,,ii #aagth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #dfge ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,july #bh1 #bjbb,ms4 ,hassan 7for herself and ,mr4 ,cornyn7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions ,a ,,bill ,to amend the ,child ,care and ,development ,block ,grant ,act of #aiij to provide grants to ,states to establish positions to minimize administrative burden on families seeking child care assistance4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,improving ,early ,childhood ,data ,systems ,act4 #b4 ,state administrative improvement ,section #feh,l of the ,child ,care and ,development ,block ,grant ,act of #aiij 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #iheh;j7 is amended by adding at the end the following3 7c7 ,state administrative improvement activities 7#a7 ,grants 7,a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary shall make grants to covered lead agencies-- 7i7 to establish1 or expand and improve1 activities to obtain existing or future data collected by-- 7,i7 the covered lead agency involved or a contractor of the agency1 such as a child care resource and referral agency2 or 7,,ii7 the agency administering a related program referred to in paragraph 7#d77;,b71 relating to the data system for the program2 and 7ii7 to use the data to inform and improve administration of child care and related programs1 for the ,state1 territory1 or ,indian tribe involved4 7,b7 ,number of grants ,the ,secretary may make grants to not more than #aj covered lead agencies under this subsection4 7,c7 ,duration and amounts ,the ,secretary may make the grants for periods of #e years1 in amounts of not less than #ej1jjj1 and not more than #ejj1jjj1 for each year in the grant period involved4 7#b7 ,application ,to be eligible to receive a grant under this subsection1 a covered lead agency shall submit an application to the ,secretary at such time1 in such manner1 and containing such information as the ,secretary may require1 including-- 7,a7 how the grant funds will be used to improve data usage and processing2 7,b7 how the grant funds will improve utilization of child care assistance1 by minimizing the administrative burden on families seeking child care assistance under this subchapter2 and 7,c7 if the covered lead agency intends to work with other entities to carry out the activities described in this subsection1 how the covered lead agency intends to work with such entities4 7#c7 ,priority ,in determining which covered lead agencies receive grants under this subsection1 the ,secretary shall give priority to the #a covered lead agency that demonstrates1 in the agency's application submitted under paragraph 7#b71 the most need for activities that are described in paragraph 7#d77;,b7 and are determined by the ,secretary1 in the discretion of the ,secretary1 to be appropriate4 7#d7 ,use of funds 7,a7 ,in general ,a covered lead agency that receives a grant under this section shall use the grant funds to analyze the existing or future data described in paragraph 7#a77;,a77i7 to determine how the ,state1 territory1 or ,indian tribe will improve1 and to use the data to improve1 one or more of the following3 7i7 ,minimizing the administrative burden on families seeking child care assistance under this subchapter4 7ii7 ,reducing barriers to access to the child care assistance4 7iii7 ,improving equity and reducing disparities in distribution of that assistance4 7iv7 ,improving related customer services4 7v7 ,decreasing processing time in providing those services4 7vi7 ,reducing temporary loss of child care assistance by families of eligible children1 particularly during renewal periods4 7,b7 ,data systems ,the covered lead agency shall use the grant funds-- 7i7 to integrate1 or make interoperable1 data systems used to administer the child care program 7operated by the covered lead agency or a contractor of the agency7 with related public assistance programs2 and 7ii7 to provide for a system upgrade for the data system of the child care program1 including by purchasing new computers and equipment4 7#e7 ,reports ,a covered lead agency that receives a grant under this subsection shall1 not later than the last day of the grant period1 prepare and submit to the ,secretary a report that describes how the grant funds have enabled the ,state1 territory1 or ,indian tribe involved to use data and data systems more effectively and to carry out an activity described in paragraph 7#d77;,a74 7#f7 ,definitions ,in this subsection3 7,a7 ,covered lead agency ,the term covered lead agency means-- 7i7 with respect to a ,state1 the ,state's lead agency2 and 7ii7 with respect to a territory or an ,indian tribe1 the analogous agency for the territory or tribe4 7,b7 ,territory ,the term territory means a jurisdiction referred to in section #feh,o7a77#a74 4 #c4 ,technical amendments 7a7 ,administrative costs ,section #feh;,e7c77#c77;,c7 of the ,child ,care and ,development ,block ,grant ,act of #aiij 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #iheh;c7c77#c77;,c77 is amended1 in the second sentence1 by inserting or carrying out activities under section #feh,l7c7 before the period at the end4 7b7 ,appropriations ,section #feh,o7a7 of the ,child ,care and ,development ,block ,grant ,act of #aiij 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ihehm7a77 is amended-- 7#a7 in paragraphs 7#a71 7#c71 and 7#d71 by striking this subchapter and inserting section #feh;,b2 and 7#b7 in paragraph 7#e71 by striking this subchapter the first place it appears and inserting section #feh;,b4