[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6312 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 6312
To establish a Federal pilot program for cost-sharing of child care
expenses among employers, employees, and government.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
November 25, 2025
Ms. Scholten (for herself and Mr. James) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition
to the Committee on Education and Workforce, for a period to be
subsequently determined by the Speaker, 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 employers, employees, and government.
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 ``Tri-Share Child Care Pilot Act of
2025''.
SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM FOR COST-SHARING OF CHILD CARE EXPENSES AMONG
EMPLOYERS, EMPLOYEES, AND GOVERNMENTS.
(a) In General.--Section 418 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
618) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(e) Pilot Program for Cost-Sharing of Child Care Expenses Among
Employers, Employees, and Governments.--
``(1) Competitive grants to lead agencies.--
``(A) Applications.--The lead agency of a State may
apply for a grant under this subsection by submitting
to the Secretary an application that includes--
``(i) information about which employers
will participate, and how employers will be
recruited to participate, in the program under
this subsection;
``(ii) 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
(10)(B); and
``(iii) a certification that \1/3\ 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 following:
``(I) A parent of the child.
``(II) A participating employer of
the parent.
``(III) The lead agency.
``(B) Approval.--The Secretary shall approve
applications submitted pursuant to subparagraph (A) on
the basis of--
``(i) the relative demonstrated unmet
demand for affordable quality child care in
States;
``(ii) the relative capacity of States to
meet that unmet demand;
``(iii) the relative ability of States to
identify specific employers committed to
participate in the program under this
subsection;
``(iv) the relative ability of States to
provide detailed plans to recruit additional
employers to so participate; and
``(v) the relative ability of States to
ensure equitable statewide geographic access to
affordable quality child care.
``(C) Amount of grant.--
``(i) In general.--The Secretary shall
provide to each lead agency whose application
is approved under subparagraph (B) of this
paragraph, for each calendar quarter in the
program period, an amount equal to the Federal
medical assistance percentage for the State for
the fiscal year (as defined in section 1905(b),
as such section was in effect on September 30,
1995) of the total of the amounts paid by the
lead agency during the quarter under paragraph
(4) of this subsection or for expenses of
administering the program, subject to clauses
(ii) and (iii) of this subparagraph and subject
to the availability of funds to carry out this
subsection.
``(ii) Limitation on reimbursable
administrative expenses.--Not more than 10
percent of the amounts payable to a State under
this subparagraph may be with respect to
administrative expenses.
``(iii) Limitation on amount of grant.--The
total of the amounts payable to a State under
this subparagraph shall not exceed $20,000,000.
``(2) Employer participation.--
``(A) 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 subsection.
``(B) Approval.--The lead agency may approve an
application submitted pursuant to subparagraph (A).
``(C) Consolidated applications for multiple
states.--The Secretary shall ensure that a person who
applies to more than 1 lead agency pursuant to
subparagraph (A) may submit a single consolidated
application to all such lead agencies.
``(3) Application for benefits.--
``(A) 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 subsection, which shall
include--
``(i) a joint attestation by the employer
and the parent that, if the lead agency
approves the application, the employer and the
parent will each pay \1/3\ of the eligible
child care costs charged by an eligible child
care provider during a specified period with
respect to the child;
``(ii) the name and business address of the
employer;
``(iii) the name and residential address of
the parent;
``(iv) the name, age, and residential
address of the child;
``(v) an attestation from the parent
employee that the parent employee is employed
by the employer; and
``(vi) sufficient information for the lead
agency to verify--
``(I) that the parent is employed
by the employer; and
``(II) the family income of the
family of the parent and child, in each
pay period.
``(B) Consideration.--In considering applications
submitted pursuant to this subsection, a lead agency
shall--
``(i) verify the matters described in
subparagraph (A)(vi); and
``(ii) take into account the needs of the
parents involved and the availability of funds
provided to the lead agency under this
subsection.
``(C) Approval.--The lead agency may approve an
application submitted pursuant to subparagraph (A).
``(4) Payments to child care providers.--
``(A) In general.--The lead agency shall pay to an
eligible child care provider selected by a parent whose
application is approved pursuant to paragraph (3) 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 application.
``(B) Reimbursement by employer and employee.--With
respect to each such payment--
``(i) the parent and the employer of the
parent shall jointly pay to the lead agency an
amount equal to \2/3\ of the charges of the
eligible child care provider; and
``(ii) the parent may consent to the
employer withholding an amount that is not more
than \1/3\ of the charges of the provider from
the pay of the parent if the employer pays the
total amount specified under clause (i) to the
lead agency.
``(C) Payment schedules.--The lead agency shall--
``(i) offer more than 1 payment schedule
for payments to eligible child care providers
under subparagraph (A); and
``(ii) pay each provider in accordance with
the schedule chosen by the provider.
``(5) 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 employers,
child care providers, parents, and the lead agency, and may
allow a third party to administer the grant.
``(6) Regulations.--The Secretary may prescribe such
regulations as the Secretary deems necessary and appropriate to
carry out this subsection.
``(7) No effect on ccdbg benefits.--Eligibility for, and
the amount of benefits received under, the program under this
subsection shall not affect eligibility for, or the amount of
benefits provided pursuant to, the Child Care and Development
Block Grant Act of 1990.
``(8) Termination.--The program under this subsection shall
terminate at the end of the program period.
``(9) Evaluation; report.--
``(A) Evaluation.--The Secretary shall conduct an
evaluation, developed by the Office of Planning,
Research, and Evaluation of the Administration for
Children and Families, of--
``(i) the cost-effectiveness of the
program; and
``(ii) the effects of the program on--
``(I) hiring, employment, and
employee retention; and
``(II) affordability of, and access
to, child care;
``(B) Report to congress.--Within 1 year after the
end of the program period, the Secretary shall submit
to the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of
Representatives a written report that contains the
results of--
``(i) the evaluation conducted under
subparagraph (A);
``(ii) a description of the outcomes for
the children involved in the program under this
subsection; and
``(iii) a description of the metrics used
in the evaluation.
``(10) Appropriation.--Out of any money in the Treasury not
otherwise appropriated, there are appropriated to carry out
this subsection $250,000,000 for each fiscal year ending in the
program period, of which 5 percent shall be expended for the
evaluation provided for in paragraph (8)(A) and 5 percent shall
be expended to provide technical assistance to lead agencies in
carrying out their functions under this subsection.
``(11) Definitions.--In this subsection:
``(A) Eligible child.--The term `eligible child'
means an individual--
``(i) 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 resides;
``(ii) who has a parent employed by a
participating employer;
``(iii) with respect to the State in which
the parent is employed, whose family income is
not less than the State threshold for child
care assistance and not more than 300 percent
of the State threshold for child care
assistance; and
``(iv) 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 1990.
``(B) 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
658E(c)(2)(I) of the Child Care and Development Block
Grant Act of 1990.
``(C) Eligible child care provider.--The term
`eligible child care provider' has the meaning given
the term in section 658P(6) of the Child Care and
Development Block Grant Act of 1990.
``(D) Lead agency.--The term `lead agency' means,
with respect to a State, the agency designated or
established by the State under section 658D(a) of the
Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990.
``(E) Parent.--The term `parent', with respect to a
child, includes a legal guardian, relative guardian, or
foster parent of the child.
``(F) Participating employer.--The term
`participating employer' means a person whose
application to participate in the program under this
subsection is approved under paragraph (2).
``(G) Program period.--The term `program period'
means the 3-year period that begins with the effective
date of this subsection.
``(H) State threshold for child care assistance.--
The term `State threshold for child care assistance'
means, with respect to the lead agency of a State, the
maximum income limit for assistance funded pursuant to
the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990
provided by the lead agency.''.
(b) Conforming Amendments.--Section 418 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 618)
is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)(3), by striking ``section'' and
inserting ``subsection''; and
(2) in each of subsections (b)(1), (b)(2), and (c), by
striking ``this section'' and inserting ``subsection (a)''.
(c) 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 Services, acting through the
Administration for Children and Families, 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 418(e) of the Social
Security Act on a sliding scale.
(d) Transfer of Unobligated Funds to the Preschool Development
Grants Program.--The unobligated balances of the amounts made available
to carry out section 418(e) of the Social Security Act as of September
30 of each fiscal year shall be transferred to and merged with amounts
made available on or after October 1 for the preschool development
grants program under section 9212 of the Every Student Succeeds Act (42
U.S.C. 9831 note) for the following fiscal year.
(e) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall take
effect on the 1st day of the 1st Federal fiscal quarter that begins
after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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