I 118th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 8409 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES May 15, 2024 Mr. Nickel introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means A BILL To assist parents in locating and utilizing child care that meets individual family needs.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Helping Our Parents Enroll (HOPE) in Child Care Act . 2. National Child Care Navigator Grants (a) In general Title XX of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1397 et seq. ) is amended by adding at the end the following: D National Child Care Navigator Grant Program 2071. Grants The Secretary may make grants to eligible local partners for the purpose of providing free access to information, counseling, and assistance with respect to locating, enrolling in, and paying for child care, including through programs funded under section 418 of this Act or the Child Care and Development Block Grant of 1990, and through the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 under which child care expenditures may be subsidized. 2072. Grant application and plan requirements (a) In general To be eligible for a grant under this subtitle, an eligible local partner shall submit an application to the Secretary, at such time and in such manner as the Secretary may provide, that includes a plan to establish a program to provide free access to the information, counseling, and assistance referred to in section 2071. As a condition of the grant, the eligible local partner must demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the Secretary— (1) an ability to adequately provide the information, counseling, and assistance; and (2) commitment to operating a program that satisfies the requirements of subsection (d). (b) Duration Each grant under this subtitle shall be awarded for a period of 5 years, except that the grantee may reapply for another 5-year period at the end of each grant period, and the Secretary may terminate such a grant for noncompliance with data reporting requirements or failure to provide promised services or comply with any grant condition. (c) Amount The Secretary shall determine the amount of any grant under this subtitle so as to maximize the number of parents with access to navigators referred to in subsection (d)(1). (d) Program requirements A program satisfies the requirements of this subsection if the program— (1) establishes a system of staff members, including navigators, to provide information on— (A) navigating child care systems, including information on— (i) applying for subsidized child care; (ii) consumer education and information about types of child care settings; (iii) navigating the child care resource and referral system funded under the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990; and (iv) center-based and home based child care; (B) accessing such systems in languages other than English and protections against non-discrimination on the basis of limited English proficiency under title VI of the Civil Rights Act, accommodations and protections against non-discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and protections against non-discrimination under other Federal civil rights laws in child care settings; and (C) any other information specified by the Secretary; (2) in conjunction with the system established under paragraph (1), establishes a system of referral to appropriate departments or agencies within the State in which the eligible local partner is located and, when appropriate, the Federal Government, for other issues related to obtaining assistance (including legal aid), as determined by the Secretary; and (3) establishes a community-based system of education and outreach to raise public awareness of and increase access to the resources described in section 2071 and the availability of information, counseling, and assistance provided by the system of staff members described in paragraph (1) and the system of referrals described in paragraph (2), including by— (A) engaging in a robust program of culturally and linguistically competent education and outreach; (B) creating visual and written content using clear and plain language; (C) tailoring materials to members of underserved areas or populations; (D) working with employers and child care providers to promote the awareness and distribution of information to employees and parents in the community; and (E) partnering with governmental and non-governmental organizations serving working parents or child care providers; (4) provides for a sufficient number of staff positions (which may include but may not consist entirely of volunteer positions) necessary to provide the services of the program; (5) provides for training programs for staff members (including volunteer staff members) and allows for continuous improvement processes for community-based strategies to ensure maximum outreach and engagement with underserved areas or populations; (6) provides for the collection and dissemination of timely, impartial, and accurate programmatic information to staff members (including volunteer staff members); (7) maintains confidentiality of all personal information provided to navigators or program staff (including volunteer staff), including by following procedures set by the Secretary for destroying personally identifiable information and preventing it from being shared with any other government entity; (8) collects non-personally identifiable data to measure equitable access to the program, as described in section 2073(2); and (9) provides data to the Secretary, upon request, regarding how individuals are being served by the program, including— (A) data and details on the number of individuals served, as well as the type and number of services such individuals are receiving; (B) data and details on the problems that individuals may encounter, including a lack of timely payment of benefits or child care availability; and (C) data and details on improvements that could be made at the State or Federal level to promote equitable access to child care. (e) Guaranteed number of grantees per State For each grant cycle, the Secretary shall award a grant under this subtitle to at least 2 eligible local partners in each State that is not Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, or the Northern Mariana Islands, to the extent there are a sufficient number of applications submitted by the entities that meet the requirements applicable with respect to the grant. (f) Maintenance of effort Funds awarded to a State or county under this subtitle shall be used to supplement, not supplant, State and Federal funds, and may not be used to replace any personnel selected on a merit basis. 2073. Criteria for making grants In determining whether to make a grant under this subtitle to an eligible local partner, the Secretary shall consider the commitment of the eligible local partner to— (1) carrying out the program described in section 2072; and (2) promoting equitable access to the program in the State in which the eligible local partner is located, including as the equitable access pertains to— (A) race, ethnicity, sex, gender, sexual orientation, disability, economic status, religion, citizenship, or age; (B) geographic area; and (C) other factors as determined by the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of Labor. 2074. Limitations on authorization of appropriations (a) Grants For grants under this subtitle, there is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary not more than $500,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029. (b) Federal administration For the provision of administrative support and technical assistance for grants awarded under this subtitle, there is authorized to be appropriated for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029 $5,000,000 to the Secretary of Health and Human Services. 2075. Definitions In this subtitle: (1) Eligible local partner The term eligible local partner means a State, county, Indian tribe, tribal organization, or non-profit organization (including a labor organization) with a presence within a State, a history of knowledge of the resources described in section 2071, and a demonstrated commitment to helping workers and families. (2) Indian tribe; tribal organization The terms Indian tribe and tribal organization have the meanings give the terms in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act ( 25 U.S.C. 5304 ). (3) State The term State means the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands. . (b) Effective date The amendment made by subsection (a) shall take effect on October 1, 2024.