,,ii #aaith ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #ecfd ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,august #g1 #bjbf,mrs4 ,hyde-,smith introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions ,a ,,bill ,to support rural families4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,rural ,mothers and ,fathers ,choice ,act4 #b4 ,findings and purpose 7a7 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,after generations of unfair policies1 failing academics1 poor health outcomes1 and struggling economies1 many residents of rural communities across the ,united ,states feel trapped in a system that puts additional burdens on its citizens4 7#b7 ,children entering kindergarten who live in rural communities often face barriers due to lower incomes and lack of access to quality early childhood education providers4 ,these barriers increase the chance that rural children may be categorized as academically under prepared4 7#c7 ,according to the ,bipartisan ,policy ,center1 the economic impact of the childcare gap in rural areas falls between #cb1gij1jjj1jjj and #di1icj1jjj1jjj4 ,this lack of childcare options makes it more difficult for rural parents to return to work4 7#d7 ,schools attended by rural students offer limited access to advanced coursework1 offering less science1 technology1 engineering1 and mathematics 7referred to in this ,act as ,,stem7 teaching capacity and fewer ,,stem extracurricular activities4 ,in turn1 rural students are significantly less likely to enroll in ,,stem degree programs at the college level4 7#e7 ,according to the ,national ,student ,clearinghouse1 only #ee percent of rural students enrolled in college directly out of high school in #bjbb1 compared with #fd percent of suburban students and #ei percent of urban students4 ,also1 only #hj percent of college students from rural communities continue their higher education into the second year1 compared with #he percent of suburban students and #ha percent of urban students4 7#f7 ,longitudinal studies of academic growth indicate the increased importance of summer academic opportunities for rural children1 who suffer larger academic summer loss than non-rural students4 ,as a result1 while rural students start kindergarten slightly ahead of non-rural students1 they fall behind by middle school1 according to the ,american ,educational ,research ,association4 7#g7 ,due to the lack of high-quality educational supports in rural schools1 rural students who struggle to read are less likely to catch up than non-rural students4 ,according to the ,university of ,new ,hampshire1 the average reading achievement of a rural third grader who scores in the tenth percentile of reading achievement in kindergarten is approximately #f to #g points lower than the reading achievement of the average suburban and urban third grader with comparable kindergarten achievement and socioeconomic background4 7#h7 ,between the #bjag-bjah and #bjba-bjbb school years1 chronic absenteeism increased #dg percent among rural students1 compared to #dd percent for students in urban districts4 7#i7 ,according to the ,health ,resources ,services ,administration1 rural children are less likely to have one or more preventive medical and dental visits in the past #ab months 7#ei4f percent7 than urban children 7#ff4g percent74 ,this disparity holds at all levels of household income4 ,rural children are also more likely to be overweight or obese 7#cf percent7 relative to urban children 7#ca4f percent74 7#aj7 ,according to the ,american ,college of ,education1 job training program completion rates vary significantly between urban and rural areas4 ,rural populations face additional barriers due to geographic isolation1 limited broadband access1 fewer job training options and smaller training cohorts that restrict program availability4 ,rural community colleges often struggle to maintain enough enrollment to offer identical certifications4 7#aa7 ,roughly #a in #g public high school students fails to earn their high school diploma in #d years4 ,a #af- to #bd-year-old coming from a high-income family is about #g times as likely to have completed high school as a #af- to #bd-year-old coming from a low-income family4 7#ab7 ,the average national cost to confine a youth in a juvenile justice facility is #bad1fbj per year4 ,comparatively1 per pupil annual spending for a student in kindergarten through grade #ab is only #ag1fbj1 however spending in ,states with largely rural populations tends to be in the #ac1jjj-aa1jjj range per student4 7b7 ,purpose ,the purpose of this ,act is to establish a #aj-year1 place-based ,federal program designed to strengthen families in rural and tribal communities by providing resources to enhance educational and employment choices that strengthen communities1 including by-- 7#a7 promoting evidence-based literacy and academic success1 including through-- 7,a7 kindergarten readiness2 7,b7 reading and mathematics proficiency2 7,c7 improving school attendance and reducing chronic absenteeism2 7,d7 on-time high school graduation2 and 7,e7 alignment of career and technical education pathways with local work opportunities2 7#b7 empowering family choice1 including through-- 7,a7 supporting household income1 employment1 and financial stability through meaningful workforce development2 7,b7 childcare and after-school programs to support working parents2 7,c7 broadband-enabled access to telehealth and mobile health services2 7,d7 distance learning opportunities for workforce development2 7,e7 transportation support for childcare and career stability2 and 7,f7 emphasis on the role of the mother and father in the family2 and 7#c7 returning control of services to the ,states1 including through-- 7,a7 durable rural service networks across education1 health1 workforce1 and early childhood sectors2 7,b7 mental and behavioral health services2 7,c7 substance use recovery supports2 7,d7 child abuse prevention and services2 7,e7 support for rural businesses and economic growth2 7,f7 data systems and shared dashboards2 and 7,g7 healthcare and child care workforces4 #c4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,hub and spoke site ,the term hub and spoke site means central1 permanent facilities 7referred to as a hub site7 operated by an eligible entity from which services funded under this ,act are coordinated and delivered to families in the service area on an ongoing basis1 and affiliated locations 7each referred to as a spoke site71 which may include mobile units1 partner facilities1 schools1 health clinics1 or other community locations1 through which the eligible entity or partners of the eligible entity deliver a subset of those services to families in the service area4 ,an eligible entity may operate more than one hub and spoke site within its service area4 7#b7 ,eligible entity ,the term eligible entity means-- 7,a7 a lead entity that is-- 7i7 a nonprofit organization that-- 7,i7 has its headquarters in a rural area2 and 7,,ii7 has not less than #aj years of positive measurable outcomes with respect to one or more activities described in section #b7;b72 or 7ii7 a ,tribal government or organization authorized by a ,tribal government to serve as a lead entity for carrying out a grant under this ,act2 and 7,b7 continuous active partners1 which may include-- 7i7 a nonprofit organization or governmental agency serving students in kindergarten through grade #ab2 7ii7 an early childcare provider 7defined as an early childhood education program under section #ajc of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajjc772 7iii7 a health or behavioral healthcare provider2 7iv7 an economic development agency2 or 7v7 a local or ,tribal government4 7#c7 ,family support hub ,the term family support hub means a location that provides family-based services1 including services described in section #d7;c77#a71 that are provided by the lead entity or a partner entity of the eligible entity receiving funds under this ,act4 ,a hub site may serve as a family support hub4 7#d7 ,rural area ,the term rural area means-- 7,a7 a micropolitan urban area of #aj1jjj to #di1iii residents or a rural tract outside of an urban area1 as provided by the ,united ,states ,department of ,agriculture2 7,b7 a county that has a population of less than #ej1jjj people2 or 7,c7 lands designated as tribal or frontier counties4 7#e7 ,secretary ,the term ,secretary means the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services4 #d4 ,grant program authorized2 uses of funds 7a7 ,program authorized 7#a7 ,in general ,from amounts appropriated to carry out this ,act1 the ,secretary shall award planning and implementation grants to eligible entities to enable those eligible entities to carry out the activities described in this section4 7#b7 ,reservation of funds ,from amounts appropriated to carry out this ,act1 the ,secretary shall reserve #aj percent for such planning and implementation grants for eligible entities described in section #c7b77;,a77ii74 7#c7 ,administrative costs 7,a7 ,in ,general ,the ,secretary shall reserve not less than #e percent and not more than #g percent of amounts appropriated to carry out this ,act for the costs of administration1 evaluation1 and technical assistance4 7,b7 ,technical assistance provider ,from the amounts reserved under subparagraph 7,a71 not less than #cj percent shall be used to award a grant1 on a competitive basis1 to a single national entity to serve as the technical assistance provider for program grantees4 ,such entity shall have-- 7i7 a strong national record of supporting communities in improving child and student outcomes through place-based strategies2 7ii7 a nationally accessible technology platform for efficiently scaling capabilities of place-based implementation2 7iii7 an externally validated framework for building cross sector partnerships resulting in better outcomes for children and families2 and 7iv7 experience supporting the diverse needs of rural and ,tribal place-based partnerships4 7#d7 ,allocation between planning and implementation ,of the amounts appropriated under section #aj for a fiscal year and remaining after the reservation of funds under paragraph 7#c71 the ,secretary shall allocate #aj percent for planning grants awarded under subsection 7b7 and #ij percent for implementation grants awarded under subsection 7c74 ,the reservation in paragraph 7#b7 shall be applied proportionally within each of the planning grant and implementation grant funding allocations4 7b7 ,planning grants ,the ,secretary shall award not more than #c planning grants to eligible entities for a #ab-month period1 in an amount equal to not more than #ejj1jjj each1 to enable eligible entities receiving a planning grant to-- 7#a7 develop goals1 objectives1 and activities2 7#b7 collect baseline data2 and 7#c7 secure necessary partnerships and agreements4 7c7 ,implementation grants ,the ,secretary shall award not more than #f implementation grants to eligible entities for a #aj-year period1 in an amount equal to #f1jjj1jjj each per year 7subject to appropriations and performance requirements74 ,an eligible entity that receives an implementation grant under this section shall use grant funds over a #aj-year period to carry out activities through hub and spoke sites in not fewer than #d of the #f categories listed in paragraphs 7#a7 through 7#f71 including not less than #a activity under paragraph 7#b7 or 7#c7 and not less than #a activity under paragraph 7#d7 or 7#e73 7#a7 ,support fixed or mobile family support hubs1 which shall include one or more of the following3 7,a7 ,carrying out case management services and providing referrals to support family choices in the pursuit of meeting a family's educational1 health1 and workforce needs4 7,b7 ,conducting home visits to help families develop plans to reach their personal goals1 and providing family outreach to support activities to meet those goals4 7,c7 ,providing parenting and caregiver guidance to empower parental choice4 7,d7 ,providing mental health and substance use disorder screening or treatment4 7,e7 ,providing telehealth services to remote communities4 7,f7 ,providing legal or financial counseling4 7#b7 ,support early childhood services1 which shall include one or more of the following3 7,a7 ,improving infant or toddler capacity at childcare sites within the service area4 7,b7 ,family1 friend1 and neighbor caregiver support systems to raise individual awareness of options in support of informed family choices4 7,c7 ,coordinating services across ,state1 local1 and provider networks to reduce duplication and improve efficiencies4 7,d7 ,providing transportation for childcare access4 7#c7 ,supports for students in kindergarten through grade #ab1 either in school or after school1 which shall include one or more of the following3 7,a7 ,evidence-based literacy programming and tutoring services4 7,b7 ,attendance interventions4 7,c7 ,tutoring in reading or mathematics4 7,d7 ,after-school programming4 7,e7 ,career and technical education vertical alignment with workforce partners4 7,f7 ,school-based mental health services4 7#d7 ,economic mobility activities1 which shall include one or more of the following3 7,a7 ,apprenticeships and work-based learning1 except that participation in a ,department of ,labor ,registered ,apprenticeship shall not be required4 7,b7 ,childcare-linked training4 7,c7 ,small business coaching4 7,d7 ,workforce training4 7#e7 ,health access services1 which shall include one or more of the following3 7,a7 ,community health workers4 7,b7 ,evidence-based substance use disorder treatment4 7,c7 ,maternal safety bundles1 as determined by the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services4 7,d7 ,mobile and tele-health services4 7#f7 ,infrastructure enablers1 which shall include one or more of the following3 7,a7 ,broadband hotspots4 7,b7 ,local data systems4 7,c7 ,partnerships with transportation companies to increase availability4 7,d7 ,childcare facility upgrades4 7,e7 ,driver's education and transportation vouchers4 7d7 ,waiver ,the ,secretary may waive the requirement in subsection 7c7 to address not fewer than #d categories of activities if-- 7#a7 an applicant demonstrates in the application that the eligible entity serves an extremely high-need or tribal area2 and 7#b7 the ,secretary finds that a narrower set of activities will more effectively achieve the stated program outcomes4 #e4 ,family governance and community engagement 7a7 ,in general ,each eligible entity receiving a grant under this ,act shall establish a ,family ,advisory ,council1 which shall consist of not less than #g members1 not less than #dj percent of whom shall be parents or caregivers who reside in the area that will be served by the eligible entity through the grant under this ,act4 7b7 ,duties ,each ,family ,advisory ,council shall vote on recommendations regarding the budget and plans of the eligible entity regarding the activities carried out with a grant under this ,act4 #f4 ,application2 selection criteria 7a7 ,application ,an eligible entity desiring to receive a grant under this ,act shall submit an application to the ,secretary not later than #de days after the publication of a ,notice of ,funding ,availability4 ,the ,secretary shall publish a ,notice of ,funding ,availability not later than #abj days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 and1 to the extent practicable1 not earlier than #fj days after such date1 and shall award grants not later than #abj days after the close of the application period4 ,applications shall contain such information as the ,secretary may require1 including1 at a minimum1 each of the following3 7#a7 ,abstract4 7#b7 ,proposal ,narrative4 7#c7 ,organizational ,capacity4 7#d7 ,work ,plan4 7#e7 ,budget and ,budget ,justification4 7#f7 ,letters of ,commitment and ,support4 7#g7 ,staffing ,plan4 7b7 ,selection ,in selecting eligible entities to receive an implementation grant or planning grant1 the ,secretary shall consider the following1 with the following percentages of weighted consideration3 7#a7 ,need 7#bj percent74 7#b7 ,family engagement and governance 7#aj percent74 7#c7 ,integrated service plan 7#ae percent74 7#d7 ,workforce and partner capacity 7#aj percent74 7#e7 ,prior experience and evidence of capability 7#be percent74 7#f7 ,evidence use and literacy alignment 7#aj percent74 7#g7 ,sustainability and match strategy 7#aj percent74 7c7 ,priority ,in selecting eligible entities to receive a grant under this ,act1 the ,secretary shall give priority to eligible entities that-- 7#a7 are located in counties with a population of less than #ej1jjj people2 or 7#b7 serve communities that are classified as distressed by the ,economic ,innovation ,group1 as of the date of enactment of this ,act1 or as subsequently updated by the ,economic ,innovation ,group's ,distressed ,communities ,index4 #g4 ,performance data and evaluation2 reporting 7a7 ,grant period ,an implementation grant under this ,act shall be for a #aj-year period1 if the eligible entity receiving the grant successfully completes a performance review under this section after year #c and year #f of the grant period4 7b7 ,reporting ,not less than twice per year1 each eligible entity that receives a grant under this ,act shall prepare and submit to the ,secretary a report that contains1 at a minimum1 the following information with respect to the populations served by the eligible entity using grant funds3 7#a7 ,data about household income1 employment1 and food security4 7#b7 ,data about developmental screening1 kindergarten readiness1 and childcare availability and affordability4 7#c7 ,data about chronic absenteeism in elementary and secondary school1 literacy rates in grade #c1 mathematics proficiency rates in grade #h1 and high school graduation rates4 7#d7 ,data about illegal substance use1 dependency recovery engagement1 avoidable emergency department visits1 and maternal health indicators4 #h4 ,funding 7a7 ,matching funds 7#a7 ,in general ,subject to paragraph 7#b71 each eligible entity that receives an implementation grant awarded under this ,act shall-- 7,a7 have zero matching requirement for years #a through #c of the grant period2 7,b7 contribute an amount equal to #aj percent of the amount of such grant funds for years #d through #f of the grant period2 and 7,c7 contribute an amount equal to #bj percent of the amount of such grant funds for years #g through #aj of the grant period4 7#b7 ,cash or in-kind ,matching requirements may be met through cash or in kind contributions4 7b7 ,supplement not supplant ,an eligible entity shall use ,federal funds received under this ,act only to supplement the funds that would1 in the absence of such ,federal funds1 be made available from other ,federal1 ,state1 and local sources to carry out activities under this ,act1 and not to supplant such funds4 7c7 ,flexibility ,an eligible entity receiving a grant under this ,act may coordinate funds received under this ,act with funds received under programs administered by the ,department of ,education1 the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services1 the ,department of ,agriculture1 the ,department of ,justice1 and the ,department of ,labor1 provided that such funds are used in a manner that is consistent with the requirements of each applicable program and that grant funds under this ,act are used in accordance with the supplement-not-supplant requirement under subsection 7c74 #i4 ,authorization of appropriations ,there are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this ,act such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year #bjbg and each of the following #i fiscal years4