Transcript Highlights:

• child care center needs information the child care center needs to<00:20:55.200><c> hold</c><00:20:56.080
• qualified</c> and only child care center qualified and only child care center qualified centers<00:34
• care center has to keep for each child.
• to</c> Records the child care center has to Records the child care center has to keep<01:03:16.680><c
• family</c><01:05:18.599><c> child</c> infant care for centers and family child infant care for centers

Bills: HF1247, HF628

Keywords: child care, aides, supervision, child care centers, staffing regulations, childcare, day care, licensed child care center, early childhood education, child care licensing, director qualifications, staff ratios, group size, staff-to-child ratio, substitutes, volunteers, assistant teacher, teacher qualifications, infant care, toddler age

Transcript Highlights:

• time at child care centers and pre-service requirements.
• ratios for child care center classrooms.
• This time may be used on a schedule that is established by the child care center.
• centers in which children of different age groups may be combined. child care centers are authorized
• Amy Anderson, representing the Washington Child Care Centers Association.

Bills: HB1544, HB2219, HB2253

Keywords: child welfare, risk assessment, investigation, child abuse, neglect, HB 2219, child care licensing, early learning, DCYF, Department of Children Youth and Families, Washington child care, preschool licensing, family child care, child care centers, nature-based child care, outdoor preschool, mixed-age ratios, staff-to-child ratio, group size, zero tolerance

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 1544, which would require DCYF to study and improve its child abuse and neglect risk assessment tool, including better identification of family strengths and needs, substance use-related risk, service needs, and ongoing reassessment, with certification every three years. Staff explained the bill had passed unanimously from committee last year as a substitute but did not advance on the House floor. Representative Ruhl, the prime sponsor, said the tool would reduce bias and help workers distinguish actual child safety risk from subjective concerns. Testimony from Partners for Our Children and DCYF supported the bill and said the current tool is not evidence-based, while members raised questions about data limitations, fiscal impact, and how the department would validate the tool and track outcomes. The hearing on the bill was then closed after a brief continuation for testimony from DCYF. The committee then held a work session on juvenile rehabilitation with DCYF Assistant Secretary Jennifer Redman and security classification administrator Jeff Indermark. They described an older JR population, longer lengths of stay, and growth driven largely by adult-sentence youth who remain in JR until age 25 before transferring to DOC. They said Green Hill School remains crowded, Harbor Heights has added some capacity but is intended as a short-term placement, and the Caseload Forecast Council projects the need for at least 50 additional JR beds over the next five years. They also reviewed classification and placement processes, the new behavior management system, and community transition services (CTS), which uses electronic home monitoring for eligible youth. DCYF reported 41 CTS referrals, 23 participants, and a 70% successful completion rate, while members asked about racial equity, community resources, escapes, staffing, after-hours support, and concerns about safety, abuse, and lawsuits. The committee next heard House Bill 2219, which would allow longer mixed-age group time at child care centers and waive repeat pre-service orientation for people who have already completed it. The prime sponsor and supporters from SEIU 925, a family child care provider, the Washington Child Care Centers Association, and the Children’s Campaign Fund Action said the bill would ease staffing pressures, help providers take meal and rest breaks, and reduce duplicative licensing burdens without compromising safety. One provider group supported the licensing flexibility but asked that the bill’s time limits on mixed-age grouping be removed or revised as too restrictive. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 2253, a DCYF technical corrections bill covering licensing and monitoring changes. Staff said it would allow child-specific licenses for certain interstate placements, exempt kinship caregivers from blood-borne pathogen training, remove physician and lawyer exemptions from licensing, allow inactive licenses to be terminated, revise license content requirements, adjust staffing ratios for crisis residential centers, and remove state monitoring requirements for the Washington School for the Deaf residential program. The prime sponsor and DCYF said the bill is intended to streamline licensing and right-size workload after prior staffing cuts. Testimony from Community Youth Services supported the crisis residential center staffing fix as budget-neutral, and Partners for Our Children supported the kinship care provisions. Members pressed DCYF on how inactivity would be defined, how licenses would be protected from errors, and why the fiscal note was zero despite the staffing and monitoring changes.

Transcript Highlights:

• care services for a child outside their home.
• care providers and family licensed family child care providers.
• care subsidy, such as Working Connections Child Care.
• I'm the director of Kaleidoscope, a nonprofit child care center on Orcas Island in northwest Washington
• If you have children who are coming into your child care center who need ECEAP comprehensive services

Bills: HB2099, HB2317, HB2318, HB2350

Keywords: military families, early childhood education, access, assistance program, education equity, HB2317, early learning, child care licensing, day care, preschool, Head Start, DCYF, Department of Children, Youth, and Families, Washington State, RCW 43.216, child care center, family home provider, family child care, outdoor nature-based child care, school-age child care

Summary: The Early Learning and Human Services Committee held public hearings on several bills focused on early learning access and disability services. House Bill 2317 would exempt certain ECEAP and Head Start programs located in public school buildings or on public school property from DCYF child care licensing when they operate part-day or school-day. Staff explained the current licensing requirements, and the prime sponsor and testifiers from Head Start, ECEAP, and private school groups said the bill would reduce duplicative oversight, delays, and costs while helping expand preschool access. House Bill 2099 would expand ECEAP eligibility for military families and add prioritization factors for deployed and single custodial military parents; the sponsor and multiple advocates, including military and early learning organizations, said military families face unique child care, housing, and readiness challenges and need better access to preschool slots. House Bill 2350 would require DSHS to notify residents, guardians, and family members when a residential habilitation center is found out of compliance with federal CMS requirements; the sponsor and disability advocates said the bill would improve transparency and help families respond to safety and care concerns. The committee also heard House Bill 2318, which would allow ECEAP and Head Start children to count toward the 5% participation threshold needed for Early Achievers quality improvement awards. The sponsor said the change would provide modest additional funding to providers serving high-need children and help support child care programs with thin margins. Testifiers from a remote nonprofit child care center and the Head Start/ECEAP association said the current rule can discourage providers from enrolling ECEAP children because it can jeopardize award eligibility, and that the bill would remove an unintended barrier without changing the program’s purpose. No votes were taken; each bill was heard and then the committee moved on or closed the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• care centers may combine age groups.
• care centers may combine age groups.
• We had a chance to visit child care on Fort Lewis last year, maybe two years ago now, and they're doing
• And our child care providers are stretched.
• Just briefly, this gives some flexibility to our small child care providers. Please vote yes.

Bills: HB1544, HB2099, HB2185, HB2219, HB2253, HB2317, HB2318, HB2319, HB2350

Keywords: child welfare, risk assessment, investigation, child abuse, neglect, military families, early childhood education, access, assistance program, education equity, homelessness, youth programs, advisory committee, prevention, protection, HB 2219, child care licensing, early learning, DCYF, Department of Children Youth and Families

Summary: The House Early Learning and Human Services Committee took up possible executive session on nine bills, first briefing amendments and proposed substitutes before voting. House Bill 2099, expanding eCAP access and prioritization for children of military families, was amended to include NOAA and Public Health Service commissioned corps members and broader deployment criteria, then passed unanimously. House Bill 2185, which strengthens the advisory committee for homeless youth services, also passed unanimously without amendments. House Bill 2219, addressing mixed-ratio time in child care centers and waiving repeat pre-service orientation in limited cases, adopted an amendment adding conditions for the waiver and then passed unanimously. House Bill 2253, a broad licensure and regulatory bill affecting child care and residential programs, saw several amendments considered; one report amendment was rejected, and an amendment restoring state monitoring and health/safety reviews at the Washington School for the Deaf was adopted. The committee then passed the amended bill unanimously. House Bills 2317 and 2318, both expanding flexibility for ECEAP and Head Start providers, passed without amendments and with unanimous support. House Bill 2319, renaming residential habilitation centers in statute, adopted a technical correction amendment and passed unanimously. House Bill 2350, requiring notice when a residential habilitation center is out of compliance with CMS requirements, was amended to emphasize posted notices, email options, preferred-language notices, and plain-language summaries, then passed unanimously. The committee then returned to House Bill 1544, which directs DCYF to study and improve its risk, strengths, and needs assessment tool and certify its validation. Four amendments were considered: one requiring domestic violence to be included in the study was adopted; amendments on defining “safe,” auditing missing data on near-fatalities and safety-plan failures, and prohibiting use of an unvalidated tool to screen out referrals were rejected. The amended second substitute bill passed on a 9-0 vote, with Representatives Burnett and Penner voting “no without recommendation.” The committee adjourned after reporting all nine bills out of committee, most with do pass recommendations and several with adopted amendments.

Transcript Highlights:

• This amendment requires a 65% response per child care, per the seven child care regions.
• This amendment requires a 65% response per child care, per the seven child care regions.
• Vice Chair Macri: "This requires a 65% response per child care, per the seven child care regions, in
• to make more sense for child care providers so that there's more access and affordability for child care
• to make more sense for child care providers so that there's more access and affordability for child care

Bills: HB2689, SB5420, SB5868, SB5877

Keywords: Working Connections Child Care, child care subsidy, subsidized child care, Washington DCYF, Department of Children, Youth, and Families, low-income families, child care providers, licensed child care centers, family child care, market rate survey, subsidy rates, income eligibility, state median income, SNAP, Basic Food, collective bargaining, provider reimbursement, daily payment, half-day care, partial-day care

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 2689 concerns the Working Connections Child Care Program. Mr.
• for licensed family homes and at the 85th percentile of the 2021 market rate survey for child care centers
• The enacted biennial budget includes funding to increase child care centers to the 85th percentile of
• DCYF sets out these base rates for family home providers and child care centers, which include different
• care centers.

Bills: HB2689, SB5832, SB5922, SB5944, SB5988, SB6151

Keywords: Working Connections Child Care, child care subsidy, subsidized child care, Washington DCYF, Department of Children, Youth, and Families, low-income families, child care providers, licensed child care centers, family child care, market rate survey, subsidy rates, income eligibility, state median income, SNAP, Basic Food, collective bargaining, provider reimbursement, daily payment, half-day care, partial-day care

Transcript Highlights:

• is 2399, and that's related to PRTFs and how they're billing and how that's reimbursed for direct care
• How they're billing and how that's reimbursed for direct care.
• And then I think another change was to change human service centers to behavioral health clinics.

Bills: HB1012

Keywords: health and human services, DHHS, appropriations, biennial budget, behavioral health, substance use disorder, opioid settlement, medical assistance expansion, Medicaid, basic care, long-term care, child care assistance, early childhood care, child care provider payments, guardianship, conservatorship, housing loan fund, disability services, extraordinary medical needs, community health trust fund

Summary: The Senate Appropriations Human Services Division met to consider House Bill 1012, the Department of Human Services budget, and reviewed three previously made amendments: correcting a reference to $30 million underfunding, changing “human service centers” to “behavioral health clinics,” and revising section 31 language so the department would review medical assistance services and report findings and recommendations rather than directly implement adjustments. The committee also discussed whether to include funding related to two other bills with fiscal impacts, House Bill 1485 (personal needs allowance) and House Bill 2399 (PRTF reimbursement), noting those measures may go to conference committee and that appropriations could be added there instead of in HB 1012. The committee agreed to proceed with HB 1012 and members noted provider inflation questions would be raised later in full committee. The division then approved a due pass recommendation on the amendments to HB 1012 and, after a roll call vote, approved HB 1012 as amended on a 4-1 vote, with Senator Mathern voting no. Senator Davison was named as carrier. Members also discussed House Bill 1577, involving wastewater project financing and possible amendments related to a line of credit from the Bank of North Dakota for specific projects, and House Bill 1619, for which additional amendments were expected before full committee action. The meeting ended with general thanks and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 3552 will give child care providers the flexibility to bridge the gap between subsidy reimbursement
• The governor has already started an initiative, “A Home for Every Child.”
• House Bill 4201 simply changes current law regarding master teacher requirements in licensed child cares
• care providers.
• Highest rated child care providers.

Bills: HB3131, HB3380, HB3502, HB3552, HB3849, HB3886, HB3907, HB4201, HB4302, HB3448, HB3409, HB4095, HB3637

Keywords: homelessness, shelter standards, safety, accountability, state funding, local governance, regulation, Oklahoma Homeless Shelter Safety and Accountability Act, foster care, child welfare, Department of Human Services, educational opportunities, employment support, technology in child welfare, faith-based organizations, self-sufficiency, financial literacy, HB3502, Oklahoma, children's code

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 3552 will give child care providers the flexibility to bridge the gap between subsidy reimbursement
• House Bill 4201 simply changes current law regarding master teacher requirements in licensed child cares
• cares from license capacity to enrollment.
• care providers.
• House Bill 3131 started off as a statewide continuum of care.

Bills: HB3131, HB3380, HB3502, HB3552, HB3849, HB3886, HB3907, HB4201, HB4302, HB3448, HB3409, HB4095, HB3637

Keywords: homelessness, shelter standards, safety, accountability, state funding, local governance, regulation, Oklahoma Homeless Shelter Safety and Accountability Act, foster care, child welfare, Department of Human Services, educational opportunities, employment support, technology in child welfare, faith-based organizations, self-sufficiency, financial literacy, HB3502, Oklahoma, children's code

Summary: The committee first considered House Bill 3552, which would let child care providers bridge the gap between subsidy reimbursement rates and tuition rates. An amendment was adopted unanimously to make the bill subject to approval by the Administration for Children and Families, with the author explaining it was intended to protect federal DHS funding. The bill then passed on a 4-1 vote. Members then heard several child welfare and human services measures. House Bill 3380, on foster care reform and DHS transparency, passed 5-0 after questions about how public input and scoring would be documented. House Bill 3502, the parental rights and child welfare bill, passed 4-1 after debate over whether the bill addressed a real problem and whether resources would be better spent recruiting foster parents. House Bill 3849, updating and broadening a mentoring program for children and youth, passed 5-0, and House Bill 3886, requiring Health Department personnel to remain on site after an immediate jeopardy finding at a nursing home until a removal plan is accepted, also passed 5-0. The committee also approved House Bill 3907, which would prohibit certain facilities serving vulnerable juveniles and adults from being staffed through temporary staffing agencies, on a 5-0 vote. House Bill 4201, changing master teacher requirements in licensed child care from license capacity to actual enrollment, passed unanimously after discussion of how staffing ratios would work in practice. House Bill 4302, as amended, passed unanimously after removing subpoena language and instead allowing the Office of Juvenile System Oversight to disclose a complainant’s identity to law enforcement when needed to protect safety. House Bill 3448, requiring umbrella insurance coverage for certain child care caregivers, and House Bill 3409, streamlining recertification for five-star child care providers, both passed unanimously. House Bill 4095, reauthorizing and clarifying the 211 collaborative as the state lead entity for hotline services, also passed 6-0. The most extensive debate came on House Bill 3131, which would establish statewide baseline standards for transparency, public safety, and health safety in homeless shelters and create an advisory board. Members raised concerns about local control, rural county burdens, agency workload, and whether the bill duplicated existing requirements, while the author said he was open to further changes, including strike title and possible population-based exceptions. Despite objections, the bill advanced to the Oversight Committee on a 4-3 vote. Before adjournment, the chair said the committee would begin a deeper review of OCCY multidisciplinary teams and CAC child advocacy groups in upcoming meetings.

Transcript Highlights:

• Child advocacy centers are required to connect children and families to trauma-focused, evidence-based
• We secured her a bed at Child Study Treatment Center, and for 15 months, our family went twice weekly
• Our family was referred to Child Protective Services. Foster care was presented as the next step.
• The filing of a dependency petition starts a child welfare court process, beginning with a shelter care
• state hospitals, the Child Study and Treatment Center, the Special Commitment Center, Secure Community

Bills: HB2429, HB2171, HB2314, HB2364, HB2415

Keywords: behavioral health, youth support, mental health services, children's health, support services, foster youth, child welfare, education, mental health, dental care, habilitation centers, residential services, healthcare access, patient rights, poverty, task force, legislative, executive, social programs, fatalities

Summary: The committee began with a work session on the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Work Group and the Washington Thriving Strategic Plan. Tisha Kirshbaum of the Health Care Authority described the work group’s recommendations, including making Washington Thriving a state initiative, restoring and funding behavioral health access points, strengthening school behavioral health guidance, supporting 988 operations, and improving coordination across agencies. Members asked about fragmentation among the seven agencies involved, duplication of effort, and examples of upstream prevention; Kirshbaum and Rep. Lisa Callan emphasized a system-of-care model, early intervention, community health workers, school-based services, and better coordination rather than adding more layers. The committee then heard House Bill 2429, which would direct the governor and state agencies to align with the strategic plan, create an executive coordination officer and leadership council, extend the work group, and require alignment by state, tribal, local, and nonprofit partners. Testimony was overwhelmingly supportive from the governor’s office, parents, youth, providers, hospitals, and advocacy groups, though one witness opposed the bill on government-overreach grounds and another urged adding youth mentoring representation. No vote was taken. The committee next heard House Bill 2364, which renames and expands the Legislative Executive Work First Poverty Reduction Oversight Task Force into the Economic Justice and Well-Being Task Force, adds state agencies to the voting membership, and aligns the body with the state’s 10-year plan to dismantle poverty. Rep. Mia Gregerson and DSHS testified that the bill updates the statute to match the evolved poverty-reduction alliance and has no fiscal impact. Support testimony from the Statewide Poverty Action Network emphasized bipartisan collaboration and the need for the law to reflect current work. No action was taken. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 2171 on supporting foster youth. The bill would create an endangered foster youth alert system, require county rapid-response protocols, establish a foster youth empowerment account, create an oversight board, and expand training for foster parents and workers. The prime sponsor, Rep. Mike Steele, was represented by Rep. Brian Burnett, who described the bill as a response to a survivor’s experience of going missing from foster care. DCYF supported the intent but raised legal and cost concerns, noting it already has missing-from-care locators and coordination procedures. Child welfare advocates and the Mockingbird Society supported stronger protections but warned that public alerts could increase risk or trauma for some youth and urged guardrails. The hearing then moved to House Bill 2314 on dental care services at residential habilitation centers, with staff explaining a pilot allowing certain community-based developmental disabilities clients to access RHC dental clinics. Rep. Josh Penner said the bill would use existing, underused state dental capacity for people who cannot access community dentistry, while disability advocates argued it would pull people back into institutional settings and that community-based dental capacity should be strengthened instead. The hearing continued with testimony and no final vote reported.

Transcript Highlights:

• Say I am the caretaker for an elderly recipient, a child or a person with disabilities, and I am tasked
• were talking about, um, The SNAP benefits and uh you talked about the fact that a lot of times people care
• like the care attendants, they go out and shop for the individuals and so you do see this as a hindrance
• What if for an instance you become. sick during this time and you send your 1617 year old child who you're
• Would that child not be someone, I mean, how do you prove that that child didn't commit fraud by buying

Bills: SB 596, SB 961, SB 1398, SB 1183, SB 1952

Keywords: DFPS, Department of Family and Protective Services, child protective services, foster care, child welfare, Family Code, conservatorship, managing conservator, parental child safety placement, authorization agreement, temporary authorization order, child abuse, child neglect, placement reporting, court-ordered removal, investigation, family preservation, transparency, public reporting, data reporting

Transcript Highlights:

• In addition, for the actual service delivery piece, as we transition to the new Texas Child Centered
• I am a huge believer that community-based care is the right approach for improving child welfare. ...
• And so we've done really innovative and creative ideas while the child is in the care of the family.
• I'm Kate Murphy, Director of Child Protection Policy at Care for Children, and I'm here to support Senate
• Committee members, as our child welfare system continues its transition to community-based care, it's

Bills: SB596, SB961, SB1398, SB1183, SB1952

Keywords: DFPS, Department of Family and Protective Services, child protective services, foster care, child welfare, Family Code, conservatorship, managing conservator, parental child safety placement, authorization agreement, temporary authorization order, child abuse, child neglect, placement reporting, court-ordered removal, investigation, family preservation, transparency, public reporting, data reporting

Transcript Highlights:

• Say I am the caretaker for an elderly recipient, a child, or a person with disabilities, and I am tasked
• As you were talking about the SNAP benefits, you talked about the fact that a lot of times people care
• So, what if, for instance, you become sick during this time, and you send your 16 or 17-year-old child
• Reviewing that film, would that child not be someone to prove that that child didn't commit fraud by

Bills: SB596, SB961, SB1398, SB1183, SB1952

Keywords: DFPS, Department of Family and Protective Services, child protective services, foster care, child welfare, Family Code, conservatorship, managing conservator, parental child safety placement, authorization agreement, temporary authorization order, child abuse, child neglect, placement reporting, court-ordered removal, investigation, family preservation, transparency, public reporting, data reporting

Transcript Highlights:

• second thing that we did is that on the bottom of page three, number five, we were clear that the Child
• Care Advisory Committee will provide the update.

Bills: HB1119

Keywords: child care, childcare, day care, daycare, early childhood education, child care licensing, provider licensing, child care regulations, administrative rules, Department of Health and Human Services, HHS, licensing advisory committee, child care providers, group child care, preschool programs, child to provider ratios, square footage requirements, staff training, certification requirements, child care funding

Summary: The Workforce Development Committee reconvened to consider House Bill 1119 with amendment version 02005. Senator Hogan explained that the amendment removed a section requiring the Department of Human Services to respond to legislative management, in order to make the bill feel more like a program evaluation than an audit and to avoid placing an unreasonable burden on the executive branch. The amendment also clarified that the Child Care Advisory Committee would provide an update and that the committee would dissolve after the rewrite of licensing standards, making it a time-limited body. Committee members discussed the bill as a novel approach to forming a group to study an issue and then disbanding after reporting back. Senator Larson noted the concept was similar to broader performance-review ideas, and Senator Hogan said the Legislative Council program evaluation effort was parallel to, but separate from, other performance-review proposals. The committee then voted 4-0-1 to adopt the amendment. Afterward, the committee moved to give House Bill 1119, as amended, a do pass recommendation. That motion also passed on a roll call vote, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• And it creates greater barriers to care for someone. And so there are concerns with it.
• And finally, it requires AHCA to adopt rules for minimum standards for pediatric care.
• We want every child to have the best when they need it. Thank you. I appreciate your support.
• That was, again, 119 fatal child drownings in Florida.
• That was, again, 119 fatal child drownings in Florida.

Bills: S0068, S0096, S0340, S0428, S0606, S1480, S7018

Keywords: pediatric care, emergency departments, hospital regulations, patient safety, health care standards, veterans, dental care, healthcare, grant program, income assistance, human trafficking, nurse licensure, registered nurse, RN, licensed practical nurse, LPN, Florida Board of Nursing, Department of Health, licensure by examination, nursing education

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services heard public comment first on the AIDS Drug Assistance Program and the iBudget waiver. Testimony on the HIV program warned that proposed Department of Health changes could disrupt care for thousands of clients, create confusion, and force people off life-saving medications; a senator suggested affected clients explore medically needy and FQHC/340B options. Testimony on iBudget urged support for a roughly 7% rate adjustment for direct support professionals, citing rising costs and the need to sustain the developmental disabilities workforce. The committee then considered several bills. SB 428 expanded Florida’s swim lesson voucher program from children ages 0-4 to ages 1-7 and was reported favorably. SB 68 required hospitals with emergency departments to adopt pediatric emergency care policies, training, equipment standards, and readiness assessments; an amendment aligning reporting dates with the House was adopted, and the bill was reported favorably. SB 1718 lengthened the time an adult may stay in an out-of-home placement before being treated as a visitor, reduced background screening burdens for foster families, made the Step Into Success program permanent, and created a best-practices program; it was also reported favorably. The committee next approved SB 606, which adds drowning-prevention and safe-bathing education to postpartum materials and requires related compliance records, and SB 96, which expands the Veterans Dental Care Grant Program to veterans up to 400% of the federal poverty level; an amendment removed the bill’s specific $500,000 appropriation so funding can be handled in the budget process. SB 340 required nursing education to include a two-hour human trafficking course before licensure, and SB 1480 created a grandfathering process for certain area-of-critical-need health care providers if federal designations change, both of which were reported favorably. The committee adjourned after all bills passed their roll calls.

Bills: SB241

Keywords: child care, child care assistance, child care subsidy, early childhood education, early childhood care, daycare, preschool, pre-K, Head Start, Early Head Start, Children's Code, early childhood education and care department, ECECD, child care facilities, licensed child care, registered child care, copayments, waitlist, subsidy, federal poverty level

Bills: SB241

Keywords: child care, child care assistance, child care subsidy, early childhood education, early childhood care, daycare, preschool, pre-K, Head Start, Early Head Start, Children's Code, early childhood education and care department, ECECD, child care facilities, licensed child care, registered child care, copayments, waitlist, subsidy, federal poverty level

Bills: SB241

Keywords: child care, child care assistance, child care subsidy, early childhood education, early childhood care, daycare, preschool, pre-K, Head Start, Early Head Start, Children's Code, early childhood education and care department, ECECD, child care facilities, licensed child care, registered child care, copayments, waitlist, subsidy, federal poverty level

Transcript Highlights:

• I think when we hear CYFD, we often associate that with child safety, but CYFD is also responsible for
• fighting rings; B. establish a rooster rehabilitation and sanctuary fund to support the humane rescue and care
• departing governor shall be invited to symbolically adopt the roosters, pledging continued protection, care
• Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham will be honored with eight strong New Mexico gallos, placed in sanctuary care
• , but for flourishing. ...will be honored with eight strong New Mexico gallos, placed in sanctuary care

Bills: SB241

Keywords: child care, child care assistance, child care subsidy, early childhood education, early childhood care, daycare, preschool, pre-K, Head Start, Early Head Start, Children's Code, early childhood education and care department, ECECD, child care facilities, licensed child care, registered child care, copayments, waitlist, subsidy, federal poverty level

Summary: The Senate began by outlining the day’s agenda, then received several House messages, including the House’s request for concurrence on Senate Bill 151 and notice that the House had concurred in Senate amendments to House Bills 2, 3, and 70. The Senate also received enrolled bills SB 64 and SB 101, and later adopted committee reports on House Bill 120 and SB 64. The chamber then took up concurrence on SB 151, a tax package that the House amended to remove the gross receipts tax provision for medical supplies, add a 1% salary increase for state employees, higher education, and public schools, extend a high-wage job tax credit, and add sunsets. Senator Hamblen supported concurrence as a friendly amendment, while Senator Cervantes argued the House changes transformed the bill into an unconstitutional appropriations measure and urged a conference committee. The Senate nevertheless concurred, 22-14. On third reading, the Senate passed House Bill 61, which increases the penalty for aggravated battery on a peace officer from a third-degree to a second-degree felony to align with other sentencing provisions. Supporters, including Senator Cervantes, cited consistency in the criminal code and noted the Sentencing Commission’s endorsement; the bill passed 37-0. The Senate also passed House Joint Memorial 3, directing the Environment Department to convene stakeholders and report on implementation of the PFAS Protection Act, despite a brief exchange over whether the memorial could be read as expanding authority under the existing PFAS law; it passed 22-13. The chamber then passed several memorials: Senate Memorial 20, amended to include youth and family voices and legislative appointees in a statewide youth violence summit, passed 35-0; Senate Memorial 21, calling for a study of a statewide overdose prevention program, passed 35-0; Senate Memorial 22, which asks the Legislative Finance Committee to convene a working group on domestic violence funding and CYFD-related funding flows, passed; and Senate Memorial 27, urging expansion of the Radiation Exposure Act to compensate New Mexicans affected by atomic testing and uranium mining, passed 34-0. At the end of the session, the Senate received a governor’s message authorizing consideration of SB 74 on cockfighting penalties, followed by a playful Senate response message. The body also agreed to move House Joint Memorial 2 from Rules to the President’s table and then recessed until 8:30 a.m. the next day.

Transcript Highlights:

• care centers, and more specifically focused on ensuring that tribal child care centers retain their ability
• to provide child care that is in a linguistic and culturally appropriate manner, so as not to infringe
• care or limit any educational regulations... ...and culturally appropriate child care or limit any educational
• So this is basically the clause that ensures that we expend federal child care assistance funds first
• So the department shall reasonably ensure that eligible federal and state child care tax benefits are

Bills: SB241, SB145

Keywords: child care, child care assistance, child care subsidy, early childhood education, early childhood care, daycare, preschool, pre-K, Head Start, Early Head Start, Children's Code, early childhood education and care department, ECECD, child care facilities, licensed child care, registered child care, copayments, waitlist, subsidy, federal poverty level