September 16, 2020 - Issue: Vol. 166, No. 160 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 2nd Session

[Pages H4444-H4447]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     ENSURING CHILDREN AND CHILD CARE WORKERS ARE SAFE ACT OF 2020

  Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 7909) to facilitate access to child care services safely and 
securely during the COVID-19 pandemic, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 7909

       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 ``Ensuring Children and Child 
     Care Workers Are Safe Act of 2020''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds the following:
       (1) Child care is an essential service that supports 
     children's early development and allows parents to work.
       (2) At least 1 out of 2 child care providers closed at some 
     point during the COVID-19 pandemic, and 2 out of 5 face the 
     possibility of permanent closure.
       (3) The lack of access to child care services can prevent 
     parents from returning to work and can prevent children from 
     accessing critical services, including meals.
       (4) Ensuring the safe re-opening and operation of child 
     care service settings during periods of community 
     transmission of COVID-19 will require child care providers to 
     adopt new measures and practices in order to reduce the 
     likelihood of COVID-19 transmission.
       (5) Such measures and practices must ensure the safety of 
     children as well as child care workers, who may be at high 
     risk of infection.
       (6) Ensuring that working families have access to safe 
     child care service options is critical to supporting young 
     children's development and to returning the economy back to 
     its pre-pandemic levels.

     SEC. 3. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ON THE SAFE PROVISION OF CHILD 
                   CARE SERVICES.

       (a) Technical Assistance to States.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services 
     (in this Act referred to as the Secretary), in consultation 
     with the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and 
     Prevention, shall provide technical assistance to States, 
     Indian Tribes, and tribal organizations related to the safe 
     provision of child care services while there is community 
     transmission of COVID-19. Such technical assistance shall 
     include information about--
       (A) the prevention of COVID-19 transmission in child care 
     provider settings, including the use of face masks and other 
     personal protective equipment in such settings,
       (B) training and professional development on health and 
     safety practices related to the prevention of COVID-19 
     transmission in child care provider settings,
       (C) the acquisition and use of personal protective 
     equipment, and
       (D) modifications of child care provider settings and 
     services to prevent COVID-19 transmission, such as optimal 
     staff-to-child ratios across such settings and the use of 
     mental health supports.
       (2) Materials.--As part of such technical assistance 
     efforts, the Secretary shall--
       (A) publish educational materials related to the prevention 
     of COVID-19 transmission in child care provider settings, 
     including by posting such materials on a website,
       (B) update any such materials as necessary to reflect 
     advancements in the science of COVID-19, and
       (C) provide a mechanism through which States may exchange 
     best practices relating to the safe operation of child care 
     providers.
       (b) Technical Assistance to Child Care Providers.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary may make grants to lead 
     agencies designated under section 658D(a) of the Child Care 
     and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858b(a)) 
     to provide guidance, technical assistance, and support to 
     child care providers, either directly or through resource and 
     referral agencies or staffed family child care networks, 
     regarding the safe operation of child care providers while 
     there is community transmission of COVID-19.
       (2) Reservation.--The Secretary shall reserve 2.75 percent 
     of funds appropriated to carry out this section to make 
     payments to Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, or consortia 
     of Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations.
       (3) Allotments.--From amounts appropriated to carry out 
     this section and not reserved under paragraph (2), the 
     Secretary shall allot to Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin 
     Islands of the United States, and the Commonwealth of the 
     Northern Mariana Islands and to the remaining States amounts 
     in accordance with subsections (a)(1) and subsection (b) of 
     section 658O of the Child Care and Development Block Grant 
     Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858m), except that none of such 
     remaining States shall receive an allotment of less than 
     $10,000.
       (4) Requirements.--Each lead agency that receives a grant 
     under this section shall ensure that--
       (A) guidance, technical assistance, and support are 
     available to child care providers regardless of such 
     providers' settings, sizes, or administrative capacities, and
       (B) guidance, technical assistance, and support are 
     available in the languages most commonly spoken in the State, 
     Indian Tribe, or Tribal organization.
       (c) Report to Congress.--Not later than 60 days after funds 
     are appropriated to carry out this Act, the Secretary shall 
     provide to the Committee on Education and Labor of the House 
     of Representatives and to the Committee on Health, Education, 
     Labor, and Pensions of the Senate a report that includes--
       (1) recommendations for how to ensure the safe provision of 
     child care services while there is community transmission of 
     COVID-19, including recommendations that address each of the 
     issues described in subparagraphs (A) through (D) of 
     subsection (a)(1),

[[Page H4445]]

       (2) recommendations for how to ensure the supply of child 
     care services meets demand during periods when providers 
     implement the recommendations described in paragraph (1), 
     including whether it will be necessary to expand the number 
     of child care providers to meet such demand and, if so, 
     recommendations for how to expand the number of child care 
     providers, and
       (3) the estimated cost of implementing the recommendations 
     described in paragraphs (1) and (2).

     SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

       The terms ``State'', ``Indian Tribe'', and ``Tribal 
     organization'' have the meanings given such terms in section 
     658P of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 
     1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858n).

     SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this 
     Act, $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2021. Funds appropriated to 
     carry out this Act shall remain available until expended.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Oregon (Ms. Bonamici) and the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Oregon.


                             General Leave

  Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on the measure under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Oregon?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 7909, the Ensuring 
Children and Child Care Workers Are Safe Act.
  Access to high-quality, affordable childcare has always been 
fundamental to the well-being of families and children, so it is not 
surprising that childcare has emerged as one of the most urgent issues 
facing families and communities during this pandemic.
  I have spoken with parents who are struggling with how you balance 
kids at home with work at home. I have heard from business owners, 
economic development leaders, and local elected officials who are 
worried about the workforce and the economy, and childcare has always 
been an important part of all of these conversations because it is a 
key factor in reopening our communities safely.
  Many, and in some places most, childcare providers across the country 
were closed during the early months of the pandemic. But now, they are 
reopening and working hard to restore confidence and provide a safe 
place for the children in their care.
  Unfortunately, providers have told us that they have received little 
direct guidance about how to modify their practices for COVID-19 to 
keep children, families, and workers safe and that the guidance they 
have received keeps changing and is oftentimes unrealistic. This makes 
it difficult for providers to rebuild and to serve the number of 
children they need to sustainably run their business and survive the 
pandemic.
  It is worth noting that even before the pandemic, this industry 
operated on razor-thin margins and faced major difficulties.
  According to a recent report from the American Institutes for 
Research and Early Edge California, of the 278 California childcare 
providers surveyed, 52 percent reported that it was too difficult to 
understand or follow new requirements during COVID-19, and 79 percent 
reported a significant need for guidance on how to implement new COVID-
19 health and safety protocols.
  This important bipartisan bill before us today, introduced by my 
colleagues Representative Finkenauer and Representative Guthrie, will 
help meet this need by requiring the Department of Health and Human 
Services, in consultation with the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention, to issue educational materials and guidance on how to 
provide childcare services safely during the pandemic.
  Critically, this bill authorizes funding that will enable States to 
provide direct outreach, technical assistance, and support to childcare 
providers.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance 
of my time.
  Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, before I begin, I was talking to my friend from Oregon 
earlier--and also, I know, your home State--and our thoughts and 
prayers are with everybody on the West Coast. I know some of us have 
friends on the Gulf Coast. We have citizens of our country, Madam 
Speaker, that are going through some tough times, and our thoughts and 
prayers are with them.

  Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 7909, the Ensuring Children 
and Child Care Workers Are Safe Act. It is a bipartisan piece of 
legislation that I introduced with my colleague, Representative 
Finkenauer from Iowa, which will provide childcare providers resources 
and information on how to safely operate during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  Without childcare options, parents can't return to work, which is a 
key component to our Nation's economic recovery. Additionally, 
childcare benefits and a child's health and development are critical to 
building a strong foundation for future success.
  Childcare providers, however, are currently grappling with safely 
reopening and staying open. A recent article in U.S. News and World 
Report noted tens of thousands of childcare providers shuttered across 
the U.S., 4,500 in the Washington, D.C., area alone.
  In my home State of Kentucky, thanks to the CARES Act, many of our 
childcare centers have been fortunate to reopen. However, one-third of 
the State's 2,200 licensed or certified childcare centers still haven't 
reopened.
  In order to reopen for families, childcare providers must follow 
certain guidelines and modify their normal routines in order to create 
a safe environment for children. Now more than ever, childcare 
providers need assistance interpreting and implementing CDC and State 
guidelines designed to keep children safe.
  My bill, along with Representative Finkenauer, H.R. 7909, requires 
the Department of Health and Human Services to work with States to 
provide technical assistance for childcare providers as they reopen 
across the country.
  In a recent study on technical assistance, the Government 
Accountability Office found that the current COVID-19 pandemic 
underscores the importance of Federal agencies providing technical 
assistance to grantees to ensure the continuity of operations of grant 
programs and the effective use of funding.

                              {time}  1115

  While it is common for Congress to require technical assistance, it 
is critical that we tailor these directives carefully to ensure 
grantees are receiving necessary and timely support. We in Congress 
hear the concerns of childcare providers and are sending the assistance 
they desperately need.
  Additionally, this bill authorizes $5 million for 1 year for HHS to 
issue grants to States so they can provide guidance and technical 
support to childcare providers, and it requires HHS to provide 
recommendations to Congress on how to ensure there is an adequate 
supply of safe childcare during COVID-19. It is critical, and not only 
to children and childcare providers, but also to families who need 
access to childcare while they return to work.
  Madam Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on H.R. 7909 so that we can help 
put our country on the path forward. I appreciate working with my 
colleague from Iowa, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague, Mr. 
Guthrie, for his kind remarks.
  Madam Speaker, I yield as much time as she may consume to the 
gentlewoman from Iowa (Ms. Finkenauer), the author of this important 
bipartisan legislation.
  Ms. FINKENAUER. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of my 
legislation, aptly called the Ensuring Children and Child Care Workers 
Are Safe Act. I introduced this commonsense bipartisan bill to help 
ensure our childcare providers have the information and resources they 
need to provide a safe environment both for the kids they serve and 
also their caregivers they employ amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
  You see, parent and childcare providers were having a tough time even

[[Page H4446]]

before this pandemic hit our country. In my district, for example, 
parents can't find enough people to provide quality and affordable 
childcare, and there is an overwhelming demand and just not enough care 
available. This is an industry struggling with a shrinking workforce, 
low wages, and razor-thin margins.
  And for myself personally, growing up in Iowa, I went to college in 
Iowa; and I saw, after college and even after high school, a lot of my 
friends move away and go to States where they could make more money and 
pay off their student loan debt.
  Right now they are in their thirties, around my age, getting married, 
wanting to have kids, wanting to move back home, and one of the 
barriers to doing it is access to childcare.
  So, again, this has been an issue that we have dealt with for a long 
time, before this pandemic even hit. But now, on top of everything, we 
are asking our childcare providers to keep our kids safe during this 
pandemic. In my State, cases continue to rise, but many folks have no 
choice but to return to work.
  Right now, I am worried that we are headed in the wrong direction. 
Roughly 60 percent of childcare providers have actually closed their 
doors because of the pandemic, and there is a chance that up to half of 
those closures will actually be permanent.
  Earlier this year, we passed legislation to create a $50 billion 
childcare stabilization fund, which passed with bipartisan support. 
This will help address some of the intense financial pressure facing 
our providers right now, but the problem is still more complicated. We 
must give the providers the guidance and also the support that they 
need to protect the health and safety of our children, families, and 
frontline workers.
  That is where the Ensuring Children and Child Care Workers Are Safe 
Act comes in. We want to make sure childcare providers are equipped to 
keep kids safe and prevent the spread of COVID-19. We are going to do 
that by ensuring there is practical safety guidance and technical 
assistance from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
  We also want to make sure that this guidance actually reaches 
childcare providers and that providers get the help they need in 
implementing best practices. That is why our bill would also create 
grants so States can reach out to providers and provide the technical 
support they need to succeed.
  This bill recognizes the unprecedented demands being put on our 
childcare providers. We simply cannot expect them to do this alone when 
they are already up against so much.
  When it comes to addressing the childcare crisis which existed, 
again, well before COVID-19 hit our country, I am happy to say that I 
have found many partners on both sides of the aisle who are willing to 
tackle this issue for hardworking families.
  Thank you to the great group of bipartisan colleagues who are joining 
me in tackling this problem and who worked with me to craft this bill. 
This includes my colead, Congressman Brett Guthrie of Kentucky.
  There is an understanding here that if parents don't have access to 
quality and affordable childcare, then they will start passing up 
economic opportunities. Sometimes it is turning down a promotion or, in 
other cases, that means leaving the workforce altogether. We see this 
far too often, especially in rural districts like mine.
  It is clear that the childcare industry is critical to recovering 
from this pandemic and the economic situation it created. Providing 
help and technical assistance now will take a burden off our providers 
amid the many challenges, again, that they face during the pandemic.
  This bipartisan bill before you today is common sense, and it is 
something that folks across the country are asking for. So I urge you 
to vote ``yes'' on the Ensuring Children and Child Care Workers Are 
Safe Act.
  Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Keller), a member of the committee and a good friend.
  Mr. KELLER. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in 
supporting America's childcare providers and the essential services 
they provide to our Nation's families.
  As millions of families have learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, 
childcare is a critical component of our national economy. In addition 
to the significant benefits that childcare provides for children's 
social and emotional development, access to reliable childcare 
continues to play a vital role in America's economic recovery.

  As parents return to work, they need to be sure that their children 
will be looked after and kept safe. The Ensuring Children and Child 
Care Workers Are Safe Act of 2020, H.R. 7909, would make these 
assurances to families by equipping childcare providers with the 
resources they need to perform their jobs safely and effectively.
  This legislation would provide funding for States to implement 
technical support and training programs to assist childcare providers 
in meeting safety guidelines and acquiring personal protective 
equipment.
  Childcare providers have supported millions of American families, 
providing an essential service during good times and bad. I urge my 
colleagues to support H.R. 7909.
  Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Speaker, may I please inquire how much time 
remains on each side.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman from Oregon has 13 minutes 
remaining.
  Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman 
from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I really thank the gentlewoman for 
her leadership on these issues. Thank you so very much for allowing me 
this time. As well, to the chairman of the committee, ranking member, 
and to Ms. Finkenauer and the gentleman from Kentucky, let me thank 
them for their leadership, and I thank the gentlewoman for the time.
  Madam Speaker, let me indicate how important this legislation is. 
Twelve Utah childcare students were infected with COVID-19. They 
infected another 12; one of them was a parent who had to go to a 
hospital.
  The Ensuring Children and Child Care Workers Are Safe Act of 2020 is 
vital and long overdue. This bill requires the U.S. Department of 
Health and Human Services to provide educational materials and 
technical assistance to States related to the safe provision of 
childcare services during COVID-19.
  With this bill, childcare facilities not only receive information on 
COVID-19 prevention, but also professional development for providers on 
health and safety, as well as guidance on the acquisition and use of 
personal protective equipment.
  We heard this a lot in my district: No PPE.
  It also instructs HHS to recommend additional steps to Congress about 
ensuring the safe provision and adequate supply of childcare during 
COVID-19, including whether and how to expand the supply of childcare 
to meet demand. There is a demand. It is crucial.
  In addition, according to The Washington Post, before the coronavirus 
pandemic, approximately one-third of all children under age 5 attended 
a paid care facility, daycare center, preschool, or prekindergarten. In 
2019, there were 15 million-plus children living with a single mother 
and approximately 3 million children living with a single father.
  This is crucial because, as things open up, children and schools are 
all going to be intermingling, and these childcare workers are vital to 
what we do and how we provide for these hardworking parents and to 
protect these children.
  And now we know. It has been disabused that at any point children are 
not infectious. That is no longer a fact. It is not a fact. It is not 
true. They are infectious and they can transmit COVID-19.
  Let me take a moment to speak quickly to H.R. 2574, the Equity and 
Inclusion Enforcement Act of 2019.
  That bill passed, but it restores the power of students and parents 
to challenge discriminatory policies and practices in schools and other 
federally funded programs. We know what happened to this young man who 
wanted to wrestle. What a humiliating situation when, on the wrestling 
floor, in the competition, a coach had to cut his hair off.
  I ask my colleagues to support H.R. 7909.
  I also rise to support H.R. 3659, Danny's Law, that deals with 
bullying,

[[Page H4447]]

and, as well, H.R. 8162, 21st Century Community Learning Centers 
Coronavirus Relief Act.
  Madam Speaker, I thank my colleagues and ask my colleagues to support 
the legislation.
  Madam Speaker, as a cosponsor and Founding Chair of the Congressional 
Children's Caucus, I rise in strong support of H.R. 7909, the 
``Ensuring Child and Child Care Workers Are Safe Act of 2020,'' which 
requires the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to 
provide educational materials and technical assistance to states 
related to the safe provision of child care services during COVID-19. 
Despite their vital role during the pandemic, child care providers have 
received insufficient actionable guidance on how to prevent the spread 
of COVID-19 while providing high-quality care.
  With this bill, child care facilities not only receive information on 
COVID-19 prevention but also professional development for providers on 
health and safety as well as guidance on the acquisition and use of 
personal protective equipment. It also instructs HHS to recommend 
additional steps to Congress about ensuring the safe provision and 
adequate supply of childcare during COVID-19, including whether and how 
to expand the supply of child care to meet demand.
  As an increasing number of states open up and more individuals return 
to work, parents are relying on child care facilities once again, 
making the need for proper guidance to prevent the spread of COVID-19 
at child care services more essential than ever. As of this morning, 
the United States has over 6,606,859 cases of coronavirus and over 
195,961 related deaths. Adequate and updated information is key to 
getting control over this disease, and we must ensure that this 
guidance is easily and readily accessible to all.
  It is no secret that the child care sector provides an immense public 
value to our society and our economy. According to the Washington Post, 
before the coronavirus pandemic, approximately one-third of all 
children under age 5 attended a paid care facility, day-care center, 
preschool or prekindergarten.
  Child care plays a crucial role in the lives of working parents, 
especially in single parent households. In 2019, there were about 15.76 
million children living with a single mother and approximately 3.23 
million children living with a single father in the United States. We 
must never forget that child care is often a lifeline to single, 
working parents that allows them to balance both their parenting and 
professional responsibilities.
  I am proud to be a leader on this critical piece of legislation, and 
I urge my colleagues from both parties to join me in voting to pass 
H.R. 7909.
  Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, in these challenging times, childcare providers, 
especially those who run small operations, are at risk of shutting 
their doors. The call for Congress to act is loud and clear.
  With the additional health and safety requirements providers are 
expected to navigate, it is important to help them implement these 
requirements so the children in their care remain safe and free from 
harm. H.R. 7909 will ensure that childcare providers receive guidance 
and assistance to safely operate so that parents can return to work and 
our economy can continue to recover. I think most of the people, when I 
am back home, are just looking to return to normal, and this moves that 
forward.
  For these reasons, I strongly urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on 
H.R. 7909, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Madam Speaker, I wish to once again thank Representatives Finkenauer 
and Guthrie for their leadership in crafting this urgently needed 
bipartisan bill and all of my colleagues who have spoken in support of 
the Ensuring Children and Child Care Workers Are Safe Act. This is such 
an important issue.
  Today's children are tomorrow's leaders. This bill will help make 
sure that childcare providers who are entrusted with the health, 
safety, and development of our Nation's very future have the support 
they need to succeed.
  I also want to note, as my colleague from Iowa noted, that the 
consideration of this bill comes after the House passage of the Child 
Care is Essential Act, which will provide $50 billion in direct grant 
funding to help childcare providers cover operating expenses, purchase 
PPE and cleaning supplies, pay providers through the pandemic and 
beyond, and, importantly, give struggling parents relief from high-cost 
copayments and tuition.
  This is a good investment in our children, our families, our economy, 
and our future. I continue to urge Senator McConnell and the full 
Senate to take up the Child Care is Essential Act, as well as this 
excellent bipartisan bill.
  Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support the legislation 
before us today, H.R. 7909, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Bonamici) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 7909, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3 of House Resolution 
965, the yeas and nays are ordered.
  Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion 
are postponed.

                          ____________________