Sen. Marshall and Bipartisan Group Introduce Bill to Expand Rural Childcare Access
This bill is currently in the early stages of the legislative process. It has been sent to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry for review. No further actions are scheduled at this time.
The bill has strong support from both parties and addresses a problem that affects many voters. However, it still needs to pass through committees and both chambers of Congress.
Scores run from -100 (strongly harmful) to +100 (strongly beneficial) for each group, combining impact, certainty, scope, and duration ratings of 1-5. How impact scoring works
The bill includes migrant and seasonal Head Start programs in its definition of eligible childcare. Families of migrant farmworkers in rural areas could see improved access to childcare through prioritized USDA funding, though the benefit is indirect since funding goes to providers rather than families directly.
“a program described in subparagraph (A) that is a Head Start program, including a migrant and seasonal Head Start program”
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in Senate
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Senator Sherrod Brown discussed the Expanding Childcare in Rural America Act, which would direct the USDA to prioritize projects addressing the availability, quality, and cost of childcare in rural areas through existing programs like the Community Facilities Program.
The House Agriculture Committee passed the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024, which includes the Expanding Childcare in Rural America Initiative. The bill prioritizes USDA Rural Development loans and grants for projects that improve childcare access in small towns.
Senate Republicans released a Farm Bill framework that mirrors House efforts to bolster rural communities. The plan includes the Expanding Childcare in Rural America Act, directing the USDA to prioritize childcare infrastructure in its rural development portfolio.
No votes recorded for this bill yet.
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
A bill to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to establish an initiative to address the availability, quality, and cost of childcare in rural areas, and for other purposes.
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