Thank you for your interest in legislative happenings impacting early childhood development and health. The 55th Legislature, Second Regular Session convened on January 10th.

This was the last week for committees to consider bills from the opposite chamber. House and Senate Appropriation Committees have one more week.

Conference Committees will also begin meeting in the upcoming weeks. These committees focus on language disputes between the House and Senate versions of a bill. After a successful Conference Committee, the bill goes to final read in both chambers.

First Things First monitors additional legislation that may not appear on this list. If the Early Childhood Development and Health Board (referred to as First Things First Board) has taken a position on a bill or resolution, it will be noted.

Interested in learning how a bill becomes a law? Click here for more information. 

ACTION THIS WEEK 

• Bills that had floor action; and 
• A bill where action was taken in committee this week. 

FEDERAL UPDATE

• Increases family eligibility for CCDBG;
• Ensures an eligible family making less than 75% of the State Median Income pays no child care copay and that no eligible family has a copay greater than 7% of family income;
• Improves reimbursement rates for child care providers so they can recruit and retain qualified staff;
• Supports the education and professional development of child care staff;
• Expands the supply and capacity of child care providers so working parents have multiple quality child care options to best suit their family’s needs; and
• Removes unnecessary regulations that restrict home-based child care providers in rural areas.

PENDING BILLS

Don’t see a bill listed from the previous update? This means there was no action on that bill this week. For additional information, click on the link below! 

BILLS LIKELY NOT MOVING FORWARD

*Percentages indicate how far through the lawmaking process a pending bill has traveled.