Child care and development

HR 4249: Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2026

Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2026

This bill provides FY2026 appropriations for the legislative branch, including the House of Representatives and joint items such as

  • the Joint Economic Committee,
  • the Joint Committee on Taxation,
  • the Office of the Attending Physician, and
  • the Office of Congressional Accessibility Services.

In addition, the bill provides FY2026 appropriations for

  • the Capitol Police;
  • the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights;
  • the Congressional Budget Office;
  • the Architect of the Capitol;
  • the Library of Congress, including the Congressional Research Service and the Copyright Office;
  • the Government Publishing Office;
  • the Government Accountability Office;
  • Congressional Office for International Leadership Fund; and
  • the John C. Stennis Center for Public Service Training and Development.

(Pursuant to the longstanding practice of each chamber of Congress determining its own requirements, funds for the Senate are not included in the House bill.)

The bill also sets forth requirements and restrictions for using funds provided by this bill.

HR 4121: Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026

Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026

This bill provides FY2026 appropriations for the Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Food and Drug Administration, and related agencies.

The bill provides appropriations to USDA for agricultural programs, including

  • the Office of the Secretary,
  • Executive Operations,
  • the Economic Research Service,
  • the National Agricultural Statistics Service,
  • the Agricultural Research Service,
  • the National Institute of Food and Agriculture,
  • the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service,
  • the Agricultural Marketing Service, and
  • the Food Safety and Inspection Service.

The bill also provides appropriations to USDA for farm production and conservation programs, including

  • the Farm Production and Conservation Business Center,
  • the Farm Service Agency,
  • the Risk Management Agency, and
  • the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

The bill provides appropriations to the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation Fund and the Commodity Credit Corporation Fund.

For USDA rural development programs, the bill includes appropriations for

  • Salaries and Expenses,
  • the Rural Housing Service,
  • the Rural Business-Cooperative Service, and
  • the Rural Utilities Service.

The bill provides appropriations to the Food and Nutrition Service for

  • Child Nutrition Programs;
  • the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC);
  • the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP);
  • the Commodity Assistance Program; and
  • Nutrition Programs Administration.

The bill provides appropriations to the Foreign Agricultural Service for (1) Food for Peace Title II Grants, and (2) McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program Grants.

The bill also provides appropriations for

  • the Food and Drug Administration,
  • the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and
  • the Farm Credit Administration.

Additionally, the bill sets forth requirements and restrictions for using funds provided by this and other appropriations acts.

S 761: Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act of 2025

Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act of 2025

This bill establishes the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies in the United States within the legislative branch and sets forth its powers, duties, and membership.

Among other duties, the commission must investigate the impacts and ongoing effects of the Indian Boarding School Policies (federal policies under which American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian children were forcibly removed from their family homes and placed in boarding schools).

Further, the commission must develop recommendations on ways to (1) protect unmarked graves and accompanying land protections; (2) support repatriation and identify the tribal nations from which children were taken; and (3) discontinue the removal of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian children from their families and tribal communities by state social service departments, foster care agencies, and adoption agencies.

S 310: Build Housing with Care Act of 2025

Build Housing with Care Act of 2025

This bill establishes a competitive grant program to support co-located childcare and housing facilities. It also requires the Government Accountability Office to study the availability and affordability of childcare for residents of public housing.

Specifically, the Department of Housing and Urban Development must award the grants to eligible entities, which include community development financial institutions, public housing authorities, licensed childcare providers, government entities, housing developers, and consortia of such entities. Entities must use the grants for designing, planning, constructing, acquiring, renovating, or otherwise supporting new or existing housing facilities with childcare providers on the same premises or nearby. 

HR 688: Standing with Moms Act

Standing with Moms Act

This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to disseminate information about pregnancy-related resources, including information about abortion risks and alternatives.

Specifically, HHS must create a public website called life.gov that lists such resources that are available through federal, state, and local governments and private entities.

Additionally, HHS must create on its existing website a portal that provides a user, based on the user’s responses to a series of questions, tailored information about pregnancy resources available in the user’s zip code and risks related to abortion. HHS must develop a plan to conduct follow-up outreach to users of the portal (if the user consents to the outreach). States must recommend resources that meet criteria set by HHS for inclusion in the portal. HHS may award grants to states to establish or support a system that aggregates resources to include in the portal.

Further, the Health Resources and Services Administration must share information about the new website and portal through the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline.

HHS must also ensure that the new website and hotline are available to families who speak languages other than English.

The new website, portal, and hotline may not include resources provided by entities that (1) perform, induce, refer for, or counsel in favor of abortions; or (2) financially support such entities.

The bill also requires HHS to report on traffic to the new website and portal, gaps in services available to pregnant and postpartum individuals, and related matters.

HR 581: Child Care Workforce and Facilities Act of 2025

Child Care Workforce and Facilities Act of 2025

This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to provide states and tribal entities with grants to increase access to licensed child care services.

The grants may be used to develop and expand the child care workforce or child care facilities in locations with insufficient available child care. Specifically, grants cover 50% of the cost of programs to support the education and training of caregivers or projects to build, expand, or renovate child care facilities in these areas.

S 169: Child Care Workforce and Facilities Act of 2025

Child Care Workforce and Facilities Act of 2025

This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to provide states and tribal entities with grants to increase access to licensed child care services.

The grants may be used to develop and expand the child care workforce or child care facilities in locations with insufficient available child care. Specifically, grants cover 50% of the cost of programs to support the education and training of caregivers or projects to build, expand, or renovate child care facilities in these areas.

HR 150: People CARE Act

People-Centered Assistance Reform Effort Act or the People CARE Act

This bill establishes the People-Centered Assistance Reform Effort Commission within the legislative branch to review federal means-tested programs for potential reform.

Under the bill, means-tested programs are those designed to provide assistance to low-income individuals, including, for example, Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. The commission is generally directed to review all federal means-tested programs with the exception of certain specified programs, including Social Security, Medicare, and certain veterans’ benefits programs.

The commission is directed to identify and evaluate potential changes to federal means-tested programs, such as consolidation with other programs, delegation of certain functions to states, and the establishment of gradual benefit reductions tied to increases in beneficiaries’ income. The commission is also directed to consider changes that would allow caseworkers to identify all of the appropriate programs for individuals and families. The commission must establish a website through which members of the public may submit suggested reforms for consideration. 

The commission is to be comprised of eight members, with an equal number of members appointed by the majority and minority parties.  

At the conclusion of its term, the commission must report to Congress with its findings and proposed legislation implementing any recommended changes. Congress must consider the legislation under expedited procedures.