Roger Marshall (R-KS)
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.
A Republican bill with 2 Democratic cosponsors · See all 3 cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- 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
- Scored +6
Would people in rural areas be better off under this?
The entire initiative is specifically designed to improve essential services like childcare within rural communities.
- Scored +5
Would children be better off under this?
The bill aims to improve the quality and availability of early education and care for children.
- Scored +5
Does this make child care cost less?
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
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Increased Childcare Access and Affordability: The initiative is designed to address the availability, quality, and cost of childcare in rural areas (Section 1(b)).
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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)).
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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. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — The entire initiative is specifically designed to improve essential services like childcare within rural communities. Would children be better off under this? — The bill aims to improve the quality and availability of early education and care for children. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Providing more affordable childcare directly benefits households with limited financial resources. Would women be better off under this? — Increased childcare availability and affordability often facilitate greater workforce participation for women.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this make it easier to run a small business? — The bill utilizes the rural microentrepreneur assistance program to provide financial support for childcare providers. Is this likely to create jobs? — The bill provides priority for loans and grants to expand childcare, which supports the establishment of new childcare facilities and services.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this make child care cost less? — The initiative specifically aims to address the cost and availability of childcare in rural areas. Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — Improving childcare access and lowering costs can assist low-income families in escaping poverty by enabling more stable employment.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this invest in rural communities? — The bill invests in essential community facilities and childcare infrastructure specifically for rural areas.
- Education And Technology
- Does this make it easier to use public money at a school other than the local one? — The bill includes school-based childcare programs as part of its definition for expansion.
- 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