,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #dchc  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,july #cj1     
#bjbj,ms4 ,ernst introduced the         
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on          
,environment and ,public ,works  ,a     
,,bill  ,to amend the ,public ,works and
 ,economic ,development ,act of #aife to
 make projects that directly or         
indirectly increase the accessibility of
 affordable1 quality child care eligible
 for certain grants1 and for other      
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,affordable ,child  
,care for ,economic ,strategies and     
,success ,act or the ,,access ,act4  #b4
 ,grants for public works and economic  
development  7a7 ,in general ,section   
#bja of the ,public ,works and ,economic
 ,development ,act of #aife 7#db        
,u4,s4,c4 #cada7 is amended-- 7#a7 in   
subsection 7a7-- 7,a7 in paragraph 7#a7 
by striking and after the semicolon at  
the end2  7,b7 in paragraph 7#b71 by    

striking the period at the end and      
inserting 2 and2 and  7,c7 by adding at 
the end the following3  7#c7 planning1  
developing1 or creating a project or    
facility that will directly or          
indirectly increase the accessibility of
 affordable1 quality child care4  2 and 
7#b7 in subsection 7b77#a7-- 7,a7 in    
subparagraph 7,b71 by striking or at the
 end2  7,b7 in subparagraph 7,c71 by    
inserting or after the semicolon at the 
end2 and  7,c7 by adding at the end the 
following3  7,d7 increase the           
accessibility of affordable1 quality    
child care2  4  7b7 ,regulations  7#a7  
,in general ,not later than #abj days   
after the date of enactment of this     
,act1 the ,secretary of ,commerce1 in   
consultation with the ,secretary of     
,health and ,human ,services1 shall     
issue such regulations as are necessary 
to establish criteria for whether1 for  
purposes of section #bja of the ,public 
,works and ,economic ,development ,act  
of #aife 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #cada71 a       

project directly or indirectly increases
 the accessibility of affordable1       
quality child care4  7#b7               
,considerations ,the criteria referred  
to in paragraph 7#a7 shall take into    
consideration the following3 7,a7 ,the  
availability1 validity1 and             
accessibility of timely data4  7,b7 ,the
 extent to which a project contributes  
to the financial security of a family4  
7,c7 ,the extent to which a project     
address child care needs in child care  
deserts or areas otherwise recognized as
 experiencing a child care shortage4    
7#c7 ,child care desert defined ,in this
 subsection1 the term child care desert 
means-- 7,a7 an area-- 7i7 within a     
census tract2 and  7ii7 in which the    
number of children who are under age #e 
7as determined using the most recent    
,american ,community ,survey #a-year    
,estimates1 as published by the ,bureau 
of the ,census7 is more than #c times   
the number of slots provided by child   
care providers who are licensed or      

registered by the applicable ,state2 or 
7,b7 a community that has a low supply  
of quality1 affordable child care1 as   
determined by the applicable ,state or  
,tribal entity4  #c4 ,grants for        
planning and grants for administrative  
expenses ,section #bjc7;b7 of the       
,public ,works and ,economic            
,development ,act of #aife 7#db         
,u4,s4,c4 #cadc7;b77 is amended by      
striking paragraph 7#d7 and inserting   
the following3  7#d7 formulating and    
implementing an economic development    
program that includes systematic        
efforts-- 7,a7 to reduce unemployment   
and increase incomes2 or  7,b7 to       
increase the accessibility of           
affordable1 quality child care4  4  #d4 
,grants for training1 research1 and     
technical assistance ,section           
#bjg7;a77#b7 of the ,public ,works and  
,economic ,development ,act of #aife    
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #cadg7;a77#b77 is        
amended-- 7#a7 in subparagraph 7,h71 by 
striking and after the semicolon at the 

end2  7#b7 by redesignating subparagraph
 7,i7 as subparagraph 7,j72 and  7#c7 by
 inserting after subparagraph 7,h7 the  
following3  7,i7 the planning1          
development1 or creation of a project or
 facility that will directly or         
indirectly increase the accessibility of
 affordable1 quality child care2 and  4 
#e4 ,comprehensive economic development 
strategies  7a7 ,in general ,section    
#cjb7;a77#c77;,a7 of the ,public ,works 
and ,economic ,development ,act of #aife
 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #cafb7;a77#c77;,a77 is  
amended by inserting 7including by      
directly or indirectly increasing the   
accessibility of affordable1 quality    
child care7 after promotes economic     
development and opportunity4  7b7       
,guidance ,in carrying out the amendment
 made by subsection 7a71 the ,secretary 
of ,commerce1 in consultation with the  
,secretary of ,health and ,human        
,services1 shall issue guidance on how  
to include the accessibility of         
affordable1 quality child care in a     

comprehensive economic development      
strategy developed under section #cjb of
 the ,public ,works and ,economic       
,development ,act of #aife 7#db         
,u4,s4,c4 #cafb74