Bill · S. 4628· Senate(119-S-4628)
A bill to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to establish an initiative to address the availability, quality, and cost of childcare in rural areas, and for other purposes.
- Introduced
- 5/21/2026
- Last activity
- 5/21/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
- Sponsored by
- Roger Marshall
- Cosponsors
- - 1 - 2
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill directs the Secretary of Agriculture to establish the Expanding Childcare in Rural America Initiative. The initiative aims to address the availability, quality, and cost of childcare within rural areas. For fiscal years 2027 through 2029, the Secretary will provide priority to qualified applicants seeking loans or grants to support childcare needs. This priority applies to several specific loan and grant programs. Finally, the Secretary is required to evaluate the initiative and submit a report to Congressional committees regarding its impacts.
Yes· 3 of 10
Would people in rural areas be better off under this?+6
The entire initiative is specifically designed to improve essential services like childcare within rural communities.
Would children be better off under this?+5
The bill aims to improve the quality and availability of early education and care for children.
Does this make child care cost less?+5
The initiative specifically aims to address the cost and availability of childcare in rural areas.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Increased Childcare Access and Affordability: The initiative is designed to address the availability, quality, and cost of childcare in rural areas (Section 1(b)).
-
Priority Funding for Community Needs: Qualified applicants proposing to address childcare availability, quality, or cost in rural areas will receive priority when selecting recipients of loans and grants (Section 1(c)(1)).
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Support via Existing Programs: The bill utilizes established programs, such as essential community facilities, business and industry, and rural microentrepreneur assistance, to fund these childcare improvements (Section 1(c)(2)).
-
Geographical Fairness: The Secretary is required to ensure that the benefits provided under the initiative have a balanced geographical distribution (Section 1(d)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No specific negative impacts or burdens are explicitly stated in the provided text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Rural Residents+6Good For Children+5Good For Low Income Households+4Good For Women+3
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Small Business Support+4Increases Job Creation+3
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Childcare Affordability+5Improves Poverty Reduction+2
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Improves Rural Development+5
- Education And Technology
- Improves School Choice+2
- 5/21/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
- 3 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Joni ErnstRepublican · Iowa
Maggie HassanDemocrat · New Hampshire
Tina SmithDemocrat · Minnesota