[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2722 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2722
To establish a grant pilot program to provide child care services for
the minor children of law enforcement officers to accommodate the shift
work and abnormal work hours of such officers, and to enhance
recruitment and retention of such officers.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 19, 2023
Mr. Peters (for himself, Mr. Valadao, Mr. Harder of California, and Mr.
Issa) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on
Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined
by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as
fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a grant pilot program to provide child care services for
the minor children of law enforcement officers to accommodate the shift
work and abnormal work hours of such officers, and to enhance
recruitment and retention of such officers.
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 ``Providing Child Care for Police
Officers Act of 2023''.
SEC. 2. CHILD CARE GRANT PROGRAM TO SUPPORT LAW ENFORCEMENT.
(a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services
shall establish a program to award grants to States, on a competitive
basis, to assist States in providing funds to encourage the
establishment and operation of child care programs to obtain child care
services for the minor children of law enforcement officers during the
shift work and abnormal work hours of such officers.
(b) Application.--To be eligible to receive a grant under this
section, a State shall prepare and submit to the Secretary an
application at such time, in such manner, and containing such
information as the Secretary may require, including an assurance that
the funds required under subsection (e) will be provided.
(c) Period of Grant.--The Secretary shall make the grant for a
period of 3 years.
(d) Set-Aside.--Of the amount appropriated to carry out this Act
for a fiscal year, not less than 20 percent shall be used to make
grants to eligible units of State and local government that employ
fewer than 200 full-time law enforcement officers.
(e) Use of Funds.--
(1) In general.--A State shall use amounts provided under a
grant awarded under this section to provide assistance to law
enforcement agencies (or consortia formed in accordance with
paragraph (3)) located in the State to enable the small
businesses (or consortia) to establish and operate child care
programs. Such assistance may include--
(A) technical assistance in the establishment of a
child care program;
(B) assistance for the startup costs related to a
child care program;
(C) assistance for the training of child care
providers;
(D) scholarships for families;
(E) the provision of services to care for sick
children or to provide care to school-aged children;
(F) the entering into of contracts with local
resource and referral organizations or local health
departments;
(G) assistance for care for children with
disabilities;
(H) assistance to maintain nonstandard hours for
expanded hours of child care;
(I) payment of expenses for construction,
renovation or operation of a child care facility,
notwithstanding section 658F(b) of the CCDBG Act; or
(J) assistance for any other relevant activity
determined appropriate by the State.
(2) Application.--In order for a law enforcement agency or
consortium to be eligible to receive assistance from a State
under this section, the law enforcement agency or unit of local
government involved shall prepare and submit to the State an
application at such time, in such manner, and containing such
information as the State may require.
(4) Limitations.--With respect to grant funds received
under this section, a State may not provide in excess of
$3,000,000 in assistance from such funds to any single
applicant.
(f) Matching Requirement.--To be eligible to receive a grant under
this section, a State shall provide assurances to the Secretary that,
with respect to the costs to be incurred by a covered entity receiving
assistance in carrying out activities under this section, the covered
entity will make available (directly or through donations from public
or private entities) non-Federal contributions to such costs in an
amount equal to--
(1) for the first fiscal year in which the covered entity
receives such assistance, not less than 10 percent of such
costs;
(2) for the second fiscal year in which the covered entity
receives such assistance, not less than 25 percent of such
costs; and
(3) for the third fiscal year in which the covered entity
receives such assistance, not less than 33\2/3\ percent of such
costs.
(g) Requirements of Providers.--To be eligible to receive
assistance under a grant awarded under this section, a child care
provider--
(1) who receives assistance from a State shall comply with
all applicable State and local licensing and regulatory
requirements and all applicable health and safety standards in
effect in the State; and
(2) who receives assistance from an Indian tribe or tribal
organization shall comply with all applicable regulatory
standards.
(h) Administration.--
(1) State responsibility.--A State shall have
responsibility for administering a grant awarded for the State
under this section and for monitoring covered entities that
receive assistance under such grant.
(2) Audits.--A State shall require each covered entity
receiving assistance under the grant awarded under this section
to conduct an annual audit with respect to the activities of
the covered entity. Such audits shall be submitted to the
State.
(3) Misuse of funds.--
(A) Repayment.--If the State determines, through an
audit or otherwise, that a covered entity receiving
assistance under a grant awarded under this section has
misused the assistance, the State shall notify the
Secretary of the misuse. The Secretary, upon such a
notification, may seek from such a covered entity the
repayment of an amount equal to the amount of any such
misused assistance plus interest.
(B) Appeals process.--The Secretary shall by
regulation provide for an appeals process with respect
to repayments under this paragraph.
(i) Reporting Requirements.--
(1) 2-year study.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 2 years after the
date on which the Secretary first awards grants under
this section, the Secretary shall conduct a study to
determine--
(i) the capacity of covered entities to
meet the child care needs of communities within
States;
(ii) the kinds of consortia that are being
formed with respect to child care at the local
level to carry out programs funded under this
section; and
(iii) who is using the programs funded
under this section and the income levels of
such individuals.
(B) Report.--Not later than 28 months after the
date on which the Secretary first awards grants under
this section, the Secretary shall prepare and submit to
the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the
results of the study conducted in accordance with
subparagraph (A).
(2) 4-year study.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 4 years after the
date on which the Secretary first awards grants under
this section, the Secretary shall conduct a study to
determine the number of child care facilities that are
funded through covered entities that received
assistance through a grant awarded under this section
and that remain in operation, and the extent to which
such facilities are meeting the child care needs of the
individuals served by such facilities.
(B) Report.--Not later than 52 months after the
date on which the Secretary first awards grants under
this section, the Secretary shall prepare and submit to
the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the
results of the study conducted in accordance with
subparagraph (A).
(j) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Career law enforcement officer.--The term ``career law
enforcement officer'' means a person employed by a State or
local public agency on a permanent basis who is authorized by
law to engage in or supervise the prevention, detection, or
investigation of violations of criminal laws.
(2) Consortia.--The term ``consortia'' means a law
enforcement agency and may also include a unit of local
government, a child care provider, or a foundation.
(3) Covered entity.--The term ``covered entity'' means a
law enforcement agency or a consortium formed in accordance
with subsection (d)(3).
(4) Indian community.--The term ``Indian community'' means
a community served by an Indian tribe or tribal organization.
(5) Indian tribe; tribal organization.--The terms ``Indian
tribe'' and ``tribal organization'' have the meanings given the
terms in section 658P of the Child Care and Development Block
Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858n).
(6) Law enforcement agency.--The term ``law enforcement
agency'' has the meaning given such term in section 2503 of the
Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C.
10533).
(7) State.--The term ``State'' has the meaning given the
term in section 658P of the Child Care and Development Block
Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858n).
(k) Application to Indian Tribes and Tribal Organizations.--In this
section:
(1) In general.--Except as provided in subsection (f)(1),
and in paragraphs (2) and (3), the term ``State'' includes an
Indian tribe or tribal organization.
(2) Geographic references.--The term ``State'' includes an
Indian community in subsections (c) (the second and third place
the term appears), (d)(1) (the second place the term appears),
(d)(3)(A) (the second place the term appears), and
(i)(1)(A)(i).
(3) State-level activities.--The term ``State-level
activities'' includes activities at the tribal level.
(l) Authorization of Appropriations.--
(1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated to
carry out this section, $24,000,000 for each of the fiscal
years 2024 to 2028.
(2) Studies and administration.--With respect to the total
amount appropriated for such period in accordance with this
subsection, not more than $2,500,000 of that amount may be used
for expenditures related to conducting studies required under,
and the administration of, this section.
(m) Termination of Program.--The program established under
subsection (a) shall terminate on September 30, 2028.
<all>