“Children Learning, Parents Earning, Communities Growing"

The content on this page is to serve as a resource of pending federal legislation, information from national partners and relevant updates to the Child Care Development & Block Grant (CCDBG) law and to the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF).  Click here to watch live US Senate Floor proceedings.  Click here to watch US House of Representatives hearings.

Federal Legislation 

  • Most viewed federal bill for week of February 28, 2021
  • 1. H.R.127 [117th] Sabika Sheikh Firearm Licensing and Registration Act
    2. H.R.5 [116th] Equality Act
    3. H.R.5 [117th] Equality Act
    4. H.R.1 [117th] For the People Act of 2021
    5. H.R.1319 [117th] American Rescue Plan Act of 2021
    6. H.R.748 [116th] CARES Act
    7. H.Res.57 [117th] Impeaching Joseph R. Biden, President of the United States, for abuse of power by enabling bribery and other high crimes and misdemeanors.
    8. H.R.803 [117th] Colorado Wilderness Act of 2021
    9. S.394 [116th] Presidential Transition Enhancement Act of 2019
    10. H.R.5717 [116th] Gun Violence Prevention and Community Safety Act of 2020
    _______________________

Archive

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Federal Legislation of Relevance  

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Federal Updates from Partners

March 5, 2021
National Women's Law Center

House Passes $1.9 trillion COVID-Relief Package 
On February 26, 2021, the US House of Representatives passed a $1.9 trillion COVID-relief package, including a historic investment in child care funding that answered our calls for at least $50 billion in dedicated funding for child care. The legislation is modeled off the Biden-Harris American Rescue Plan, which includes $25 billion for child care stabilization and $15 billion for CCDBG. With respect to the minimum wage, the Senate Parliamentarian ruled that the plan to gradually increase the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour violates the Senate budget rules. For now the House COVID relief package still has the $15 minimum wage provision, but the Senate may choose to remove it when they vote on the relief package. 
 
The Senate is expected to take up and vote on the relief package later this week, likely Friday or Saturday. We need folks to keep the drum beat up with specific outreach to their Senators to get this COVID-relief package, with its historic investment in child care, across the finish line. It’s important that Senators know that we can make history with an unprecedented investment in the foundation of our economy and the workforce behind the workforce. Here’s a link to NWLC's toolkit for ways you can take action.  
 
CLASP: State-by-State Analysis of Potential Child Care Relief Funding  
CLASP has new estimates of how much child care relief funding each state, DC, and Puerto Rico would receive if the House-passed American Rescue Plan of 2021 were signed into law. The estimates include the $15B in expanded child care assistance and the $24B in child care stabilization funding. Easy-to-share tweet here. 
This legislation, modeled on President Biden’s ambitious American Rescue Plan, would build on previous relief packages to deliver a total of more than $50B in direct child care relief spending. While this has been a long time coming—and it’s not law yet—we are so grateful to work beside all of you to make it a reality—and to build towards a stronger, and more equitable system. Please see CLASP’s release on the overall bill here, along with a tweet thread. 
CAP: Building an Economy That Supports All Children Requires Raising the Minimum Wage 
In light of the parliamentarian’s decision about the minimum wage, it's important we continue to make the case for increasing the minimum wage as a crucial component of an equitable economic recovery. CAP has released an article, Building an Economy That Supports All Children Requires Raising the Minimum Wage, that details how raising the minimum wage would benefit low-wage workers and children.  
 
There are at least 11 million children living in poverty in the U.S. today -- a crisis that persisted long before the economic fallout caused by COVID-19. Given that more than a quarter of all workers who would benefit from a boost to the minimum wage have children, passing the Raise the Wage Act would be a critical step toward tackling this shameful problem.  
 
Quick takeaways: 
Fifteen million children live in households with a worker making under $15 an hour. 
Household incomes for children in all 50 states will see a boost if the Raise the Wage Act is passed.  
Note: You’ll also find a helpful breakdown of these numbers by state in the column. 
  • There are 21 states in the country that have seen no state-level minimum wage increases and collectively are home to 7 million children living with a worker making less than $15 an hour.    
  • Half of all children living in households with a worker making under $15 an hour are Black or Latinx. 
  • Increases in the minimum wage are associated with better outcomes for children's health and well-being. 
Click here to find and contact your representative in congress.