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S. 4628Senate119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

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.

Sponsored by Roger MarshallSen. Roger Marshall (R-KS)
Introduced May 21, 2026

AI-Generated Summary

Updated June 9, 2026 at 5:41 AM UTC

The bill directs the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture to create an "Expanding Childcare in Rural America Initiative" that will use existing USDA loan and grant programs to improve the availability, quality, and affordability of childcare for children under first grade in rural areas. The initiative will run for fiscal years 2027‑2029, give priority to projects that address rural childcare, ensure benefits are spread across different regions, and require an evaluation and report on the program’s impact.

Key Provisions

  • Defines "childcare" to include licensed or regulated early‑education programs, including Head Start and school‑based services.
  • Establishes the Expanding Childcare in Rural America Initiative, to be funded each year from 2027 through 2029.
  • Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to give priority in USDA loan and grant programs to applicants whose projects improve childcare availability, quality, or cost in rural areas.
  • Specifies the USDA programs that can be used for this priority: essential community facilities loans/grants, business and industry direct and guaranteed loans, rural micro‑entrepreneur assistance, and intermediary relending.
  • Mandates a balanced geographic distribution of assistance under the initiative.
  • Orders a quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the projects within three years of enactment and a detailed report to the agriculture committees within four years.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action
SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee

May 21, 2026

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

May 21, 2026

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee

May 21, 2026

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued May 21, 2026

II

119th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. 4628

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

May 21, 2026

Mr. Marshall (for himself, Ms. Smith, Ms. Hassan, and Ms. Ernst) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

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.

1.

Expanding Childcare in Rural America Initiative

(a)

Definitions

In this section:

(1)

Childcare

(A)

In general

The term childcare means any program that—

(i)

provides quality care and early education for children who have not yet entered first grade; and

(ii)

is operated by—

(I)

an eligible childcare provider described in section 658P(6)(A) of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858n(6)(A)); or

(II)

a childcare provider that, on the date of enactment of this Act—

(aa)

is licensed, regulated, or registered in the State, territory of the United States, or territory of the Indian Tribe in which the provider is located; and

(bb)

meets applicable State, Tribal, territorial, and local health and safety requirements.

(B)

Inclusions

The term childcare includes—

(i)

a school-based program described in subparagraph (A);

(ii)

a program described in subparagraph (A) that is a Head Start program, including a migrant and seasonal Head Start program, or an American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start program carried out under the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.);

(iii)

a facility used for a program described in subparagraph (A); and

(iv)

a service provided under a program described in subparagraph (A).

(2)

Initiative

The term Initiative means the Expanding Childcare in Rural America Initiative established under subsection (b).

(3)

Rural area

The term rural area has the meaning given the term in section 343(a)(13)(A) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(13)(A)).

(4)

Secretary

The term Secretary means the Secretary of Agriculture.

(b)

Establishment

The Secretary shall establish an initiative, to be known as the Expanding Childcare in Rural America Initiative, under which the Secretary shall provide, for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2029, priority in accordance with subsection (c) to address the availability, quality, and cost of childcare in rural areas.

(c)

Childcare priorities

(1)

In general

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in selecting recipients of loans and grants under a program described in paragraph (2), the Secretary shall give priority to any qualified applicant that proposes to use the loan or grant to address the availability, quality, or cost of childcare in a rural area.

(2)

Description of programs

The programs referred to in paragraph (1) are the following:

(A)

The essential community facilities loan and grant programs authorized under section 306(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926(a)).

(B)

The business and industry direct and guaranteed loan program authorized under section 310B(g) of that Act (7 U.S.C. 1932(g)).

(C)

The rural microentrepreneur assistance program authorized under section 379E of that Act (7 U.S.C. 2008s).

(D)

The intermediary relending program authorized under section 310H of that Act (7 U.S.C. 1936b).

(d)

Requirement

In providing funding in accordance with the Initiative, the Secretary shall ensure a balanced geographical distribution of the benefits under the Initiative.

(e)

Evaluation; report

(1)

Evaluation

Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall conduct a comprehensive quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the projects carried out using assistance provided under the Initiative, including—

(A)

a description of—

(i)

the types of projects carried out;

(ii)

the communities in which the projects are carried out;

(iii)

the organizations and entities participating in the projects; and

(iv)

the types of partnerships developed to carry out the projects; and

(B)

the economic and social impacts of the investments in the projects.

(2)

Report

Not later than 4 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate and the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives a report describing the evaluation conducted under paragraph (1), including a thorough analysis of the outcomes of the evaluation.