[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5581 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 5581

To amend the Social Security Act to authorize grants for demonstration 
projects to support mothers and families during pregnancy, childbirth, 
  and the postpartum period by increasing access to short-term child 
                     care, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 20, 2023

Ms. McClellan (for herself and Ms. Mace) introduced the following bill; 
         which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Social Security Act to authorize grants for demonstration 
projects to support mothers and families during pregnancy, childbirth, 
  and the postpartum period by increasing access to short-term child 
                     care, 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 Assistance for Maternal 
Health Act''.

SEC. 2. DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS FOR CHILD CARE TO IMPROVE MATERNAL 
              HEALTH.

    Subtitle A of title XX of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1397 
et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 2009 the following:

``SEC. 2009A. DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS FOR CHILD CARE TO IMPROVE MATERNAL 
              HEALTH.

    ``(a) In General.--
            ``(1) Establishment.--The Secretary shall carry out a 
        program of awarding grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible 
        entities to conduct demonstration projects designed to support 
        mothers and families during pregnancy, childbirth, and the 
        postpartum period by increasing access to short-term child care 
        (such as through crisis nurseries) in order to improve the 
        physical health, mental health, and wellness of the mother and 
        her family.
            ``(2) Advisory group.--The Secretary shall establish an 
        advisory group to advise the Secretary on carrying out the 
        program established under paragraph (1). The advisory group 
        shall be composed of the following members:
                    ``(A) At least 1 representative of the 
                Administration for Children and Families.
                    ``(B) At least 1 representative of the 
                Administration for Native Americans.
                    ``(C) At least 1 representative of the Centers for 
                Medicare & Medicaid Services.
                    ``(D) At least 1 representative of the Health 
                Resources and Services Administration.
                    ``(E) At least 1 representative of the Substance 
                Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
                    ``(F) Representatives of such other Federal 
                entities, as the Secretary determines appropriate.
    ``(b) Eligible Entities.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
this section, an entity shall be--
            ``(1) a State, a territory, or the District of Columbia;
            ``(2) an Indian Tribe or Tribal organization;
            ``(3) an Urban Indian organization;
            ``(4) a public health department;
            ``(5) a nonprofit community-based organization; or
            ``(6) a consortium of entities described in any of 
        paragraphs (1) through (5).
    ``(c) Priority for Awarding Grants.--In selecting grant recipients 
under this section, the Secretary shall--
            ``(1) give priority to--
                    ``(A) eligible entities that, in addition to the 
                activities proposed to be funded through the grant, 
                will provide families with assistance in attaining a 
                long-term child care option;
                    ``(B) eligible entities proposing to serve an area 
                with high rates of maternal mortality and poverty; and
                    ``(C) eligible entities proposing to serve a 
                maternity care health professional target area 
                identified under section 332(k) of the Public Health 
                Service Act; and
            ``(2) award at least 1 grant to an Indian Tribe, a Tribal 
        organization, or an Urban Indian organization.
    ``(d) Number.--
            ``(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), the Secretary 
        shall award at least 10 grants under this section.
            ``(2) Exception for insufficient appropriations.--The 
        Secretary may award fewer than 10 grants if the Secretary 
        determines that the amounts made available to carry out this 
        section are less than the total amounts authorized to be 
        appropriated by subsection (i).
    ``(e) Demonstration Project Requirements.--
            ``(1) Use of funds.--A grant awarded under this section may 
        be used--
                    ``(A) to conduct a demonstration project described 
                in subsection (a);
                    ``(B) to assess community needs in preparation for 
                such demonstration project; and
                    ``(C) to fund outreach related to such 
                demonstration project.
            ``(2) Duration.--A demonstration project under this section 
        shall be for a period of not less than 3 years.
            ``(3) Reports by grantees.--
                    ``(A) Interim and final reports.--A grantee under 
                this section shall agree to submit to the Secretary--
                            ``(i) interim reports on the demonstration 
                        project funded through the grant; and
                            ``(ii) a final report on such demonstration 
                        project.
                    ``(B) Contents.--The interim and final reports of a 
                grantee under subparagraph (A) shall include 
                assessments of the effectiveness of the grantee's 
                demonstration project with respect to--
                            ``(i) maternal and child health outcomes;
                            ``(ii) child care quality; and
                            ``(iii) such other metrics as may be 
                        determined by the Secretary.
            ``(4) Priority for providing services.--In providing 
        services through a demonstration project under this section, a 
        grantee shall give priority to vulnerable populations, such 
        as--
                    ``(A) low-income families;
                    ``(B) families experiencing homelessness;
                    ``(C) single-parent households;
                    ``(D) families who have children with disabilities 
                or special health care needs; and
                    ``(E) other vulnerable populations as may be 
                determined by the Secretary.
            ``(5) Subgrants and contracts.--
                    ``(A) In general.--A grantee under this section may 
                coordinate with entities described in subparagraph (B) 
                in carrying out a demonstration project under this 
                section, including by awarding subgrants to, or 
                entering into contracts with, such entities.
                    ``(B) Entities.--The entities described in this 
                subparagraph are the following:
                            ``(i) State or local child care resource 
                        and referral agencies.
                            ``(ii) Prenatal, perinatal, pediatric, 
                        family medicine, and other relevant health care 
                        providers.
                            ``(iii) Doula support services.
            ``(6) State and local requirements.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (B), 
                services provided through a demonstration project under 
                this section shall meet the applicable requirements of 
                State and local law in the jurisdiction in which such 
                services are provided, including any applicable 
                licensure and quality of care requirements.
                    ``(B) Exception.--Child care may be provided 
                through a demonstration project under this section to 
                children younger than the minimum age allowed under 
                applicable State or local licensing requirements, so 
                long as the grantee providing such child care (either 
                directly or through a subgrant or contract under 
                paragraph (5)) coordinates with the applicable 
                jurisdiction to ensure appropriate quality of care 
                standards.
    ``(f) Evaluation.--The Secretary shall--
            ``(1) evaluate the demonstration projects funded under this 
        section; and
            ``(2) as part of such evaluation--
                    ``(A) identify successful activities for improving 
                maternal health outcomes and health outcomes for the 
                birthed child and any other children in the family; and
                    ``(B) formulate recommendations for reauthorizing 
                the program under this section.
    ``(g) Reports to Congress.--The Secretary shall submit reports to 
the Congress on the program under this section, including--
            ``(1) interim reports; and
            ``(2) based on the evaluation under subsection (f), a final 
        report.
    ``(h) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) IHCIA terms.--The terms `Indian Tribe', `Tribal 
        organization', and `Urban Indian organization' have the 
        meanings given the terms `Indian tribe', `tribal organization', 
        and `Urban Indian organization', respectively, in section 4 of 
        the Indian Health Care Improvement Act.
            ``(2) Postpartum period.--The term `postpartum period' 
        means the first year after an individual has given birth.
            ``(3) Short-term child care.--The term `short-term child 
        care'--
                    ``(A) means child care provided during pregnancy, 
                childbirth, or the postpartum period--
                            ``(i) for a limited duration; and
                            ``(ii) for the birthed child or any other 
                        child in the family; and
                    ``(B) includes respite child care.
    ``(i) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            ``(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), there is 
        authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
        $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2026.
            ``(2) Evaluation.--Of the funds appropriated to carry out 
        this section under paragraph (1), not more than 5 percent may 
        be used to fund the evaluation under subsection (f).''.
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