HB 96: Quality Child Care Appropriations
2007 General Session

Sponsor: Joint Labor, Health and Social Services Interim Committee

HB 96 provided the appropriations to support HB 95, the 2007 Quality Child Care bill. As finally passed, HB 95 authorized scholarships and grants for education for child care providers, improved subsidies necessary for low income families and families in poverty to pay for care of their children, and family and public education on the importance of early childhood development.

The levels of funding authorized in HB 96 for these programs were as follows:
$4.51 million for child care subsidy payments, including increases for infant day care.
$600,000 for child care education development grants and scholarships
$200,000 for business management services and technical assistance.
$500,000 to promote awareness of the importance of early childhood development.
$100.000 for family strengthening programs.
$153,000 for administration.

The Senate, where the final levels of spending in HB 96 were established, passed the bill on third reading, 16-13 (1 excused). The House, which had earlier passed the bill with larger appropriations on a vote of 45-15, unanimously accepted the Senate version with the lower appropriations. The votes listed below are the House and Senate third reading (final passage) votes. Members of the House who voted YES supported a quality child care bill with higher appropriations than were finally adopted. Senators who voted YES supported the bill with lower appropriations. A NO vote means the legislator did not support the appropriations at the specified levels for the quality child care program.

Engrossed