Providing Child Care for Firefighters and EMS Act

This Act may be cited as the “Providing Child Care for Firefighters and EMS Act”.

(a) Establishment.— The Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Assistant Secretary of the Administration for Children and Families, shall establish a program to award grants to lead agencies, on a competitive basis, to assist lead agencies in providing funds to encourage the establishment and operation of child care programs to provide child care services for the minor children of emergency services personnel during the shift work and nontraditional work hours of such personnel.

(b) Application.— To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, a lead agency 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 award a grant under this section for a period of 3 years.

(d) Use of funds.—

(1) In general.— A lead agency shall use a grant awarded under this section to provide funds to covered entities located in the State, territory, or Tribal land of the lead agency to enable the covered entities to establish and operate child care programs (directly or by contract with child care providers). Such funds may be used by the covered entity or (through such a contract) child care provider to provide assistance that may include—

(A) assistance for the startup costs related to a child care program;

(B) assistance for the training of child care providers;

(C) assistance for emergency medical services providers to provide financial assistance for child care costs for families;

(D) assistance for the provision of services to care for sick children or to provide care to children;

(E) assistance through contracts entered into by emergency medical services providers with local child care resource and referral organizations or local health departments;

(F) assistance for care for children with disabilities;

(G) assistance to maintain nonstandard hours for expanded hours of child care;

(H) assistance for payment of expenses for operation, construction, or renovation of a child care facility; or

(I) assistance for any other relevant activity determined appropriate by the lead agency.

(2) Application.— In order for a covered entity to be eligible to receive funds from a lead agency under this section, the covered entity or, if the entity is a consortium including a unit of local government, the unit of local government involved, shall prepare and submit to the lead agency an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the lead agency may require.

(3) Limitations.— With respect to grant funds received under this section, a lead agency may not provide in excess of $3,000,000 from such funds to any single applicant.

(e) Matching requirement.— To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, a lead agency shall provide assurances to the Secretary that, with respect to the costs to be incurred by a covered entity receiving funds 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 for such costs in an amount equal to—

(1) for the first fiscal year for which the covered entity receives such funds, not less than 10 percent of such costs;

(2) for the second fiscal year for which the covered entity receives such funds, not less than 25 percent of such costs; and

(3) for the third fiscal year for which the covered entity receives such funds, not less than 332/3 percent of such costs.

(f) Requirements of providers.— To be eligible to receive assistance under a grant awarded under this section, a child care provider shall meet the definitions of, and requirements specified in, each of the following:

(1) Section 658P(6) of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858n(6)).

(2) Section 98.41 of title 45, Code of Federal Regulations (or successor regulations).

(3) Section 98.43 of title 45, Code of Federal Regulations (or successor regulations).

(g) Administration.—

(1) Lead agency.— A lead agency shall, with respect to administering a grant awarded under this section, have the duties described in section 658D(b) of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858b(b)). A lead agency shall have the responsibility for administering a grant awarded under this section and for monitoring use of funds and adherence to health and safety requirements by covered entities and child care providers that receive funds under such grant.

(2) Technical assistance.— A lead agency administering a grant awarded under this section shall, for the duration of the period of such grant, provide to covered entities technical assistance regarding such grant.

(3) Audits.— A lead agency shall require each covered entity receiving funds under a grant awarded under this section, and any child care provider receiving funds through the covered entity, to conduct an annual audit with respect to the activities of the covered entity and the child care provider. Such audits shall be submitted to the lead agency.

(4) Misuse of funds.—

(A) Repayment.— If the lead agency determines, through an audit or otherwise, that a covered entity or child care provider receiving funds under a grant awarded under this section has misused the funds, the lead agency shall notify the Secretary of the misuse. The Secretary, upon such a notification, may seek from such covered entity or child care provider the repayment of an amount equal to the amount of any such misused funds plus interest.

(B) Appeals process.— The Secretary shall by regulation provide for an appeals process with respect to repayments under this paragraph.

(5) 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, and child care providers receiving funds through such a grant, 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).

(6) Four-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—

(i) the number of child care facilities that—

(I) receive funds for construction or renovation through covered entities that received funds through a grant awarded under this section; and

(II) remain in operation;

(ii) the extent to which such facilities are meeting the child care needs of the individuals served by such facilities; and

(iii) the extent to which other sectors of first responders, as defined in section 3025 of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10705), have unmet child care needs.

(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).

(h) Definitions.— In this section:

(1) Consortium.— The term consortium means a partnership that includes one or more emergency medical services providers and may also include a unit of local government, a child care provider, or a foundation.

(2) Covered entity.— The term covered entity means an emergency medical services provider or a consortium.

(3) Eligible child care provider.— The term eligible child care provider has the meaning given the term in section 658P(6) of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858n(6)).

(4) Emergency services personnel.— The term emergency services personnel means firefighters, emergency medical services technicians, paramedics, and such other emergency services personnel as the Secretary determines appropriate.

(5) Lead agency.— The term lead agency means an agency or office designated or established under section 658D(a) of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858b).

(6) Secretary.— The term Secretary means the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Assistant Secretary of the Administration for Children and Families.

(7) State.— The term State means—

(A) each of the several States of the United States;

(B) the District of Columbia;

(C) the territories of the United States; and

(D) an Indian Tribe or Tribal organization (as such terms are defined in section 658P of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858n)).

(i) Authorization of appropriations.—

(1) In general.— There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section, $30,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031.

(2) Studies and administration.— With respect to the total amount appropriated for the period of fiscal years 2027 through 2031 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.

(j) Termination of program.— The program established under this section shall terminate on September 30, 2031.