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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9810 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 9810
To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out an
early childhood educator loan assistance program, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 25, 2024
Ms. Clark of Massachusetts (for herself, Ms. Bonamici, Mr. Gomez, Ms.
McClellan, Ms. Pettersen, and Ms. Tokuda) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the
Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out an
early childhood educator loan assistance program, 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 ``Child Care Workforce Development
Act''.
SEC. 2. EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATOR LOAN ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
(a) Authority.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services may
carry out a program of entering into contracts with eligible early
childhood educators under which such educators agree to serve for a
period of 5 years as early childhood educators with a qualified
employer, in consideration of the Federal Government agreeing to repay,
for each year of such service, not more than $6,000 of the principal
and interest of the educational loans of such educators.
(b) Recertification.--An eligible early childhood educator seeking
to continue to receive payments under this section shall submit on an
annual basis to the Secretary such information as the Secretary may
require to certify that the educator is continuing to meet the criteria
to be considered an eligible early childhood educator.
(c) Maximum Amount of Loan.--The total amount of payments received
by an eligible early childhood educator under this section may not
exceed the total amount of the principal and interest of the
educational loans of such educator.
(d) Applicability of Certain Provisions.--The following provisions
of the National Health Service Corps Loan Assistance Program
established in subpart III of part D of the Public Health Service Act
(42 U.S.C. 254l et seq.) shall apply to the program established under
this section in the same manner and to the same extent as such
provisions apply to the National Health Service Corps Loan Assistance
Program:
(1) Paragraphs (1) through (3) of section 338B(c) of such
Act (42 U.S.C. 254l-1(c); relating to application information,
understandability, and availability).
(2) Section 338B(c)(4) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 254l-1(c)(4);
relating to recruitment and retention).
(3) Section 338B(d) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 254l-1(d);
relating to factors considered in providing contracts).
(4) Section 338(e) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 254l-1(e);
relating to the approval required for participation).
(5) Section 338B(f) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 254l-1(f);
relating to contents of contracts).
(6) Section 338B(g) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 254l-1(g);
relating to payments, including repayment schedule and tax
liability).
(e) Report to Congress.--Not later than 5 years after the date of
enactment of this section, the Secretary shall submit to the Congress a
report on the implementation of this section.
(f) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) The term ``eligible early childhood educator'' means an
individual who--
(A) as of the date on which the agreement referred
to in subsection (a)(1) is entered into--
(i) has outstanding Federal direct loans
obtained for purposes of pursuing an
associate's degree, including a child
development associate credential, a bachelor's
degree, a graduate degree, or a combined
bachelor and master's degree, in early
childhood education or a related field from an
accredited institution (including any such loan
for which the individual is enrolled in an
income-based repayment plan); and
(ii) is in good standing with respect to
the loans referred to in clause (i); and
(B) agrees to--
(i) serve as an early childhood educator
with a qualified employer for a period of not
less than 5 years; and
(ii) make timely payments with respect to
the loans described in subparagraph (A)(i).
(2) The term ``qualified employer'' means a childcare
provider that receives or is eligible to receive vouchers or
assistance under the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act
of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9857 et seq.).
(3) The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Health
and Human Services.
(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $25,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2025 through 2030.
SEC. 3. GRANTS FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS.
(a) In General.--Beginning not later than 180 days after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Education (referred to
in this section as the ``Secretary'') shall carry out a program under
which the Secretary makes payments to institutions of higher education
with a qualified early childhood educator program to enable such
institutions to make grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible
individuals who file an application and agreement in accordance with
subsections (b) and (c).
(b) Applications.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall periodically set dates
by which eligible individuals shall file applications for a
grant under this section. Each eligible individual desiring a
grant under this section shall file with the Secretary an
application containing such information and assurances as the
Secretary may determine necessary to enable the Secretary to
carry out the functions and responsibilities of this section.
(2) Renewal.--A grant awarded under this section may be
renewed for additional one-year periods if--
(A) the recipient submits a renewal application
containing such information and assurances as the
Secretary may determine necessary; and
(B) the grant is renewed not more than three times,
for a total of not more than four academic years for
each eligible recipient.
(c) Service Obligation.--
(1) Agreements to serve.--Each application under subsection
(b) shall include, or be accompanied by--
(A) an agreement by the applicant that--
(i) in the event that the applicant
receives a grant under this section, the
applicant shall--
(I) not later than 4 years after
completing the qualified early
childhood program for which the
applicant will be receiving such grant,
serve as a full-time or part-time
educator in a licensed early learning
program for a total of not less than
one academic year, and four additional
months for each subsequent grant
renewal; and
(II) submit a certification of
service in a licensed early learning
program in such form as the Secretary
may determine necessary; and
(ii) in the event that the applicant is
determined to have failed or refused to carry
out such service obligation, the sum of the
amounts of any grants received by such
applicant under this section will be treated as
a loan and collected from the applicant in
accordance with paragraph (3) and the
regulations thereunder; and
(B) a plain-language disclosure form developed by
the Secretary that clearly describes the nature of the
grant award, the service obligation, and the loan
repayment requirements that are the consequence of the
failure to complete the service obligation.
(2) Treatment of concurrent service.--An individual who
serves as a full or part-time educator in a licensed early
childhood education program concurrently while enrolled in a
qualified early childhood educator program may count such
service toward the fulfillment of the service obligation in the
agreement under paragraph (1).
(3) Repayment for failure to complete service.--
(A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraph
(B), in the event that any recipient of a grant under
this section fails or refuses to comply with the
service obligation in the agreement under paragraph
(1), the sum of the amounts of any grants received by
such recipient shall, upon a determination of such a
failure or refusal in such service obligation, be
treated as a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan
under part D of title IV of the Higher Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087a et seq.) except that--
(i) no interest shall accrue on such
amounts; and
(ii) such amounts shall be subject to
repayment in accordance with--
(I) an income-contingent or income-
based repayment plan described in
subparagraph (D) or (E) of section
455(d)(1) of the Higher Education Act
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087e(d)(1)),
respectively, if the individual meets
the eligibility requirements for such a
repayment plan; and
(II) such other terms and
conditions as are specified by the
Secretary in regulations promulgated
under this section.
(B) Hardship extension.--In the case of a recipient
who has made a good faith effort to find employment in
a licensed early learning program and has been unable
to acquire such employment, the Secretary is authorized
to provide a hardship extension for a period of not
more than one year to grant recipients who fail to
complete their service requirement within the 4-year
period described in paragraph (1)(A)(i).
(d) Grant Amount.--An eligible individual selected to receive a
grant or a grant renewal under this section shall receive a grant in an
amount not to exceed $4,000 for each academic year during which the
individual is enrolled on a full-time or part-time basis in the
qualified early childhood educator program for which the grant was
awarded.
(e) Grant Disbursement.--Payments under this section to an eligible
institution shall be made in accordance with regulations promulgated by
the Secretary for such purpose and in such manner as will best
accomplish the purposes of this section, provided--
(1) any disbursement made by crediting a grant recipient's
account shall be limited to tuition and fees and other
materials necessary for the completion of coursework in a
qualified early childhood educator program as determined by the
Secretary; and
(2) not less than 85 percent of any funds provided to an
eligible institution under subsection (a) shall be advanced to
the institution prior to the start of each payment period and
shall be based upon an amount requested by the institution as
needed to cover the total cost of grants awarded to eligible
recipients until such time as the Secretary determines and
publishes in the Federal Register with an opportunity for
comment, an alternative payment system that provides payments
to institutions in an accurate and timely manner, except that
this sentence shall not be construed to limit the authority of
the Secretary to place an institution on a reimbursement system
of payment.
(f) Direct Payment.--Nothing in this section shall be construed to
prohibit the Secretary from making a grant directly to an eligible
individual in a case in which an institution of higher education with a
qualified early childhood educator program does not participate in the
program under subsection (a).
(g) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Eligible individual.--The term ``eligible individual''
means an individual who is enrolled on a full-time or part-time
basis in a qualified early childhood educator program.
(2) Institution of higher education.--The term
``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given that
term in section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1002).
(3) Qualified early childhood educator program.--The term
``qualified early childhood educator program'' means a course
of study leading to an associate's degree or a certificate in
early childhood education or a related field from an
institution of higher education.
(4) Licensed early learning program.--The term ``licensed
early learning program'' means any State-licensed or State-
regulated program or provider, regardless of setting or funding
source, that provides early care and education for children
from birth to kindergarten entry, including programs operated
by child care centers and in family child care homes.
(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--
(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
carry out this section $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years
2025 through 2029.
(2) Limitation.--Of the amount made available under
paragraph (1) in any fiscal year, not more than 3 percent may
be used by the Secretary for evaluation, monitoring, salaries,
and administrative expenses.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
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