Rural Mothers and Fathers Choice Act
Sponsored By: Senator Hyde-Smith, Cindy [R-MS]
Introduced
Summary
Establishes a 10-year, place-based hub-and-spoke program to strengthen families in rural and Tribal communities. It would fund coordinated early childhood, K–12, health, workforce, and infrastructure supports tailored to persistent rural gaps in childcare, literacy, attendance, broadband, and health access.
Show full summary
- Families and children would get family support hubs offering case management, home visits, parenting guidance, mental health and substance use supports, telehealth, and transportation for childcare access.
- Students and schools would receive tutoring and literacy programs, after-school supports, attendance interventions, aligned career and technical education pathways, and school-based mental health services to boost readiness and on-time graduation.
- Rural workers and small businesses would gain workforce training, apprenticeships, childcare-linked career supports, small business coaching, and broadband and transportation enablers to connect people with local jobs.
- Grant applicants and Tribal communities would face structured rules: up to three planning grants of as much as $500,000 each per year; up to six implementation grants at $6.0 million per year for 10 years; a 10% Tribal set-aside; administrative reserves of 5–7% with at least 30% for a national technical assistance provider; and a rising local match of 0% (years 1–3), 10% (years 4–6), and 20% (years 7–10).
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 2 mixed.
Grant selection and application timing
If enacted, the Secretary would publish a Notice of Funding Availability within 120 days after enactment. Applications would be due 45 days after that notice, and awards would be made within 120 days after the application period closes. The agency would give priority to applicants in counties under 50,000 people and to communities the Economic Innovation Group calls distressed. Proposals would be scored with these weights: need 20%, prior experience 25%, integrated plan 15%, family engagement 10%, workforce and partner capacity 10%, evidence use/literacy 10%, and sustainability/match 10%. Applications would have to include an abstract, proposal narrative, organizational capacity, a work plan, budget and justification, letters of commitment, and a staffing plan.
10-year rural implementation grants
If enacted, the Secretary could award up to six implementation grants. Each grant could pay up to $6 million per year for up to 10 years, subject to annual appropriations and performance reviews after years 3 and 6. Grantees would have to use funds across hub-and-spoke sites in at least four of six service categories and include at least one early-childhood or K–12 activity and at least one economic mobility or health access activity. Matching would be 0% in years 1–3, 10% in years 4–6, and 20% in years 7–10; matches may be cash or in-kind. The Secretary could waive the minimum-category requirement for very high-need or Tribal areas.
How program funds would be split
If enacted, the bill would authorize such sums as are necessary for FY2027 through FY2036. Each year the Secretary would reserve 5%–7% of appropriated funds for administration, evaluation, and technical assistance. At least 30% of that administrative reserve would fund a single national technical assistance provider chosen competitively. After the reservation, 10% of the remaining money would go to planning grants and 90% to implementation grants. Ten percent of planning and implementation funding would be set aside for Tribal governments or Tribal-authorized organizations. The Secretary could award up to three planning grants each year, each up to $500,000 for 12 months.
Grantee reporting and family oversight
If enacted, grantees would submit reports to the Secretary at least twice per year with detailed data on income, employment, food security, developmental screening, kindergarten readiness, childcare access and cost, chronic absenteeism, grade 3 literacy, grade 8 math, high school graduation, substance use and recovery, avoidable emergency visits, and maternal health. Each grantee would create a Family Advisory Council with at least seven members, at least 40% of whom would be parents or caregivers who live in the service area. The Council would vote on recommendations about the grantee's budget and plans for grant-funded activities. Grantees would have to use federal funds only to supplement, not supplant, other Federal, State, or local funds, and could coordinate with Education, HHS, Agriculture, Justice, and Labor programs only if those program rules allow it.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Hyde-Smith, Cindy [R-MS]
MS • R
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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