,i  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #fcab  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,november #be1       
#bjbe,ms4 ,scholten 7for herself and    
,mr4 ,james7 introduced the following   
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,ways and ,means1 and in  
addition to the ,committee on ,education
 and ,workforce1 for a period to be     
subsequently determined by the ,speaker1
 in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the           
jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
,a ,,bill  ,to establish a ,federal     
pilot program for cost-sharing of child 
care expenses among employers1          
employees1 and government4  #a4 ,short  
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,tri-,share ,child ,care ,pilot ,act of 
#bjbe4  #b4 ,pilot program for          
cost-sharing of child care expenses     
among employers1 employees1 and         
governments  7a7 ,in general ,section   
#dah of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db 
,u4,s4,c4 #fah7 is amended by adding at 

the end the following3  7e7 ,pilot      
program for cost-,sharing of child care 
expenses among employers1 employees1 and
 governments  7#a7 ,competitive grants  
to lead agencies  7,a7 ,applications    
,the lead agency of a ,state may apply  
for a grant under this subsection by    
submitting to the ,secretary an         
application that includes--  7i7        
information about which employers will  
participate1 and how employers will be  
recruited to participate1 in the program
 under this subsection2  7ii7 a         
certification that funds from the grant 
will not be provided to any child care  
provider who does not meet the health   
and safety requirements referred to in  
paragraph 7#aj77;,b72 and  7iii7 a      
certification that #a_/c of the eligible
 child care costs with respect to an    
eligible child that are the subject of  
an application for benefits approved by 
the lead agency under this subsection   
will be paid by each of the following3  
7,i7 ,a parent of the child4  7,,ii7 ,a 

participating employer of the parent4   
7,,iii7 ,the lead agency4  7,b7         
,approval ,the ,secretary shall approve 
applications submitted pursuant to      
subparagraph 7,a7 on the basis of--  7i7
 the relative demonstrated unmet demand 
for affordable quality child care in    
,states2  7ii7 the relative capacity of 
,states to meet that unmet demand2      
7iii7 the relative ability of ,states to
 identify specific employers committed  
to participate in the program under this
 subsection2  7iv7 the relative ability 
of ,states to provide detailed plans to 
recruit additional employers to so      
participate2 and  7v7 the relative      
ability of ,states to ensure equitable  
statewide geographic access to          
affordable quality child care4  7,c7    
,amount of grant  7i7  ,in general  ,the
 ,secretary shall provide to each lead  
agency whose application is approved    
under subparagraph 7,b7 of this         
paragraph1 for each calendar quarter in 
the program period1 an amount equal to  

the ,federal medical assistance         
percentage for the ,state for the fiscal
 year 7as defined in section #aije7;b71 
as such section was in effect on        
,september #cj1 #aiie7 of the total of  
the amounts paid by the lead agency     
during the quarter under paragraph 7#d7 
of this subsection or for expenses of   
administering the program1 subject to   
clauses 7ii7 and 7iii7 of this          
subparagraph and subject to the         
availability of funds to carry out this 
subsection4  7ii7  ,limitation on       
reimbursable administrative expenses    
,not more than #aj percent of the       
amounts payable to a ,state under this  
subparagraph may be with respect to     
administrative expenses4  7iii7         
,limitation on amount of grant  ,the    
total of the amounts payable to a ,state
 under this subparagraph shall not      
exceed #bj1jjj1jjj4  7#b7  ,employer    
participation  7,a7  ,application  ,a   
person who employs another person in a  
,state may submit to the lead agency of 

the ,state an application to participate
 in the program carried out by the lead 
agency under this subsection4  7,b7     
,approval  ,the lead agency may approve 
an application submitted pursuant to    
subparagraph 7,a74  7,c7  ,consolidated 
applications for multiple ,states  ,the 
,secretary shall ensure that a person   
who applies to more than #a lead agency 
pursuant to subparagraph 7,a7 may submit
 a single consolidated application to   
all such lead agencies4  7#c7           
,application for benefits  7,a7  ,in    
general  ,a parent of an eligible child 
employed in a ,state by a participating 
employer may submit to the lead agency  
of the ,state an application for        
benefits under this subsection1 which   
shall include--  7i7 a joint attestation
 by the employer and the parent that1 if
 the lead agency approves the           
application1 the employer and the parent
 will each pay #a_/c of the eligible    
child care costs charged by an eligible 
child care provider during a specified  

period with respect to the child2  7ii7 
the name and business address of the    
employer2  7iii7 the name and           
residential address of the parent2  7iv7
 the name1 age1 and residential address 
of the child2  7v7 an attestation from  
the parent employee that the parent     
employee is employed by the employer2   
and  7vi7 sufficient information for the
 lead agency to verify-- 7,i7 that the  
parent is employed by the employer2 and 
7,,ii7 the family income of the family  
of the parent and child1 in each pay    
period4  7,b7  ,consideration  ,in      
considering applications submitted      
pursuant to this subsection1 a lead     
agency shall--  7i7 verify the matters  
described in subparagraph 7,a77vi72 and 
7ii7 take into account the needs of the 
parents involved and the availability of
 funds provided to the lead agency under
 this subsection4  7,c7  ,approval  ,the
 lead agency may approve an application 
submitted pursuant to subparagraph 7,a74
  7#d7  ,payments to child care         

providers  7,a7  ,in general  ,the lead 
agency shall pay to an eligible child   
care provider selected by a parent whose
 application is approved pursuant to    
paragraph 7#c7 an amount equal to the   
charges of the provider for eligible    
child care costs incurred during the    
period specified in the application with
 respect to the eligible child          
identified in the application4  7,b7    
,reimbursement by employer and employee 
,with respect to each such payment-- 7i7
 the parent and the employer of the     
parent shall jointly pay to the lead    
agency an amount equal to #b_/c of the  
charges of the eligible child care      
provider2 and  7ii7 the parent may      
consent to the employer withholding an  
amount that is not more than #a_/c of   
the charges of the provider from the pay
 of the parent if the employer pays the 
total amount specified under clause 7i7 
to the lead agency4  7,c7  ,payment     
schedules  ,the lead agency shall-- 7i7 
offer more than #a payment schedule for 

payments to eligible child care         
providers under subparagraph 7,a72 and  
7ii7 pay each provider in accordance    
with the schedule chosen by the         
provider4  7#e7  ,administration  ,a    
lead agency to which a grant is made    
under this subsection may comply with   
this subsection through the use of      
technology platforms that connect       
employers1 child care providers1        
parents1 and the lead agency1 and may   
allow a third party to administer the   
grant4  7#f7  ,regulations  ,the        
,secretary may prescribe such           
regulations as the ,secretary deems     
necessary and appropriate to carry out  
this subsection4  7#g7  ,no effect on   
,,ccdbg benefits  ,eligibility for1 and 
the amount of benefits received under1  
the program under this subsection shall 
not affect eligibility for1 or the      
amount of benefits provided pursuant to1
 the ,child ,care and ,development      
,block ,grant ,act of #aiij4  7#h7      
,termination  ,the program under this   

subsection shall terminate at the end of
 the program period4  7#i7  ,evaluation2
 report  7,a7  ,evaluation  ,the        
,secretary shall conduct an evaluation1 
developed by the ,office of ,planning1  
,research1 and ,evaluation of the       
,administration for ,children and       
,families1 of--  7i7 the                
cost-effectiveness of the program2 and  
7ii7 the effects of the program on--    
7,i7 hiring1 employment1 and employee   
retention2 and  7,,ii7 affordability of1
 and access to1 child care2  7,b7       
,report to ,congress  ,within #a year   
after the end of the program period1 the
 ,secretary shall submit to the         
,committee on ,ways and ,means of the   
,house of ,representatives a written    
report that contains the results of--   
7i7 the evaluation conducted under      
subparagraph 7,a72  7ii7 a description  
of the outcomes for the children        
involved in the program under this      
subsection2 and  7iii7 a description of 
the metrics used in the evaluation4     

7#aj7 ,appropriation ,out of any money  
in the ,treasury not otherwise          
appropriated1 there are appropriated to 
carry out this subsection #bej1jjj1jjj  
for each fiscal year ending in the      
program period1 of which #e percent     
shall be expended for the evaluation    
provided for in paragraph 7#h77;,a7 and 
#e percent shall be expended to provide 
technical assistance to lead agencies in
 carrying out their functions under this
 subsection4  7#aa7  ,definitions  ,in  
this subsection3 7,a7 ,eligible child   
,the term eligible child means an       
individual--  7i7 who has not attained  
the minimum age at which a child is     
required to enter kindergarten or       
elementary school under the law of the  
,state in which the individual resides2 
7ii7 who has a parent employed by a     
participating employer2  7iii7 with     
respect to the ,state in which the      
parent is employed1 whose family income 
is not less than the ,state threshold   
for child care assistance and not more  

than #cjj percent of the ,state         
threshold for child care assistance2 and
  7iv7 who is not being provided child  
care services for which financial       
assistance is provided pursuant to the  
,child ,care and ,development ,block    
,grant ,act of #aiij4  7,b7  ,eligible  
child care costs  ,the term eligible    
child care costs means the costs of     
providing child care services to an     
eligible child in accordance with all   
applicable ,state and local health and  
safety requirements as described in     
section #feh;,e7c77#b77;,i7 of the      
,child ,care and ,development ,block    
,grant ,act of #aiij4  7,c7  ,eligible  
child care provider  ,the term eligible 
child care provider has the meaning     
given the term in section #feh,p7#f7 of 
the ,child ,care and ,development ,block
 ,grant ,act of #aiij4  7,d7  ,lead     
agency  ,the term lead agency means1    
with respect to a ,state1 the agency    
designated or established by the ,state 
under section #feh;,d7a7 of the ,child  

,care and ,development ,block ,grant    
,act of #aiij4  7,e7  ,parent  ,the term
 parent1 with respect to a child1       
includes a legal guardian1 relative     
guardian1 or foster parent of the child4
  7,f7  ,participating employer  ,the   
term participating employer means a     
person whose application to participate 
in the program under this subsection is 
approved under paragraph 7#b74  7,g7    
,program period  ,the term program      
period means the #c-year period that    
begins with the effective date of this  
subsection4  7,h7  ,state threshold for 
child care assistance  ,the term ,state 
threshold for child care assistance     
means1 with respect to the lead agency  
of a ,state1 the maximum income limit   
for assistance funded pursuant to the   
,child ,care and ,development ,block    
,grant ,act of #aiij provided by the    
lead agency4  4  7b7 ,conforming        
amendments ,section #dah of such ,act   
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #fah7 is amended-- 7#a7  
in subsection 7a77#c71 by striking      

section and inserting subsection2 and   
7#b7 in each of subsections 7b77#a71    
7b77#b71 and 7c71 by striking this      
section and inserting subsection 7a74   
7c7 ,transmission to ,congress of       
information on feasibility of imposing  
child care cost-,sharing obligations of 
families on a sliding scale ,the        
,secretary of ,health and ,human        
,services1 acting through the           
,administration for ,children and       
,families1 shall collect and transmit to
 the ,committees on ,appropriations and 
on ,ways and ,means of the ,house of    
,representatives and the ,committees on 
,appropriations and on ,finance of the  
,senate information about the           
feasibility of imposing the child care  
cost-sharing obligations of families    
under section #dah7;e7 of the ,social   
,security ,act on a sliding scale4  7d7 
,transfer of unobligated funds to the   
,preschool ,development ,grants ,program
 ,the unobligated balances of the       
amounts made available to carry out     

section #dah7;e7 of the ,social         
,security ,act as of ,september #cj of  
each fiscal year shall be transferred to
 and merged with amounts made available 
on or after ,october #a for the         
preschool development grants program    
under section #ibab of the ,every       
,student ,succeeds ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4  
#ihca note7 for the following fiscal    
year4  7e7 ,effective date ,the         
amendments made by this section shall   
take effect on the #ast day of the #ast 
,federal fiscal quarter that begins     
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act4