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2006 Budget Session
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HB 92, which emerged from the Children and Families Initiative that was launched several years ago by the Legislature and the executive branch, was presented as a measure that would improve the lives of children and strengthen families throughout Wyoming.
As introduced, HB 92 would have set up a statewide quality child care system that included a quality rating system for licensed child care facilities, incentive payments for higher levels of quality care, scholarships for professional development, technical assistance and quality support, and parental support and education.
The proposed quality rating system included five levels of quality. Any child care facility that met the requirements to become licensed would receive a level one rating. Progression above level one would be voluntary. Criteria to assess levels of quality from two through five would be based on (but not limited to) such factors as the learning environment, developmentally appropriate curricula, child to staff ratios, staff qualifications and education, family and community involvement in facility programs, etc.
Quality incentive payments would be made by the Department of Family Services (DFS) to facilities that participate voluntarily in the quality rating system and that achieve a rating of two or higher. Facilities receiving incentive payments would submit reports as required by the DFS tracking the number of children served (including the number of at-risk children), itemizing expenditures of incentive funds, summarizing results obtained, and providing evidence of maintenance of the facility's quality ranking criteria.
The DFS would establish incentives for staff of participating facilities to obtain certificates or degrees in early childhood development or related fields, including scholarships and salary enhancements. Recipients of incentives would have to agree to work for the participating facility for at least one year after receiving the certificate or degree, and the facility would have to contribute at least 10% of the cost (either in financial assistance to the staff member or in increased wages or benefits).
Facilities that attained a quality rank of three or higher would qualify for a competitive grant program that would offer additional funding to provide care for infants or other children whose care may otherwise be difficult to obtain in the community. Grants would be for a maximum of $3,000 per child.
The DFS would also develop and distribute materials to promote the quality child care system and the benefits to children, families and communities of having quality child care programs. Material would promote parental involvement in their children's development and would provide information on activities that parents or caregivers can use to promote early childhood learning and development at home.
HB 92 as introduced would have appropriated $14.3 million to the DFS and would have authorized 12 positions in the Department to accomplish the act.
The House amended HB 92 to limit spending on the program in the coming year to $1.38 million to set up the program and develop rules for the quality rating system. The remaining $12.9 million appropriated under HB 92 was maintained but could only be spent with the approval of next year's Legislature. The number of new positions authorized within the DFS was reduced from 12 to 7, and they were specified to be one-year positions only.
Thus amended, the House passed HB 92, 37-23.
The Senate further amended HB 92 to remove the $12.9 million in future funding and only to fund a $1 million study for the coming year. They moved oversight of the study from the DFS to the Department of Workforce Services (DWS), and reduced the family income criteria used to define at-risk children from 250% of the federal poverty level to 185%.
With these amendments, the Senate passed the bill, 17-13.
The House rejected the Senate version of the bill, which sent it to a conference committee. The conference committee recommended placing the program largely under the DWS and spending $1.3 million this year to set up the program, including devising the scholarship component. The committee bill set program funding for the second year at $6 million.
The House approved the conference committee report 39-18 (3 excused), and the Senate approved the compromise 17-13.
The votes listed below are the House third reading (final passage) votes and the Senate votes on the conference committee bill. A YES vote means the legislator wanted to begin work toward a statewide quality child care system, with representatives supporting second year funding of about $13 million and senators supporting second year funding of $6 million. A NO vote means the legislator did not support this program at those funding levels.
| Bighorn Basin Legislators | House 3rd 3/1/06 | Senate conf. comm. 3/11/06 |
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| S 18 | Hank Coe (R) | Yes | |
| H 24 | Colin Simpson (R) | Yes | |
| H 50 | Pat Childers (R) | No | |
| S 19 | Ray Peterson (R) | No | |
| H 25 | Alan Jones (R) | No | |
| H 26 | Elaine Harvey (R) | Yes | |
| S 20 | Gerald E. Geis (R) | Yes | |
| H 27 | Debbie Hammons (D) | Yes | |
| H 28 | Lorraine Quarberg (R) | No | |
| Casper-Area Legislators | House 3rd 3/1/06 | Senate conf. comm. 3/11/06 |
|
| S 27 | John Barrasso (R) | No | |
| H 35 | Roy Cohee (R) | No | |
| H 36 | Gerald Gay (R) | No | |
| S 28 | Kit Jennings (R) | Yes | |
| H 56 | Tom Walsh (R) | Yes | |
| H 57 | Thomas A. Lockhart (R) | No | |
| S 29 | Bill Hawks (R) | No | |
| H 37 | Steve Harshman (R) | Yes | |
| H 59 | Mary Gilmore (D) | Yes | |
| S 30 | Charles K. Scott (R) | Yes | |
| H 38 | Bob Brechtel (R) | No | |
| H 58 | Ann Robinson (D) | Yes | |
| Cheyenne-Area Legislators | House 3rd 3/1/06 | Senate conf. comm. 3/11/06 |
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| S 4 | Tony Ross (R) | No | |
| H 7 | Doug Samuelson (R) | Yes | |
| H 41 | Becket Hinckley (R) | Yes | |
| S 5 | John Hanes (R) | Yes | |
| H 8 | Larry Meuli (R) | Yes | |
| H 42 | Pete Illoway (R) | No | |
| S 6 | Wayne H. Johnson (R) | No | |
| H 9 | Bryan Pedersen (R) | Yes | |
| H 10 | Rodney "Pete" Anderson (R) | No | |
| S 7 | Kathryn Sessions (D) | Yes | |
| H 11 | Wayne Reese (D) | Yes | |
| H 43 | Dan Zwonitzer (R) | Yes | |
| S 8 | E. Jayne Mockler (D) | Yes | |
| H 12 | Layton Morgan (D) | Yes | |
| H 44 | Floyd Esquibel (D) | Yes | |
| Gillette-Area Legislators | House 3rd 3/1/06 | Senate conf. comm. 3/11/06 |
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| S 23 | John Hines (R) | No | |
| H 31 | Thomas E. Lubnau II (R) | Yes | |
| H 52 | Burke Jackson (R) | Yes | |
| S 24 | Michael Von Flatern (R) | Yes | |
| H 32 | Jeff Wasserburger (R) | Yes | |
| H 53 | Erin Mercer (R) | No | |
| Lander/Riverton-Area Legislators | House 3rd 3/1/06 | Senate conf. comm. 3/11/06 |
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| S 25 | Cale Case (R) | No | |
| H 33 | W. Patrick Goggles (D) | Yes | |
| H 54 | Del McOmie (R) | Yes | |
| S 26 | Robert A. Peck (R) | Yes | |
| H 34 | Frank Philp (R) | Yes | |
| H 55 | David Miller (R) | No | |
| Northeast/East Central WY Legislators | House 3rd 3/1/06 | Senate conf. comm. 3/11/06 |
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| S 1 | C.L. Townsend (R) | No | |
| H 1 | Mark Semlek (R) | No | |
| H 2 | Ross Diercks (D) | Yes | |
| S 2 | Jim Anderson (R) | No | |
| H 5 | James C. Hageman (R) | No | |
| H 6 | Dave Edwards (R) | No | |
| S 3 | Curt Meier (R) | No | |
| H 3 | Deborah Alden (R) | No | |
| H 4 | Edward A. Buchanan (R) | No | |
| Sheridan-Area Legislators | House 3rd 3/1/06 | Senate conf. comm. 3/11/06 |
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| S 21 | Bruce Burns (R) | No | |
| H 29 | Jerry Iekel (R) | Yes | |
| H 51 | Rosie Berger (R) | Yes | |
| S 22 | John Schiffer (R) | Yes | |
| H 30 | Jack Landon (R) | No | |
| H 40 | Doug Osborn (R) | Yes | |
| South Central WY Legislators | House 3rd 3/1/06 | Senate conf. comm. 3/11/06 |
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| S 9 | Mike Massie (D) | Yes | |
| H 13 | Jane Warren (D) | Yes | |
| H 45 | Kevin A. White (R) | Yes | |
| S 10 | Phil Nicholas (R) | No | |
| H 14 | Kermit C. Brown (R) | Yes | |
| H 46 | James Slater (R) | Yes | |
| S 11 | Bill Vasey (D) | Yes | |
| H 15 | George Bagby (D) | Yes | |
| H 47 | Kurt Bucholz (R) | No | |
| Southwest WY Legislators | House 3rd 3/1/06 | Senate conf. comm. 3/11/06 |
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| S 12 | Rae Lynn Job (D) | Yes | |
| H 48 | Marty Martin (D) | Yes | |
| H 16 | Pete Jorgensen (D) | Yes | |
| S 13 | Tex Boggs (D) | Yes | |
| H 17 | Stephen Watt (R) | No | |
| H 60 | Bill Thompson (D) | Yes | |
| S 14 | Stan Cooper (R) | No | |
| H 18 | Mick Powers (R) | No | |
| H 39 | John Hastert (D) | Yes | |
| S 15 | Ken Decaria (D) | Yes | |
| H 19 | Owen Petersen (R) | Yes | |
| H 49 | Bruce Barnard (R) | Yes | |
| West Central WY Legislators | House 3rd 3/1/06 | Senate conf. comm. 3/11/06 |
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| S 16 | Pat Aullman (R) | Yes | |
| H 20 | Kathy Davison (R) | No | |
| H 21 | Randall Luthi (R) | No | |
| S 17 | Grant Larson (R) | Yes | |
| H 22 | Monte Olsen (R) | No | |
| H 23 | Keith Gingery (R) | Yes | |
See Southwest Region for H 16 and S 12 | |||