text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Child Care Quality Incentive Act of 
  1999''.
  
  SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
  
      (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
              (1) Recent research on early brain development reveals that 
          much of a child's growth is determined by early learning and 
          nurturing care. Research also shows that quality early care and 
          education leads to increased cognitive abilities, positive 
          classroom learning behavior, increased likelihood of long-term 
          school success, and greater likelihood of long-term economic 
          and social self-sufficiency.
              (2) Each day an estimated 13,000,000 children, including 
          6,000,000 infants and toddlers, spend some part of their day in 
          child care. However, a study in 4 States found that only 1 in 7 
          child care centers provide care that promotes healthy 
          development, while 1 in 8 child care centers provide care that 
          threatens the safety and health of children.
              (3) Full-day child care can cost $4,000 to $10,000 per 
          year.
              (4) Although Federal assistance is available for child 
          care, funding is severely limited. Even with Federal subsidies, 
          many families cannot afford child care. For families with young 
          children and a monthly income under $1,200, the cost of child 
          care typically consumes 25 percent of their income.
              (5) Payment (or reimbursement) rates, the maximum the State 
          will reimburse a child care provider for the care of a child 
          who receives a subsidy, are too low to ensure that quality care 
          is accessible to all families.
              (6) Low payment rates directly affect the kind of care 
          children get and whether families can find quality child care 
          in their communities. In many instances, low payment rates 
          force child care providers to cut corners in ways that lower 
          the quality of care for children, including reducing number of 
          staff, eliminating staff training opportunities, and cutting 
          enriching educational activities and services.
              (7) Children in low quality child care are more likely to 
          have delayed reading and language skills, and display more 
          aggression toward other children and adults.
              (8) Increased payment rates lead to higher quality child 
          care as child care providers are able to attract and retain 
          qualified staff, provide salary increases and professional 
          training, maintain a safe and healthy environment, and purchase 
          basic supplies and developmentally appropriate educational 
          materials.
      (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to improve the quality of, 
  and access to, child care by increasing child care payment rates.
  
  SEC. 3. INCENTIVE GRANTS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF CHILD CARE.
  
      (a) Funding.--Section 658B of the Child Care and Development Block 
  Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858) is amended--
              (1) by striking ``There'' and inserting the following:
      ``(a) Authorization of Appropriations.--There''; and
              (2) by adding at the end the following:
      ``(b) Appropriation of Funds for Grants To Improve the Quality of 
  Child Care.--Out of any funds in the Treasury that are not otherwise 
  appropriated, there are authorized to be appropriated and there are 
  appropriated, for each of fiscal years 2000 through 2004, $300,000,000 
  for the purpose of making grants under section 658H.''.
      (b) Grants To Improve the Quality of Child Care.--The Child Care 
  and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858 et seq.) is 
  amended by inserting after section 658G the following:
  
  ``SEC. 658H. GRANTS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF CHILD CARE.
  
      ``(a) Authority.--
              ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall use the amount 
          appropriated under section 658B(b) for a fiscal year to make 
          grants to eligible States in accordance with this section.
              ``(2) Annual payments.--The Secretary shall make annual 
          payments to each eligible State out of the allotment for that 
          State determined under subsection (c).
      ``(b) Eligible States.--
              ``(1) In general.--In this section, the term `eligible 
          States' means a State that--
                      ``(A) has conducted a survey of the market rates 
                  for child care services in the State within the 2 years 
                  preceding the date of the submission of an application 
                  under paragraph (2); and
                      ``(B) submits an application in accordance with 
                  paragraph (2).
              ``(2) Application.--
                      ``(A) In general.--To be eligible to receive a 
                  grant under this section, a State shall submit an 
                  application to the Secretary at such time, in such 
                  manner, and accompanied by such information, in 
                  addition to the information required under subparagraph 
                  (B), as the Secretary may require.
                      ``(B) Information required.--Each application 
                  submitted for a grant under this section shall--
                              ``(i) detail the methodology and results of 
                          the State market rates survey conducted 
                          pursuant to paragraph (1)(A);
                              ``(ii) describe the State's plan to 
                          increase payment rates from the initial 
                          baseline determined under clause (i); and
                              ``(iii) describe how the State will 
                          increase payment rates in accordance with the 
                          market survey findings.
              ``(3) Continuing eligibility requirement.--The Secretary 
          may make an annual payment under this section to an eligible 
          State only if--
                      ``(A) the Secretary determines that the State has 
                  made progress, through the activities assisted under 
                  this subchapter, in maintaining increased payment 
                  rates; and
                      ``(B) at least once every 2 years, the State 
                  conducts an update of the survey described in paragraph 
                  (1)(A).
              ``(4) Requirement of matching funds.--
                      ``(A) In general.--To be eligible to receive a 
                  grant under this section, the State shall agree to make 
                  available State contributions from State sources toward 
                  the costs of the activities to be carried out by a 
                  State pursuant to subsection (d) in an amount that is 
                  not less than 25 percent of such costs.
                      ``(B) Determination of state contributions.--State 
                  contributions shall be in cash. Amounts provided by the 
                  Federal Government may not be included in determining 
                  the amount of such State contributions.
      ``(c) Allotments to Eligible States.--The amount appropriated under 
  section 658B(b) for a fiscal year shall be allotted among the eligible 
  States in the same manner as amounts are allotted under section 
  658O(b).
      ``(d) Use of Funds.--
              ``(1) Priority use.--An eligible State that receives a 
          grant under this section shall use the funds received to 
          significantly increase the payment rate for the provision of 
          child care assistance in accordance with this subchapter up to 
          the 100th percentile of the market rate survey described in 
          subsection (b)(1)(A).
              ``(2) Additional uses.--An eligible State that demonstrates 
          to the Secretary that the State has achieved a payment rate of 
          the 100th percentile of the market rate survey described in 
          subsection (b)(1)(A) may use funds received under a grant made 
          under this section for any other activity that the State 
          demonstrates to the Secretary will enhance the quality of child 
          care services provided in the State.
              ``(3) Payment rate.--In this section, the term `payment 
          rate' means the rate of reimbursement to providers for 
          subsidized child care.
              ``(4) Supplement not supplant.--Amounts paid to a State 
          under this section shall be used to supplement and not supplant 
          other Federal, State, or local funds provided to the State 
          under this subchapter or any other provision of law.
      ``(e) Evaluations and Reports.--
              ``(1) State evaluations.--Each eligible State shall submit 
          to the Secretary, at such time and in such form and manner as 
          the Secretary may require, information regarding the State's 
          efforts to increase payment rates and the impact increased 
          rates are having on the quality of, and accessibility to, child 
          care in the State.
              ``(2) Reports to congress.--The Secretary shall submit 
          biennial reports to Congress on the information described in 
          paragraph (1). Such reports shall include data from the 
          applications submitted under subsection (b)(2) as a baseline 
          for determining the progress of each eligible State in 
          maintaining increased payment rates.''.
target: Child Care Quality Incentive Act of 1999 - Amends the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 to establish a program of incentive grants to improve the quality of, and access to, child care by increasing child care payment rates. 
  Authorizes appropriations. 
  Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make such grants to eligible States from specified allotments.  Conditions a State's initial eligibility on its having surveyed the market rates for child care services in the State within the two years preceding submission of its application.  Authorizes the Secretary to make an annual payment to an eligible State only if: (1) the Secretary determines that the State has made progress, through the assisted activities, in maintaining increased payment rates; and (2) the State updates such survey at least once every two years.  Requires the State, to be eligible to receive such a grant, to agree to make available State contributions in cash from State sources toward at least 25 percent of the costs of priority required activities and additional authorized activities. 
  Requires an eligible State that receives such a grant to make priority use of such funds to increase significantly (up to the 100th percentile of the market rate survey) the rate of reimbursement to providers for subsidized child care.  Allows an eligible State, if it demonstrates to the Secretary that it has achieved such a payment rate for provision of child care assistance of the 100th percentile of the market rate survey, to use grant funds for any additional activity it demonstrates will enhance the quality of child care services. 
  Requires evaluation reports by States to the Secretary, as well as biennial reports by the Secretary to the Congress.
feat_title: Child Care Quality Incentive Act of 1999