[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3567 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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116th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3567
To provide State funding to ensure that essential workers can access
child care.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 22, 2020
Mrs. Shaheen (for herself, Ms. Baldwin, Ms. Hassan, Ms. Harris, Mr.
Reed, and Mr. Durbin) introduced the following bill; which was read
twice and referred to the Committee on Finance
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide State funding to ensure that essential workers can access
child care.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Helping Health Care Workers Afford
Child and Elder Care Act''.
SEC. 2. STATE FUNDING TO ENSURE THAT ESSENTIAL WORKERS CAN ACCESS CHILD
CARE.
(a) Increase in Funding.--
(1) In general.--The amount specified in subsection (c) of
section 2003 of the Social Security Act for purposes of
subsections (a) and (b) of such section is deemed to be
$6,700,000,000 for fiscal year 2020, of which $5,000,000,000
shall be obligated by States during calendar year 2020 in
accordance with subsection (b) of this section.
(2) Appropriation.--Out of any money in the Treasury of the
United States not otherwise appropriated, there are
appropriated $5,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2020 to carry out
this section.
(b) Rules Governing Use of Additional Funds.--
(1) In general.--Funds are used in accordance with this
subsection if--
(A) the funds are used for--
(i) child care services for a child of an
essential worker; or
(ii) daytime care services or other adult
protective services for an individual who--
(I) is a dependent, or a member of
the household of, an essential worker;
and
(II) requires the services;
(B) the funds are provided to reimburse an
essential worker for the cost of obtaining the services
(including child care services obtained on or after the
date the Secretary of Health and Human Services
declared a public health emergency pursuant to section
319 of the Public Health Service Act on January 31,
2020, entitled ``Determination that a Public Health
Emergency Exists Nationwide as the Result of the 2019
Novel Coronavirus''), to a provider of child care
services, or to establish a temporary child care
facility operated by a State or local government;
(C) eligibility for the funds or services, and the
amount of funds or services provided, is not
conditioned on a means test;
(D) the funds are used subject to the limitations
in section 2005 of the Social Security Act, except
that, for purposes of this subparagraph--
(i) paragraphs (3), (5), and (8) of section
2005(a) of such Act shall not apply; and
(ii)(I) the limitation in section
2005(a)(7) of such Act shall not apply with
respect to any standard which the State
involved determines would impede the ability of
the State to provide emergency temporary care
to a child, dependent, or household member
referred to in subparagraph (A) of this
paragraph; and
(II) if the State determines that such a
standard would be so impeding, the State shall
report the determination to the Secretary,
separately from the annual report to the
Secretary by the State;
(E) the funds are used to supplement, not supplant,
State general revenue funds for child care assistance;
and
(F) the funds are not used for child care costs
that are--
(i) covered by funds provided under the
Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of
1990 or section 418 of the Social Security Act;
or
(ii) reimbursable by the Federal Emergency
Management Agency.
(2) Essential worker defined.--In paragraph (1), the term
``essential worker'' means--
(A) a health sector employee, including but not
limited to a licensed nurse, clinical nurse assistant,
medical nurse assistant, nurse practitioner, physician
assistant, physician, home health aide, laboratory
technician, or other licensed health care professionals
as determined appropriate by the Secretary of Health
and Human Services;
(B) an emergency response worker;
(C) a sanitation worker;
(D) a worker at a business which a State or local
government official has determined must remain open to
serve the public during the emergency referred to in
paragraph (1)(B); and
(E) any other worker who cannot telework, and whom
the State deems to be essential during the emergency
referred to in paragraph (1)(B).
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