,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #dfbh  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,may #ba1      
#bjbf,mr4 ,marshall 7for himself1 ,ms4  
,smith1 ,ms4 ,hassan1 and ,ms4 ,ernst7  
introduced the following bill2 which was
 read twice and referred to the         
,committee on ,agriculture1 ,nutrition1 
and ,forestry  ,a ,,bill  ,to direct the
 ,secretary of ,agriculture to establish
 an initiative to address the           
availability1 quality1 and cost of      
childcare in rural areas1 and for other 
purposes4  #a4 ,expanding ,childcare in 
,rural ,america ,initiative  7a7        
,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7     
,childcare  7,a7 ,in general ,the term  
childcare means any program that-- 7i7  
provides quality care and early         
education for children who have not yet 
entered first grade2 and  7ii7 is       
operated by-- 7,i7 an eligible childcare
 provider described in section          
#feh,p7#f77;,a7 of the ,child ,care and 
,development ,block ,grant ,act of #aiij

 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ihehn7#f77;,a772 or    
7,,ii7 a childcare provider that1 on the
 date of enactment of this ,act-- 7aa7  
is licensed1 regulated1 or registered in
 the ,state1 territory of the ,united   
,states1 or territory of the ,indian    
,tribe in which the provider is located2
 and  7bb7 meets applicable ,state1     
,tribal1 territorial1 and local health  
and safety requirements4  7,b7          
,inclusions ,the term childcare         
includes-- 7i7 a school-based program   
described in subparagraph 7,a72  7ii7 a 
program described in subparagraph 7,a7  
that is a ,head ,start program1         
including a migrant and seasonal ,head  
,start program1 or an ,american ,indian 
and ,alaska ,native ,head ,start program
 carried out under the ,head ,start ,act
 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ihca et seq472  7iii7 a
 facility used for a program described  
in subparagraph 7,a72 and  7iv7 a       
service provided under a program        
described in subparagraph 7,a74  7#b7   
,initiative ,the term ,initiative means 

the ,expanding ,childcare in ,rural     
,america ,initiative established under  
subsection 7b74  7#c7 ,rural area ,the  
term rural area has the meaning given   
the term in section #cdc7;a77#ac77;,a7  
of the ,consolidated ,farm and ,rural   
,development ,act 7#g ,u4,s4,c4         
#aiia7;a77#ac77;,a774  7#d7 ,secretary  
,the term ,secretary means the          
,secretary of ,agriculture4  7b7        
,establishment ,the ,secretary shall    
establish an initiative1 to be known as 
the ,expanding ,childcare in ,rural     
,america ,initiative1 under which the   
,secretary shall provide1 for each of   
fiscal years #bjbg through #bjbi1       
priority in accordance with subsection  
7c7 to address the availability1        
quality1 and cost of childcare in rural 
areas4  7c7 ,childcare priorities  7#a7 
,in general ,notwithstanding any other  
provision of law1 in selecting          
recipients of loans and grants under a  
program described in paragraph 7#b71 the
 ,secretary shall give priority to any  

qualified applicant that proposes to use
 the loan or grant to address the       
availability1 quality1 or cost of       
childcare in a rural area4  7#b7        
,description of programs ,the programs  
referred to in paragraph 7#a7 are the   
following3 7,a7 ,the essential community
 facilities loan and grant programs     
authorized under section #cjf7;a7 of the
 ,consolidated ,farm and ,rural         
,development ,act 7#g ,u4,s4,c4         
#aibf7;a774  7,b7 ,the business and     
industry direct and guaranteed loan     
program authorized under section        
#caj;,b7g7 of that ,act 7#g ,u4,s4,c4   
#aicb7;g774  7,c7 ,the rural            
microentrepreneur assistance program    
authorized under section #cgi;,e of that
 ,act 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #bjjhs74  7,d7 ,the 
intermediary relending program          
authorized under section #caj;,h of that
 ,act 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #aicf;b74  7d7      
,requirement ,in providing funding in   
accordance with the ,initiative1 the    
,secretary shall ensure a balanced      

geographical distribution of the        
benefits under the ,initiative4  7e7    
,evaluation2 report  7#a7 ,evaluation   
,not later than #c years after the date 
of enactment of this ,act1 the          
,secretary shall conduct a comprehensive
 quantitative and qualitative evaluation
 of the projects carried out using      
assistance provided under the           
,initiative1 including-- 7,a7 a         
description of-- 7i7 the types of       
projects carried out2  7ii7 the         
communities in which the projects are   
carried out2  7iii7 the organizations   
and entities participating in the       
projects2 and  7iv7 the types of        
partnerships developed to carry out the 
projects2 and  7,b7 the economic and    
social impacts of the investments in the
 projects4  7#b7 ,report ,not later than
 #d years after the date of enactment of
 this ,act1 the ,secretary shall submit 
to the ,committee on ,agriculture1      
,nutrition1 and ,forestry of the ,senate
 and the ,committee on ,agriculture of  

the ,house of ,representatives a report 
describing the evaluation conducted     
under paragraph 7#a71 including a       
thorough analysis of the outcomes of the
 evaluation4