                                    (I) in the matter preceding 
                                subparagraph (A), by striking 
                                ``paragraph (4)'' and inserting 
                                ``subparagraph (C)'';
                                    (II) in each of subparagraphs (A) 
                                and (B), by redesignating clauses (i) 
                                and (ii) as subclauses (I) and (II), 
                                respectively;
                                    (III) by redesignating 
                                subparagraphs (A) and (B) as clauses 
                                (i) and (ii), respectively;
                                    (IV) by redesignating such 
                                paragraph as subparagraph (D); and
                                    (V) by moving each provision 2 ems 
                                to the right; and
                            (ii) as so amended, hereby transferred into 
                        section 409(a)(3) (42 U.S.C. 609(a)(3)) and 
                        added to the end of such section.
                    (B) Conforming amendment.--Section 409(a)(3)(C) (42 
                U.S.C. 609(a)(3)(C)) is amended by striking ``(as 
                defined in section 403(b)(5))''.
            (2) Elimination of penalty for failure of state receiving 
        amounts from contingency fund to maintain 100 percent of 
        historic effort.--Section 409(a) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 609(a)) 
        is amended by striking paragraph (10).

SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    The amendment made by this Act shall take effect on October 1, 
2022.
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