# 119-hr-8456: Rural Child Care Access Act

119-hr-8456, Rural Child Care Access Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Pappas, Chris [D-NH-1] (D-NH); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-8456
- As of: 2026-09-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-8456
- Congress: 119
- Title: Rural Child Care Access Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-04-22
- Sponsor: Rep. Pappas, Chris [D-NH-1] (D-NH)
- Cosponsors: 3
- Policy area: Families
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-21

## Summary

**A new federal grant program would fund infrastructure for small and rural child care facilities.** It targets communities under 50,000 and focuses on facility upgrades, staff training, recruitment and community engagement. - Families in towns under 50,000 could see more and better local child care when facilities use funds to expand or improve space and services. - Child care providers and small facilities could apply for grants up to $4 million and must show a cost estimate and financial need to renovate, upgrade, or build spaces tied to training, recruitment, retention, or community engagement. - The Department of Health and Human Services would issue guidance within 120 days, aim for equitable geographic distribution, require progress reports starting two years after enactment, and conduct periodic national studies of construction and renovation needs. *Would authorize $250 million per year for fiscal years 2027 through 2029, increasing federal spending.*

## Cosponsors (3)

- Rep. Bynum, Janelle S. [D-OR-5] (D-OR), 2026-07-13T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Davids, Sharice [D-KS-3] (D-KS), 2026-08-13T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Vindman, Eugene Simon [D-VA-7] (D-VA), 2026-08-24T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- More child care help for rural towns: benefit, medium. This bill would create a new HHS grant program to help small and rural child care facilities. Grants would go to centers that serve jurisdictions with fewer than 50,000 people. Funds would pay to modify, upgrade, or build facilities and must tie to improving care, provider training, recruitment, or…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-4669: FEMA Act of 2025
- 119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025
- 119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act
- 119-hr-7853: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026
- 119-hr-5862: American Energy Independence and Affordability Act
- 119-hr-20: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-hr-8456 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/8456)

## Related
- [119-hr-4669: FEMA Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4669)
- [119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3151)
- [119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7973)
- [119-hr-7853: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7853)
- [119-hr-5862: American Energy Independence and Affordability Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5862)
- [119-hr-20: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-20)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-8456 (as of 2026-09-21).