Title: Expanding On-Campus Child Care to Help Student Parents Succeed Act
Policy area: Education

Summary:
Expanding On-Campus Child Care to Help Student Parents Succeed Act
This bill permanently reauthorizes and revises the Child Care Access Means Parents in School Program. (The program awards grants to support the participation of low-income parents in postsecondary education through the provision of campus-based child care services.)
Among other revisions to the program, the bill allows grant funds to be used for additional purposes (e.g., child care subsidies and support services) and specifies additional grant application requirements.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1403 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1403

 To amend the Child Care Access Means Parents in School Program under 
                   the Higher Education Act of 1965.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 9, 2019

Ms. Duckworth (for herself, Mr. Casey, Mr. Durbin, Mrs. Gillibrand, and 
Mr. Van Hollen) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
  referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Child Care Access Means Parents in School Program under 
                   the Higher Education Act of 1965.

    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 ``Expanding On-Campus Child Care to 
Help Student Parents Succeed Act''.

SEC. 2. CHILD CARE ACCESS MEANS PARENTS IN SCHOOL.

    Section 419N of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070e) 
is amended--
            (1) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the following:
    ``(a) Purpose.--The purpose of this section is to facilitate the 
success of low-income parents in postsecondary education through the 
provision of subsidized child care services, including campus-based 
child care services.'';
            (2) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in paragraph (2), by striking subparagraphs (A) 
                and (B) and inserting the following:
                    ``(A) Minimum grant amount.--A grant under this 
                section shall be awarded in an amount that is not less 
                than $50,000.
                    ``(B) CCAMPIS increase.--
                            ``(i) In general.--For any fiscal year for 
                        which the amount appropriated under subsection 
                        (h) is not less than $140,000,000, the 
                        Secretary may increase the amount of a grant 
                        awarded under this section to an eligible 
                        institution of higher education if the 
                        institution submits an application that--
                                    ``(I) demonstrates the success of 
                                the eligible institution of higher 
                                education in serving a significant 
                                number of low-income student parents, 
                                which may include graduation, transfer, 
                                or retention rates for full-time and 
                                part-time students receiving subsidies 
                                for child care under this section;
                                    ``(II) demonstrates the need for 
                                additional funds; and
                                    ``(III) provides information 
                                regarding the planned use of additional 
                                funds to--
                                            ``(aa) improve the quality 
                                        of a campus-based child care 
                                        facility;
                                            ``(bb) provide child care 
                                        subsidies to additional student 
                                        parents; or
                                            ``(cc) provide support 
                                        services to student parents.
                            ``(ii) Maximum amount.--The increase paid 
                        to an eligible institution of higher education 
                        under clause (i) for a fiscal year shall not 
                        exceed an amount equal to 20 percent of the 
                        amount of the annual grant payment received by 
                        the institution under paragraph (3)(B) for the 
                        fiscal year preceding the fiscal year for which 
                        the increase is paid.
                            ``(iii) Eligible institution of higher 
                        education.--In this subparagraph, the term 
                        `eligible institution of higher education' 
                        means an institution of higher education that 
                        has received a grant under this section for not 
                        less than the period of 3 consecutive fiscal 
                        years preceding the fiscal year in which the 
                        increase is paid under clause (i).'';
                    (B) in paragraph (3)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``4 
                        years'' and inserting ``5 years''; and
                            (ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
                        ``subsection (e)(2)'' and inserting 
                        ``subsection (e)(3)'';
                    (C) in paragraph (4), by striking ``exceeds 
                $350,000'' and all that follows through the period at 
                the end and inserting ``exceeds $300,000, except for 
                institutions that are eligible for assistance under 
                title III or V.''; and
                    (D) by striking paragraph (5) and inserting the 
                following:
            ``(5) Use of funds.--Grants funds under this section shall 
        be used by an institution of higher education to support 
        accessible high-quality child care services for low-income 
        parents enrolled in postsecondary education. Grant funds under 
        this section may be used--
                    ``(A) to support or establish a campus-based child 
                care program primarily serving the needs of low-income 
                students enrolled at the institution of higher 
                education;
                    ``(B) to provide child care subsidies or a sliding 
                fee scale for low-income student parents;
                    ``(C) to provide affordable and accessible before 
                and after school services for children of low-income 
                student parents;
                    ``(D) to provide support services for low-income 
                student parents; or
                    ``(E) to enhance the quality of campus-based child 
                care services, including improvements to--
                            ``(i) move to the next tier or level of the 
                        State tiered and transparent system for 
                        measuring the quality of child care providers;
                            ``(ii) implement the training and 
                        professional development required for child 
                        care providers through the Child Care and 
                        Development Block Grant Act of 2014 (Public Law 
                        113-186); or
                            ``(iii) implement quality improvements 
                        toward achieving accreditation from a 
                        nationally recognized accrediting body.'';
            (3) by striking subsection (c) and inserting the following:
    ``(c) Applications.--
            ``(1) In general.--An institution of higher education 
        desiring a grant under this section shall submit an application 
        to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and accompanied 
        by such information as the Secretary may require. Such 
        application shall--
                    ``(A) demonstrate that the institution is an 
                eligible institution described in subsection (b)(4);
                    ``(B) specify the amount of funds requested;
                    ``(C) demonstrate the need of low-income students 
                at the institution for accessible and affordable child 
                care services by including in the application--
                            ``(i) information regarding student 
                        demographics;
                            ``(ii) an assessment of child care capacity 
                        on or near campus;
                            ``(iii) information regarding the existence 
                        of waiting lists for child care services on or 
                        near campus;
                            ``(iv) information regarding additional 
                        needs created by concentrations of poverty or 
                        by geographic isolation; and
                            ``(v) other relevant data;
                    ``(D) contain a description of the activities to be 
                assisted, including whether the grant funds will 
                support an existing child care program or a new child 
                care program;
                    ``(E) identify the resources, including technical 
                expertise and financial support, the institution will 
                draw upon to support the child care program and the 
                participation of low-income students in the program 
                (such as accessing social services funding, using 
                student activity fees to help pay the costs of child 
                care, using resources obtained by meeting the needs of 
                parents who are not low-income students, and accessing 
                foundation, corporate, or other institutional support) 
                and demonstrate that the use of the resources will not 
                result in increases in student tuition;
                    ``(F) contain an assurance that the institution 
                will meet the child care needs of low-income students 
                through the provision of services, or through a 
                contract for the provision of services;
                    ``(G) describe the extent to which the child care 
                program will coordinate with the institution's early 
                childhood education curriculum, to the extent the 
                curriculum is available, to meet the needs of the 
                students in the early childhood education program at 
                the institution, and the needs of the parents and 
                children participating in the child care program 
                assisted under this section;
                    ``(H) in the case of an institution seeking 
                assistance for a new child care program--
                            ``(i) provide a timeline, covering the 
                        period from receipt of the grant through the 
                        provision of the child care services, 
                        delineating the specific steps the institution 
                        will take to achieve the goal of providing low-
                        income students with child care services;
                            ``(ii) specify any measures the institution 
                        will take to assist low-income students with 
                        child care during the period before the 
                        institution provides child care services;
                            ``(iii) include a plan for identifying 
                        resources needed for the child care services, 
                        including space in which to provide child care 
                        services, and technical assistance if 
                        necessary; and
                            ``(iv) include plans to assure quality of 
                        campus-based child care facilities;
                    ``(I) in the case of an institution seeking 
                assistance for a campus-based child care program in 
                existence on the date of the application--
                            ``(i) provide information regarding the 
                        number of low-income students served through 
                        campus-based child care on such date;
                            ``(ii) provide information on the age 
                        groups of children to be served;
                            ``(iii) specify any measures the 
                        institution will take to assist students 
                        eligible under this section who are waitlisted 
                        for the campus-based child care program;
                            ``(iv) provide information regarding the 
                        application of subsidies or a sliding fee scale 
                        for child care services;
                            ``(v) specify what staff positions will be 
                        supported by funding under this section, and 
                        how those staff positions support the purpose 
                        under subsection (a);
                            ``(vi) provide information on the total 
                        number of children served by the campus-based 
                        child care program, and number of children of 
                        students served; and
                            ``(vii) specify if funding will be used to 
                        enhance program quality as described in 
                        subsection (b)(5)(E);
                    ``(J) in the case of an institution seeking 
                assistance that will contract for the provision of 
                child care services--
                            ``(i) provide information on the age groups 
                        of children to be served;
                            ``(ii) provide information regarding the 
                        application of subsidies or a sliding fee scale 
                        for child care services; and
                            ``(iii) provide information regarding 
                        parameters the institution will use in 
                        selecting child care providers in contracting 
                        for the provision of services, including--
                                    ``(I) assessment of program 
                                quality; and
                                    ``(II) geographic location;
                    ``(K) contain an assurance that any child care 
                facility assisted under this section will meet the 
                applicable State and local government licensing, 
                certification, approval, or registration requirements;
                    ``(L) describe how information regarding the 
                availability of subsidized child care will be provided 
                to students;
                    ``(M) contain an assurance that the institution, 
                when applicable, will make information available to 
                students receiving child care services provided under 
                this section about the eligibility of such students for 
                assistance under the supplemental nutrition assistance 
                program under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 
                U.S.C. 2011 et seq.) and the program of block grants 
                for States for temporary assistance for needy families 
                established under part A of title IV of the Social 
                Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.);
                    ``(N) contain an abstract summarizing the contents 
                of such application and how the institution intends to 
                achieve the purpose under subsection (a); and
                    ``(O) contain a plan for any child care facility 
                assisted under this section to become accredited within 
                3 years of the date the institution first receives 
                assistance under this section.
            ``(2) Technical assistance.--The Secretary may provide 
        technical assistance to eligible institutions to help such 
        institutions qualify for, apply for, and maintain a grant under 
        this section.'';
            (4) by striking subsection (d) and inserting the following:
    ``(d) Priority.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall give priority in 
        awarding grants under this section--
                    ``(A) first to institutions of higher education 
                that submit applications describing programs that 
                leverage significant local or institutional resources, 
                including in-kind contributions, to support the 
                activities assisted under this section; and
                    ``(B) to institutions of higher education that 
                submit applications describing programs that utilize a 
                sliding fee scale for child care services provided 
                under this section in order to support a high number of 
                low-income parents pursuing postsecondary education at 
                the institution, after the institution gives priority 
                to institutions described in subparagraph (A).
            ``(2) Prohibition.--The Secretary may not give priority in 
        awarding grants under this section to institutions of higher 
        education that propose projects that are designed to increase 
        access to educational choice.'';
            (5) in subsection (e)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1)(B), by striking the semicolon 
                at the end of clause (i) and inserting the following: 
                ``which shall include--
                                    ``(I) the number of full- and part-
                                time students, respectively, receiving 
                                child care services under this section;
                                    ``(II) whether the institution 
                                restricts eligibility for child care 
                                services to only full-time students; 
                                and
                                    ``(III) the number of students 
                                receiving child care services under 
                                this section who--
                                            ``(aa) remain enrolled at 
                                        the institution during the 
                                        academic year for which they 
                                        received such services;
                                            ``(bb) graduate from the 
                                        institution during the academic 
                                        year for which they received 
                                        such services;
                                            ``(cc) transfer to a 
                                        different institution during 
                                        the academic year for which 
                                        they received such services; or
                                            ``(dd) withdrew from the 
                                        institution during the academic 
                                        year for which they received 
                                        such services;'';
                    (B) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph 
                (3);
                    (C) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:
            ``(2) Report.--
                    ``(A) Report required.--On an annual basis, the 
                Secretary shall submit to the authorizing committees a 
                report that includes--
                            ``(i) a summary of the information 
                        described in paragraph (1); and
                            ``(ii) each abstract submitted under 
                        subsection (c)(1)(N) by an institution of 
                        higher education that receives a grant under 
                        this section.
                    ``(B) Public availability.--The Secretary shall 
                make each report submitted under subparagraph (A) 
                publicly available.
                    ``(C) Stakeholder consultation.--The Secretary 
                shall work with relevant stakeholders to determine the 
                manner in which the data described under subparagraph 
                (A) is collected in order to ensure compliance with 
                such subparagraph.''; and
                    (D) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following:
            ``(4) Technical assistance.--The Secretary shall provide 
        technical assistance to institutions of higher education 
        receiving grants under this section to help such institutions 
        meet necessary reporting requirements.'';
            (6) by redesignating subsection (g) as subsection (h);
            (7) by inserting after subsection (f) the following:
    ``(g) Nondiscrimination.--No person in the United States shall, on 
the basis of actual or perceived race, color, religion, national 
origin, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), or 
disability, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits 
of, or be subjected to discrimination by any program funded, in whole 
or in part, with funds made available under this section or with 
amounts appropriated for grants, contracts, or certificates 
administered with such funds.''; and
            (8) in subsection (h), as redesignated by paragraph (6), by 
        striking ``such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2009 
        and each of the five succeeding fiscal years'' and inserting 
        ``$200,000,000 for fiscal year 2020 and each succeeding fiscal 
        year''.
                                 <all>